Handling Homesickness

I remember leaving my hometown, Salem, NH, feeling like I was sick of home. I wanted to just move onto college and start up a new part of my life. With about almost a month of being here at SMC, I am not sick of home, but rather homesick. Being homesick is a hard feeling to shake off, but the feeling is so natural that sometimes you have to allow yourself to feel homesick at some point.You can't let yourself think that you are the only one feeling this way either.

Here are some tips that have helped me handle my homesickness:
1. Go out with friends. Living in the moment is what matters the most. Hang out with your college friends to help get your mind off of the way you're feeling.
2. Immerse yourself in studies. With all of my classes, I've already gotten a lot of homework to do from studying to reading to writing papers. It has kept me on task by doing my homework, and also kept my mind occupied on something else.
3. Get more involved around campus. Saint Mike's sends plenty of e-mails daily notifying us on events going on throughout the week. There's a whole range of things to do from intramural sports to clubs.
4. Talk to your friends from home and at college/family about how you're feeling. Your parents have been there through this life change that you're going through, plus they are dealing with missing you too. Your friends from home are feeling the same way since they are in college, too. It's always good to talk to someone who you can relate to, so you know you aren't alone in this process.
5. Bring pieces from your home to your new home. Make your dorm room more like a home by putting up pictures of family and friends that are reminders that they are always there.
6. Plan a trip home. This one may be hard depending on where you live, but there are bus and train stations, and an airport nearby if you ever want to go home for the weekend. I've already planned to go home two weekends in a row, the four day weekend in October and the weekend after for Pumpkinfest at Keene State College. I think planning these trips makes me feel more comfortable that I know I'll be seeing my friends and family soon.

tweet, formspring, or facebook! :)