Overcoming Homesickness
College is a big adjustment, and it’s completely normal to miss your family and friends back home. Homesickness can feel challenging to deal with and may appear in different ways, such as loss in appetite, trouble sleeping, feeling sad or anxious, or withdrawing from others. You might even not have experienced homesickness yet. Whether you are currently experiencing homesickness or experience it later on in the semester, these tips can help you overcome your homesickness.
Reach out for Support. Leaving home and becoming a person independent from your family can be overwhelming. Although it may feel like no one else feels this way, you’re not alone in your homesickness. Spark a conversation with your roommate or classmates about missing home. Ask them how they are adjusting to the change of college and see how you can support each other. You can also reach out to older students (such as your SOA) who have experience with overcoming homesickness. Also, feel free to reach out to your Launchpad advisor or another trusted faculty or staff member on campus so they can provide you support or connect you with other incredible resources on campus.
Stay busy. While it can be tempting to stay in your residence hall, it is so important to get out and get involved! There are plenty of ways to get engaged on campus, from student organizations to intramural sports teams. Several clubs are starting up this time of year and looking for new members. If a club sounds interesting, don’t be afraid to attend – you never know if you might meet a new friend or discover a new hobby. There will also be several events within your residence hall that you can attend. Staying busy with school and extracurriculars will quickly make Tech feel like your second home.
Give yourself some time. College is a big change, and it’s completely okay and normal to miss home. Over 94% of college students experience homesickness. There isn’t a quick fix to homesickness; it takes time to adjust to living away from home. Feel free to give yourself some time to process your feelings. If your feelings of homesickness become too large for you to deal with alone, don’t be afraid to reach out to the Counseling Center. Counseling Center staff are very familiar with the challenges that college students face and are well-equipped to help you through it. As a full-time student, you have access to 12 free hours of counseling each academic year!
Stay in touch. Even though you are living away from your friends and family, you can still call or text them regularly. While your college schedule may allow you the opportunity to make several trips back home throughout the semester, be aware of how often you are going home. Going home too frequently may actually be contributing to homesickness and hindering you from fully experiencing campus. The key to easing your homesickness is having a communication plan with your loved ones back home and taking the initiative in making Tech feel like home.
This article from Best Colleges has even more tips on overcoming homesickness!
