College Freshman: How to Get Over Homesickness -

Home
>
College & University
>
College Freshman: How to Get Over Homesickness

College Freshman: How to Get Over Homesickness

Whether you're a freshman or a senior, studying abroad or going to college in your hometown ? it's natural to have a period of adjustment when you leave home. Experiencing new things and meeting different people can be exciting and stressful at the same time. Sometimes, it can make you feel a deep desire to return to the people and situations you know best.

The good news is that homesickness goes away eventually. As you gradually get used to your new surroundings, you'll grow more comfortable. You'll also gain a sense of confidence and independence by knowing that you can learn to adjust. Here are some tips to help ease your transition.

Accept that things will be different, but different isn't bad or wrong. Part of maturing is learning to be flexible in different situations, so this is all part of the process of preparing you for a fantastic future.

Bring a piece of home. Pack special items that remind you of home and give you comfort like your pillow, stuffed animals, pictures, posters, music, and specialty food items.

Focus on what you're gaining. Instead of thinking about everything you're missing, focus on what you're gaining by being away. Think about all the new experiences you can share with friends and family when you return.

Know that you're not alone. Everyone who is new is in the same boat so find a buddy to go exploring. Walk around and learn the campus and city. The more familiar you become with your new surroundings, the more your feelings of homesickness will fade.

Keep in touch. You're never more than a call or click away from friends and family. Make an effort to explore and learn new things about your environment so you can share your experiences with them.

Get involved. Join a club, study group, or find a part-time job that will get you involved with other people. Knowing that you will see the same faces and interact on a regular schedule helps a lot.

Plan a visit. Invite friends and family to visit you and act as their tour guide. It also helps to schedule a trip back home, but avoid going home every weekend. You'll gain more confidence by sticking it out and finding new things to do.

Talk about your feelings. Homesickness is natural. It doesn't mean you are weak, only that you have experienced love and security in your home life ? and that's a good thing! If you find you are having trouble coping, talk to a friend, roommate, RA, or a campus counselor. It's important to acknowledge your feelings rather than keep them inside. You are definitely not the first student to experience homesickness, and by sharing what you're going through with others, you'll find even more ways to start to adjust.

Susan Fee is a licensed counselor and author of the college survival guide, "My Roommate Is Driving Me Crazy! Solve Conflicts, Set Boundaries, and Survive the College Roommate from Hell" (Adams Media). She offers more college survival tips on her Web site, http://www.myroommateisdrivingmecrazy.com

In The News:

table border=0 width= valign=top cellpadding=2 cellspacing=7trtd width=80 align=center valign=topfont style=font-size:85%;font-family:arial,sans-serifa href=http://www.citywebshopper.net/articles/includes/redirect.php?url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/education/7659616.stmcid=1255647134ei=Vh7ySL72IqbU6gOE3pnaAwusg=AFQjCNHu0lulL33N90AtcE3wefe8yx32Zwimg src=http://news.google.com/news?imgefp=A0h9zapzucgJimgurl=newsimg.bbc.co.uk/media/images/45090000/jpg/_45090534_senate203.jpg width=80 height=60 alt= border=1brfont size=-2BBC News/font/a/font/tdtd valign=top class=jfont style=font-size:85%;font-family:arial,sans-serifbrdiv style=padding-top:0.8em;img alt= height=1 width=1/divdiv class=lha href=http://www.citywebshopper.net/articles/includes/redirect.php?url=http://www.independent.co.uk/news/education/education-news/state-school-outshines-private-rivals-957890.htmlcid=1255647134ei=Vh7ySL72IqbU6gOE3pnaAwusg=AFQjCNGipehmdqKOX6nTOVF17X7X2VqLIQState school outshines private rivals/abrfont size=-1font color=#6f6f6fIndependent,nbsp;UKnbsp;-/font nobrOct 10, 2008/nobr/fontbrfont size=-1*Rafuku Kobuyashu: Cambridge, bUniversity College/b London, Imperial, London School of Economics and Royal Holloway. *Jitesh Mistry: bUniversity College/b London, b.../b/fontbrfont size=-1a href=http://www.citywebshopper.net/articles/includes/redirect.php?url=http://www.sltrib.com/opinion/ci_10697787cid=1255647134ei=Vh7ySL72IqbU6gOE3pnaAwusg=AFQjCNHNc2PO4aF2AOb1Poe9hWlUSD3P5AHigher education is crucial/a font size=-1 color=#6f6f6fnobrSalt Lake Tribune/nobr/font/fontbrfont size=-1a href=http://www.citywebshopper.net/articles/includes/redirect.php?url=http://thestar.com.my/education/story.asp%3Ffile%3D/2008/10/12/education/2237389%26sec%3Deducationcid=1255647134ei=Vh7ySL72IqbU6gOE3pnaAwusg=AFQjCNFFKyIn8x8OfUtTIoK6NVwg0P9NnwA good year/a font size=-1 color=#6f6f6fnobrMalaysia Star/nobr/font/fontbrfont size=-1a href=http://www.citywebshopper.net/articles/includes/redirect.php?url=http://www.independent.ie/national-news/universities-still-have-lot-to-learn-says-hea-study-1496615.htmlcid=1255647134ei=Vh7ySL72IqbU6gOE3pnaAwusg=AFQjCNGrzYkYEEcGDavo-sAES9W6wmxCAQUniversities still have lot to learn, says HEA study/a font size=-1 color=#6f6f6fnobrIrish Independent/nobr/font/fontbrfont size=-1 class=pa href=http://www.citywebshopper.net/articles/includes/redirect.php?url=http://www.theage.com.au/national/ad-budget-for-melbourne-model-under-fire-20081011-4ysn.htmlcid=1255647134ei=Vh7ySL72IqbU6gOE3pnaAwusg=AFQjCNEur8WICek-HOApR5C7UQdDSwWODAnobrThe Age/nobr/anbsp;- a href=http://www.citywebshopper.net/articles/includes/redirect.php?url=http://www.guardian.co.uk/education/2008/oct/10/highereducation-universityfundingcid=1255647134ei=Vh7ySL72IqbU6gOE3pnaAwusg=AFQjCNGKl7u2YB1JdzcZQr4NXxmLVG54rwnobrguardian.co.uk/nobr/a/fontbr/font class=p size=-1a class=p href=http://news.google.com/news?sourceid=navclientie=ISO-8859-1rls=GGLG,GGLG:2005-22,GGLG:enncl=1255647134hl=ennobrall 319 news articles/nobr/a/font/div/font/td/tr/table

