Overcoming Home-sickness
5 remedies to the common case of home-sickness
We’ve all experienced it at some point — you leave the comforts and ease of home to embark on a new adventure and are left missing your once familiar surroundings.
Home-sickness symptoms may include:
- Having the urge to call hometown family and friends at all hours of the day
- Wanting to go back to your hometown every weekend
- Feeling alone at school despite having made many new relationships
- And in severe cases, potentially wanting to drop out of college completely
All jokes aside, homesickness is very real, and can be a hard feeling to overcome. It can be especially hard for incoming college students, whether they are from out of state, or just up the road. Many college students may find themselves missing their families and hometown comforts, as it may be the first time they are leaving their home to begin with.
However, it’s important to know you aren’t alone in feeling a little lost and missing your family! Here are some tips from Tatiana Maya Olea, #ClassOf2020, on how to get through homesickness
1. Spend time with people who make you feel comfortable and valued
It is easy to find yourself feeling lonely, even when you’re in a place surrounded by many people, like college for example! A positive of being surrounded by like-minded people — you might find that talking to classmates, friends or a roommate can help you feel better. Ask them if they want to grab lunch, go to the gym, or even do homework at the library with you. Part of feeling homesick is feeling out of place. Spending time with people you enjoy being around helps you feel more comfortable in a new environment, and can help you get your mind off of feeling homesick.
2. Share your experiences
You are not alone in feeling a little down as the first weeks of the semester pass by, many students go through feeling homesick and can relate to how you feel. You may find a close friend is feeling the same way, and you can help each other get through it.
Other students may have tips of their own on what helps them get through feeling homesick, and sometimes just the process of starting a conversation can build stronger relationships and help you push on!
3. Use technology to your advantage
We are lucky to live in a society where we have access to incredible technology right at our fingertips. Use this technology to keep in touch with your loved ones by calling, video chatting, Face-timing, or sending a text to your parents or friends from back home. Just telling them about your day or what is on your mind can make you feel close to them and close to home no matter how far away you might be!
4. Take a break and breathe it out
I find I feel homesick when I am overwhelmed with school or work and miss the comfort of my family to help me cope. It can be hard to manage everything at once and find a balance as a new college student.
It’s okay to take a break from school and have a nice dinner with friends, attend a dance class, or take a walk through NAU’s beautiful campus instead of taking the bus to class.
Not in the mood to socialize or be around people? Try relaxing with a movie. NAU hosts free movie showings at Prochnow auditorium for NAU students (PLUS free popcorn and soda!). All you need is your NAU ID and you’re good to go!
5. Make a trip home
When you feel like you’ve exhausted your options around campus and Flagstaff, it’s alright to take a trip back home to re-connect and recharge yourself. Although it’s not recommended to go home every weekend, sometimes you just need a trip back to visit family and catch up with hometown friends.
For those in-state, home trips might be easier than those out-of-state, but should be approached with care — too many trips home have been known to diminish your “college experience.”
Seeing family or friends from home can remind you of why you went to college, and help keep you motivated.
Dorothy said it best, there really is no place like home ❤ But there are some ways to make your transition to college-life easier. Know of any other helpful tricks or advice to overcome feeling homesick? Let us know at social@nau.edu.
