Whether you are in your first or eighth semester of college, 1 mile or 60 miles away from home, it is entirely common and acceptable to experience missing home, even within the first few minutes of arriving on campus. The progression from a familiar environment to a fresh space is a significant step into independent living that many of us struggle to transition into. This particular blog is meant to help guide students through the universal experience of homesickness when entering this next big step in their academic journey. So, here are a few steps you could take to help ensure a smooth changeover into college life!
Keeping In Touch With Family
The easiest and most effective way to confront homesickness while away from loved ones is to find ways to meaningfully connect with them despite the distance. Whether it be through writing letters to them, printing physical photos of them to hang up as memorial decor, or implementing daily reminders of loved ones in your routines. By maintaining connection with the supporters back home, you are bridging the gap between home and your home away from home by inviting a part of you into this new space. Remember, you are not alone in this journey.
Send Handwritten Letters
Despite us living in a predominantly digital world where texts and calls are preferred forms of contact due to its convenience, there is something uniquely personable about sending a handwritten letter and receiving one in the mail. When I was in my first year of college, I remember visiting my mailbox and not expecting to find anything. But, to my delight, I discovered a stack of letters written by my family, and I was overjoyed. It meant more to me to receive the occasional handwritten letter from loved ones over the daily text message. I encourage you to write a letter to a loved one, send it off through your campus mailing services, and ask to be written back. This form of communication can also serve as memorabilia if you choose to save them in a memory box to refer back to throughout your college journey.
Print Physical Photos
Keeping a string of photos plastered on the wall or in a memory album can serve many purposes. It can serve as decoration for an otherwise plain wall if you choose to hang it, and it could be a constant reminder of everyone who is rooting for you back home. Printed photos could easily be hung up on the wall by clipping them to fairy string lights and—bam—you now have a decorated wall that adds a touch of comfort to your home away from home. Hanging printed photos of loved ones on the wall will be more meaningful than scrolling through digital photos on your phone. From a psychological standpoint, handling physical photos helps build a deeper emotional response and connection compared to viewing digital photos.
Incorporate Reminders in Routines
It can be a challenge to juggle communication with loved ones while adjusting to a new environment, curriculum, and routine while in college. As a college student myself, I recognized this and decided to tap into my subconscious to remind me to reach out. I did this by creating habits built into my schedule and routine, like calling or texting them before bed. By including this action in your nightly or morning routine, it will become a habit that requires less thought and will result in better communication with loved ones.
Build Your Community
Sometimes, all we need in order to beat homesickness is to build meaningful connections that will offer us belonging. Oftentimes, signs of homesickness are a result of experiencing trouble transitioning into the new environment you inhabit. Many resources on and off campus are widely accessible to you at your disposal that can contribute to building connections in this next big stage of your life. I get it, it's not easy to start over, but communities can be found anywhere; you just have to find the one that resonates with you the most, or build your own.
Connect With Peers and Faculty
Building a community starts with getting to know its members. This includes classmates, neighbors, and even faculty. If you are starting to feel lonely in this new environment, away from your family and friends back home, the first step to curing homesickness is to build relationships with the people around you to fill that space. You are not replacing your supporters at home with the connections you make in college, but rather, you are adding to your circle with more and more people who are offering their support. Don’t be afraid to knock on your neighbor’s door and introduce yourself. Personally, having an entire hallway full of neighbors who I can call my friends was such a blessing and helped me feel more at home while in college. It also wouldn’t hurt to visit a professor in their office just to greet them and introduce yourself; you never know what kind of relationship can grow from doing that. They would appreciate you putting in the effort to get to know them personally, and I’m sure they would like to get to know you, too. Your future self will thank you for putting in the extra mile to build connections.
Explore New Spots
Familiarize yourself with the unfamiliar, and soon it won’t feel so foreign. Once I took the time to explore the campus and the spots around it, I felt more comfortable finding my way around. There were so many spots that I discovered would be either a great spot to study or hang out with friends, especially during finals week when you will be studying for longer periods of time and need spots to relocate your study sessions. If you take the time in the beginning of the semester to explore as many locations as you can on and off campus, it will be easier to see yourself belonging in this new environment. The more places you familiarize yourself with, the wider your horizon will be when you need some variety.
Join Organizations
There are plenty of departments and organizations on campus that could help guide you through the transition into college, and it is important to utilize those available to you. Don’t know where to start or what interests you? Luckily, most campuses hold events featuring all of the different clubs and organizations on campus run by students like you. I encourage you to go to at least one campus event every month to ensure you are involved in the experience of meeting different student-built communities. This is one of the fastest ways to build community: by joining an existing one, or creating your own!
Conclusion
Starting your college journey is an exciting new chapter that deserves all of the recognition for all the hard work you put in to get here. But it does come with its challenges, like everything else in life. If you take the proper steps to make this new environment a safe space you can call your home away from home, your homesickness won’t sit so heavily on your shoulders. It is not uncommon for students to miss the comfort of their home, but those who embrace the uncomfortable find it easier to adapt to fresh starts. Follow these steps provided in this blog to ensure a highly progressive transition into college! Good luck, and you’ve got this.