table border=0 width= valign=top cellpadding=2 cellspacing=7trtd width=80 align=center valign=topfont style=font-size:85%;font-family:arial,sans-serifa href=http://www.citywebshopper.net/articles/includes/redirect.php?url=http://www.voanews.com/specialenglish/2008-10-09-voa1.cfmcid=1256012129ei=Vh7ySL72IqbU6gOE3pnaAwusg=AFQjCNFaQHRQot6lXAprlxrtv03EdyCymAimg src=http://news.google.com/news?imgefp=PGtoyowAeukJimgurl=www.voanews.com/specialenglish/images/rockvote_rtv_210_se.jpg width=80 height=80 alt= border=1brfont size=-2Voice of America/font/a/font/tdtd valign=top class=jfont style=font-size:85%;font-family:arial,sans-serifbrdiv style=padding-top:0.8em;img alt= height=1 width=1/divdiv class=lha href=http://www.citywebshopper.net/articles/includes/redirect.php?url=http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/politics/6052669.htmlcid=1256012129ei=Vh7ySL72IqbU6gOE3pnaAwusg=AFQjCNED3uvTh1wFA6QKkoKhqc3BU95F3QbCollege/b voters facing obstacles/abrfont size=-1font color=#6f6f6fHouston Chronicle,nbsp;United Statesnbsp;-/font nobr10 hours ago/nobr/fontbrfont size=-1b.../b bcollege/b address on it and must rely on identification such as utility bills. However, many live in dorms or on-campus apartments where the buniversity/b b.../b/fontbrfont size=-1a href=http://www.citywebshopper.net/articles/includes/redirect.php?url=http://www.wtkr.com/Global/story.asp%3FS%3D9159888%26nav%3DZolHbyvjcid=1256012129ei=Vh7ySL72IqbU6gOE3pnaAwusg=AFQjCNH-cerSPzL2N-P5x7V-Z2kRaqGl0QVirginia Tech To Host Climate Change Summit; Hundreds Of Youth b.../b/a font size=-1 color=#6f6f6fnobrWTKR Your NewsChannel 3/nobr/font/fontbrfont size=-1a href=http://www.citywebshopper.net/articles/includes/redirect.php?url=http://english.aljazeera.net/news/americas/2008/10/20081011153859909790.htmlcid=1256012129ei=Vh7ySL72IqbU6gOE3pnaAwusg=AFQjCNFXQPdpDoi7U1qxBG9XLpcIr_riewUS election diary: Youth vote/a font size=-1 color=#6f6f6fnobrAljazeera.net/nobr/font/fontbrfont size=-1a href=http://www.citywebshopper.net/articles/includes/redirect.php?url=http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/world/2008/1009/1223445617054.htmlcid=1256012129ei=Vh7ySL72IqbU6gOE3pnaAwusg=AFQjCNH_fMPph00D7HziDGiDTmTzX5p-IQRepublicans hope to improve their campaign grade by going back to b.../b/a font size=-1 color=#6f6f6fnobrIrish Times/nobr/font/fontbrfont size=-1 class=pa href=http://www.citywebshopper.net/articles/includes/redirect.php?url=http://www.statesman.com/news/content/news/stories/nation/10/09/1009collegevoting.htmlcid=1256012129ei=Vh7ySL72IqbU6gOE3pnaAwusg=AFQjCNHaKd9WEjlR5ricHYyhgS8DO8B2mAnobrAustin American-Statesman/nobr/anbsp;- a href=http://www.citywebshopper.net/articles/includes/redirect.php?url=http://www.timesargus.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article%3FAID%3D/20081010/NEWS01/810100332/1002/NEWS01cid=1256012129ei=Vh7ySL72IqbU6gOE3pnaAwusg=AFQjCNFUcH7S8kUyoVR3JJwVh1W4-VYabgnobrBarre Montpelier Times Argus/nobr/a/fontbr/font class=p size=-1a class=p href=http://news.google.com/news?sourceid=navclientie=ISO-8859-1rls=GGLG,GGLG:2005-22,GGLG:enncl=1256012129hl=ennobrall 15 news articles/nobr/a/font/div/font/td/tr/table

