Overcoming homesickness in College through 10 basic tips

Moving away from home for college is a huge transition, whether you have shifted to a different country or city. Although college may seem like an exciting time filled with opportunities, this newfound freedom can lead to homesickness. According to research, college students may also experience homesickness around their holidays or after returning to their campus from winter break. To lend you a helping hand for overcoming this homesickness, we have provided some tips to guide you so that you can make the most of your college years.

Here are some tips for Overcoming homesickness

1.Give yourself some time.

Recognize that feeling homesick is not a weakness as many students experience it in college. Guilt-tripping yourself over missing home will only worsen the situation. Remember, other students may be on the same boat as you but are better at hiding it. It’s better to let yourself be in this state for a while but have a time limit. Try to go out during this time, whether it’s heading out to buy some coffee or getting your favorite dessert, or any other outdoor activity will help uplift your mood. Depending on you, after a week or less, ask one of your roommates or friends to go with you; this can help reduce homesickness significantly.

2. Socialize and try to keep yourself distracted

Although the thought of spending most of your time in your room may seem appealing, but spending so much time alone will only increase your homesickness. As sitting in your room all day, you’ll waste even more time thinking about what you miss from home. Instead, try to socialize more by participating in on-campus events, joining a society, and get a part time job. Such activities will help you make friends in college and work and decrease the sadness you are experiencing in college.

3.Bring stuff that brings you comfort to college.

Whether it’s a family photograph or a stuffed toy that you place on your bedside table, we all have objects that make us happy whenever we look at them. Whatever these objects may be for you, bring them with you to university to help fight the homesickness blues. Also, don’t be embarrassed by the fact that you still carry such stuff with you as your friends might have them as well; they’re just good at hiding it.

4. Talk to your friends and family back home.

Staying connected with your family and friends in your home town either through video or voice call, or even texts helps reduce the feeling of missing out due to college. However, talking too much may make you feel more distant; hence it is essential to limit it. If the time you spend talking and socializing with your friends in college is more than the time you spend talking to people back home, you’re on the right track.

5. Limit your screen time

Constantly scrolling on social media will remind you of all the events you’ve missed of your loved ones causing you to become homesick and sad. To avoid this FOMO (Fear of Missing Out), try limiting the time you spend on social media to one hour. By taking such steps, you will not only stop feeling homesick but also simultaneously take care of your health, something college students find challenging to manage.

6. Familiarize yourself with new surroundings

College can be an exciting time to meet new people and explore new places, but homesickness can deter you from this. To enjoy your time here to the fullest, it is essential to acclimatize yourself to the new environment. Go for walks, do sightseeing, and spend time exploring the city; doing this helps you feel more at home. Even volunteering and participating in charity events will make you feel part of the community and will make you feel good about yourself.

7. Don’t compare your college experience to other’s

Ask this from every college graduate, you know, and they’ll probably tell you they’ve had some pretty rough days as well. Only a few of us document the bad days of our lives on social media and so whatever we are viewing on our screen is not real life. Hence remember that everyone has good and bad days, and social media is not a representation of real-life, so stop comparing yourself to others.

8. Practice self-care daily

We all know trying to stay optimistic is easier than done. However, if you make a genuine effort to have a positive attitude, you will significantly fight homesickness in college. Organize your day in a way where you make time for activities that you enjoy doing, whether it’s hanging out with friends or watching an episode of your favorite show. By being positive, you not only do yourself a favor but also to those around you. Maintaining this attitude will also help you expand your social circle, assisting in keeping the homesickness blues away. That said, it is impossible to stay happy all the time, but you should focus on being content with what you have.

9. Exercise

Shifting to a new place is a pretty daunting task, and we tend to ignore our health during this process. Although you might think it’s good idea to comfort yourself with food and eat a whole tub of ice cream to drown your sadness, you are not actually facing your emotions when doing so. Maintaining a healthy lifestyle with regular exercise regularly can be the solution to this. Nicholas Chae has a YouTube channel to help guide your fitness journey in college, where he shares his workout routine and diet plan.

10. Talking to a professional

Although homesickness is not a proven clinical diagnosis, it can lead to rising feelings of anxiety and depression. If the lingering feeling of homesickness is not going away and affects your studies and sleep cycle, you should visit your university counselor. There is no shame in discussing the emotions you are experiencing with a counselor, as worrying will only worsen things. Maybe the non-judgmental space of a counselor’s office to explore and understand these feelings will help you combat homesickness.For more articles like these visit our home page.