How are you coping with homesickness?

By: Jeweliana Register

Have you ever felt a longing to be somewhere you aren’t? Maybe you wished you were on the beach instead of studying for your biology class, or maybe you wished you were eating at your favorite restaurant instead of in the UC. Sometimes, you may even wish you were back home.

Whether you long to drive to your best friend’s house or yearn for your mom to do your laundry, homesickness can hit us in different ways. Homesickness may hit the moment your parents get on the plane heading home, or it may not start for months after that when you are having a bad day. Homesickness can creep in slowly or rush in, but either way, it’s not easy to deal with.

For me, homesickness means missing the ability to sit and talk with my mom at the end of the day, to drive to my local Starbucks to get a cup of coffee and chat about work with my best friend and to come home to my Yorkie asleep at the end of my bed. Coming “home” after a long day of classes is usually just grabbing dinner in the UC, settling into my triple in Goodwin, finishing up homework and calling home. It’s much different than my old daily routine, the one I was so used to for eighteen years. That’s what makes being homesick so hard. New adventures are fun and exciting, until the dust settles and you realize that with those new adventures come lots of changes, adjustments and struggles.

There is good news though. I’ve realized that I am not alone. Other students are struggling with being away from home, whether they’re freshmen or seniors. Homesickness may stick around for a while, but eventually, it does get easier to deal with. Here’s how students around campus have been dealing with their homesickness.

Michael McDonough, sophomore marine biology major and residential student from Arizona

“For me, family is the most important thing, or one of the most important at least, so being separated is really hard, and the time difference can be pretty brutal as well. Not having them here when I need them, or even me not being able to be there for them when they need me, is really hard,” said McDonough.

McDonough said that talking on the phone and texting with family, friends and his girlfriend help him cope with homesickness. McDonough said that staying busy with clubs and organizations on campus helps him because the busier he is, the less he feels the distance. McDonough’s advice to those feeling homesick, especially freshman who have left home for the first time, is to stay involved and try new things — even if you do not think that club is necessarily for you, you may surprise yourself.

Shannon Davis, senior biology major and residential student from Jackson, Missouri

Shannon Davis is a transfer student in her second year at NSU. She said that she doesn’t get homesick.

“I’m from a really, really small town. There’s not much to do there and nothing really exciting about it,” said Davis.

Davis said that most people do not tend to leave her small town, but she knew she wanted to go out and see what else the world had to offer. She said her advice to those who have a different experience than her’s and are feeling homesick is to stay in touch with your loved ones back home. Davis, although she does not feel homesick, still talks to her parents every day and Facetimes with them as much as possible. She also said that doing little things, like making a meal that reminds you of home, can help ease the pain of the distance.

Ean Brinker, freshman marine biology major and residential student from Michigan

“I have felt homesickness a little bit, not so much that I wish I were back home, but more in the sense that I’ll be doing something and I’ll think ‘ooh, I should tell my brother,’ or, ‘I should tell my mom and my dad,’ and I can’t,” said Brinker.

Brinker’s family often travels abroad, so it has made keeping in touch a little challenging. In order to cope with his homesickness, Brinker calls his family. He said that it makes his mom very happy when he does. He also tries to distract himself by getting out and doing something on campus in order to remind himself of the opportunities here.

Brinker said he thinks his roommates and friends are handling the distance well. His roommates have family that live within a few hours of campus, so they come to visit when they are missing their college student. Overall, Brinker’s advice to anyone feeling homesick is to go out and get involved, but don’t forget to call your mom – she definitely wants you to.

In general, staying in touch with loved ones and being able to still feel connected back home can help ease the sting of distance. With so many different avenues of communication available to us like Facetime, Skype, iMessage, Snapchat, Twitter, Instagram and Facebook, staying connected is easier than it has ever been.

The distance may be there physically, but it does not mean that there is a wall between you and your loved ones. Staying involved and getting active are great ways to distract yourself from your waves of homesickness. Joining a club, rushing for a fraternity or sorority or even getting a part-time job are all ways to help fill the gaps in your schedule that leave you too much time to dwell on your homesickness. Homesickness is normal, but it’s not incurable.

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