table border=0 width= valign=top cellpadding=2 cellspacing=7trtd valign=top class=jfont style=font-size:85%;font-family:arial,sans-serifbrdiv style=padding-top:0.8em;img alt= height=1 width=1/divdiv class=lha href=http://www.citywebshopper.net/articles/includes/redirect.php?url=http://www.latimes.com/news/opinion/sunday/commentary/la-oe-grassley12-2008oct12,0,5806379.storycid=1256774185ei=Vh7ySL72IqbU6gOE3pnaAwusg=AFQjCNFlQySEG2cfvO08xpTcIfv-jqDTDQUsing bcollege/b endowments/abrfont size=-1font color=#6f6f6fLos Angeles Times,nbsp;CAnbsp;-/font nobr8 hours ago/nobr/fontbrfont size=-1In all, 373 colleges had endowments of $100 million or more, according to the 2007 list from the National Assn. of bCollege/b and bUniversity/b Business Officers. b.../b/fontbrfont size=-1a href=http://www.citywebshopper.net/articles/includes/redirect.php?url=http://www.latimes.com/news/opinion/sunday/commentary/la-oe-marx12-2008oct12,0,1932920.storycid=1256774185ei=Vh7ySL72IqbU6gOE3pnaAwusg=AFQjCNEkaSU5zuXQvQW4sMRSV67KsBY4GgDefending bcollege/b endowments/a font size=-1 color=#6f6f6fnobrLos Angeles Times/nobr/font/fontbrfont class=p size=-1a class=p href=http://news.google.com/news?sourceid=navclientie=ISO-8859-1rls=GGLG,GGLG:2005-22,GGLG:enncl=1256774185hl=ennobrall 4 news articles/nobr/a/font/div/font/td/tr/table

table border=0 width= valign=top cellpadding=2 cellspacing=7trtd width=80 align=center valign=topfont style=font-size:85%;font-family:arial,sans-serifa href=http://www.citywebshopper.net/articles/includes/redirect.php?url=http://www.nytimes.com/2008/10/12/nyregion/long-island/12hofstrali.html%3Fref%3Dpoliticscid=1256618904ei=Vh7ySL72IqbU6gOE3pnaAwusg=AFQjCNGSuX9u-Dsqv9cbGuaEHTyA1fFZDQimg src=http://news.google.com/news?imgefp=_yQYUI_cD7cJimgurl=graphics8.nytimes.com/images/2008/10/12/nyregion/12hofstrali.span.jpg width=80 height=45 alt= border=1brfont size=-2New York Times/font/a/font/tdtd valign=top class=jfont style=font-size:85%;font-family:arial,sans-serifbrdiv style=padding-top:0.8em;img alt= height=1 width=1/divdiv class=lha href=http://www.citywebshopper.net/articles/includes/redirect.php?url=http://www.nytimes.com/2008/10/12/nyregion/long-island/12hofstrali.html%3Fref%3Dpoliticscid=1256618904ei=Vh7ySL72IqbU6gOE3pnaAwusg=AFQjCNGSuX9u-Dsqv9cbGuaEHTyA1fFZDQA bCollege/b in the Eye of a Debate/abrfont size=-1font color=#6f6f6fNew York Times,nbsp;United Statesnbsp;-/font nobr17 hours ago/nobr/fontbrfont size=-1Hofstra opened in a single building in 1935 under a cumbersome name: Nassau bCollege/b-Hofstra Memorial of New York bUniversity/b at Hempstead, Long Island. b.../b/fontbrfont size=-1a href=http://www.citywebshopper.net/articles/includes/redirect.php?url=http://www.newsday.com/news/printedition/longisland/ny-pohofs5880569oct12,0,1521381.storycid=1256618904ei=Vh7ySL72IqbU6gOE3pnaAwusg=AFQjCNF6io9K5e0eKhM6qN2C-RJR7GhLlAHofstra had right stuff to host presidential debate/a font size=-1 color=#6f6f6fnobrNewsday/nobr/font/fontbrfont size=-1a href=http://www.citywebshopper.net/articles/includes/redirect.php?url=http://www.nydailynews.com/news/politics/2008/10/11/2008-10-11_presidential_debate_a_feather_in_hofstra.htmlcid=1256618904ei=Vh7ySL72IqbU6gOE3pnaAwusg=AFQjCNEAfcvN4BpLNsPGySCbnokWtZK5Zwdebate a feather in Hofstra#39;s cap, but at big cost/a font size=-1 color=#6f6f6fnobrNew York Daily News/nobr/font/fontbrfont class=p size=-1a class=p href=http://news.google.com/news?sourceid=navclientie=ISO-8859-1rls=GGLG,GGLG:2005-22,GGLG:enncl=1256618904hl=ennobrall 5 news articles/nobr/a/font/div/font/td/tr/table

