I am a freshman and it’s about my second week of college. I had been so excited to leave home and go to college, especially since my high school life was so boring (in high school, I moved states sophomore year and made no friends at my new school, literally, I never hung out with anyone my last three years of high school). I was super excited to start fresh and meet a lot of new people! However, every day since starting school I get more and more depressed.
I cry 2-3 times a day and I can’t eat at all. I’m a very shy and anxious person in general so it’s kind of hard to meet friends. I don’t drink or party or even play sports so that makes it difficult too. I suspected I had minor depression my junior to senior year in high school but I never sought help. I thought it would get better in college since I had potential to make friends and keep busy. However, I’ve never felt more depressed, homesick, and miserable. And the sad thing is I already made a good friend, my roommates are fine, and I love my classes, also I joined some clubs which have been good. So is it really depression?? I don’t understand the extreme homesickness.
It’s only the second week, I understand, and I’m considering going to see a therapist but I need to know if anyone else has experienced this hard of a transition before?
Homesickness is the #1 symptom for kids freshmen year. Homesickness is a totally normal experience. You are not alone there. As for the depression, meet with a counselor. That is what they are paid for and more students should take advantage of them. Hang in there. If all you are needing to hear is that you are not alone then there are literally a million freshmen across the globe that feel the same way you do. I did and my kid feels the same way who is a freshman now.
thanks so much, sometimes i just get so upset (i was when i wrote the original post) that i can’t see out of it. i’m feeling better right now but i will probably get really depressed again tomorrow afternoon lol. i hope it just goes away
Some homesickness is to be expected, home-college IS on of life’s most difficult and abrupt transitions for a lot of people. Lots of students also get an end-of-summer seasonal depression. Couple these two and things aren’t good.
Being shy/crying/not partying isn’t really a huge deal, you’ll get through that. However the eating thing is a problem. Stick with a regular diet/meal intervals or you’re liable to end up obese later in life and get diabetes.
I would give it a week, see if you feel better. If not, go see a therapist and get some Prozac.
Most of what you are experiencing is normal. It takes more than a couple of weeks for things to fall into place, and things falling into place also takes ongoing effort, not simply waiting for something to happen. Keep trying. Find those other kids who aren’t into partying (just wander your dorm on Friday and Saturday night, they are there) and invite one or two to your room for a TV show, a movie, a video game, a board game, a snack, coffee, tea, whatever.