Hey guys. I’m a college freshman at a university that is about 10 hrs away by car but only 1.5 hrs away by plane. i was REALLY homesick at the start of my first semester, to say the least. I eventually adjusted to college and made some friends and things were turning around for the better. I still missed my parents, and when they came for parents weekend I cried when they left and got very anxious.
Thanksgiving was a little different because I had a friend with me. The day that we were leaving, we spent touring my city with my family. We ended the day with dinner and then my dad drove us to the airport. I was sad, and tears were shed, but I focused less on the leaving because my friend was with me.
Now it’s the end of Christmas break. I leave tomorrow morning and I’ve been dreading it. I’ve already cried several times. I don’t know how to get rid of the anxiety… I feel as if the day before I leave, I can’t do anything but cling to my parents side. I tear up every time my mom tells me it’s going to be okay. I’m just a mess.
Whenever we go out, I look at families and envy the fact that their younger kids still get to go home every night after school. I think about how tomorrow is any other day for them, but for me it means that I have to go back to college.
I tell my mom that I’m fine once I’m back in the dorm, it’s just he leaving that’s hard. I think this is mostly true, but I worry that I’ll still be homesick and things won’t turn out fine. I also want to know when I can go about my life without thinking about how lucky this kid is to be able to have his parents at night and how he doesn’t have to go off to college. I’m also looking forward to when I don’t get so anxious, or cry before every time I leave.
Any suggestions on how to be less anxious about leaving, or to calm or prepare myself, or what to do once I’m back in my dorm and I’m feeling homesick would be much appreciated!!! Also is it normal to still be homesick as a second semester freshman?
Different people have different experience when leaving home. Some are really sensitive and have anxiety, while I’ve known others that specifically travel to the other side of the country to get away.
Being a college freshman myself, I found the one thing that helped me a lot is friends. The most important thing is quality over quantity, Find that one group that you can really relate to and with whom you can be yourself. Trust me, sitting alone in your dorm is the last thing you want to do if you are homesick.
Find something to do. Get busy with some new clubs or explore the area with some people. It’s going to be kinda hard to open up to people so much, but taking the first step itself is the hardest step. Even something like watching a funny movie can help sometimes.
The best way to deal with this is to face it head on. Look at it this way. You are going to be living alone anyways when you are older, so you might as well get used to it now.
As you said, once you get into the dorm, you’re okay. You’re strong and you’re adjusting well. It’s wonderful that you have a home life that you love so much. Don’t worry, you’re going to be fine. Just give it some more time.
Homesickness can happen anytime. You were at college for four months and then got to go back home and slip into the comforts of home. You got to see your parents everyday, and you got to eat home-cooked meals. Suddenly, you had to leave and return to school. It’s totally normal to feel how you are feeling.
I was a commuter for the first two years of my college career, and I transferred to a school three hours from home in the fall. I was at school for two weeks and then went home for Labor Day weekend. When I had to return after that weekend, I was so sad. I slipped into the familiar comforts of home, and it was like I was being ripped apart from those comforts. When I got back, however, I immersed myself in college and put my mind to my academics. I formed great friendships.
Like you, I was fine once I got back to school and back to the normal routine. What I do to comfort myself when I have to leave home is to think about the fun I have at school. My friends are a big reason why I love school. My classes are another reason. When you get to campus, join clubs and ask friends to hang out outside of class. Those activities will help take your mind off of your homesickness. They surely helped me.