table border=0 width= valign=top cellpadding=2 cellspacing=7trtd valign=top class=jfont style=font-size:85%;font-family:arial,sans-serifbrdiv style=padding-top:0.8em;img alt= height=1 width=1/divdiv class=lha href=http://www.citywebshopper.net/articles/includes/redirect.php?url=http://www.bostonherald.com/sports/college/hockey/view/2008_10_10_College_ice_gets_hot_in_a_hurry/srvc%3Dcollegesports%26position%3D6cid=1256410516ei=Vh7ySL72IqbU6gOE3pnaAwusg=AFQjCNEUNvZ2u2R7l3ZoRB3z31JElYDftQbCollege/b ice gets hot in a hurry/abrfont size=-1font color=#6f6f6fBoston Herald,nbsp;United Statesnbsp;-/font nobr11 hours ago/nobr/fontbrfont size=-1By John Connolly It will be a banner weekend of hockey in Boston starting this afternoon when Boston bUniversity/b hosts the 12th annual Ice Breaker b.../b/fontbrfont size=-1a href=http://www.citywebshopper.net/articles/includes/redirect.php?url=http://www.masslive.com/sports/index.ssf/2008/10/university_of_massachusetts_ho.htmlcid=1256410516ei=Vh7ySL72IqbU6gOE3pnaAwusg=AFQjCNFD365fpRpgVTEfK0jxMqzmPO-jgw• bUniversity/b of Massachusetts hockey team falls to Michigan State/a font size=-1 color=#6f6f6fnobrThe Republican - MassLive.com/nobr/font/fontbrfont class=p size=-1a class=p href=http://news.google.com/news?sourceid=navclientie=ISO-8859-1rls=GGLG,GGLG:2005-22,GGLG:enncl=1256410516hl=ennobrall 3 news articles/nobr/a/font/div/font/td/tr/table

table border=0 width= valign=top cellpadding=2 cellspacing=7trtd valign=top class=jfont style=font-size:85%;font-family:arial,sans-serifbrdiv style=padding-top:0.8em;img alt= height=1 width=1/divdiv class=lha href=http://www.citywebshopper.net/articles/includes/redirect.php?url=http://newberry.athleticsite.com/article.asp%3FarticleID%3D3408cid=1256681388ei=Vh7ySL72IqbU6gOE3pnaAwusg=AFQjCNG0b5bRRw_kYBy8PIKZh1q1xghkCQNewberry ties Georgia bCollege/b amp; State bUniversity/b/abrfont size=-1font color=#6f6f6fOfficial Athletic Site, Newberry College Indians,nbsp;SCnbsp;-/font nobr16 hours ago/nobr/fontbrfont size=-1However, the scarlet and gray offense was unable to muster a goal as Newberry tied Georgia bCollege/b amp; State bUniversity/b (8-1-3), 0-0 in double overtime. b.../b/fontbrfont size=-1a href=http://www.citywebshopper.net/articles/includes/redirect.php?url=http://newberry.athleticsite.com/article.asp%3FarticleID%3D3409cid=1256681388ei=Vh7ySL72IqbU6gOE3pnaAwusg=AFQjCNFwWRVuTnz6lULTVhy192MgFXSSyANewberry falls to Montevallo Falcons 1-0 on the/a font size=-1 color=#6f6f6fnobrOfficial Athletic Site, Newberry College Indians/nobr/font/fontbrfont class=p size=-1a class=p href=http://news.google.com/news?sourceid=navclientie=ISO-8859-1rls=GGLG,GGLG:2005-22,GGLG:enncl=1256681388hl=ennobrall 2 news articles/nobr/a/font/div/font/td/tr/table

college university - Google News

College Freshman: How to Get Over Homesickness

College & University