New to Campus/Homesickness

It doesn't seem possible but the summer flew by.  Students are headed back to campus and starting a new school year.  For those that have done this before, it's pretty easy.  They know what to expect and they're ready to get started.  For freshman or perhaps even transfer students, there may be some aspects of excitement, nervousness, and uncertainty.  Below you will find some tips and resources for managing the change and settling into your new surroundings. 

Homesickness

It is not uncommon for someone leaving their home for the first time to experience some, or all, of the following: 

• Feelings of anxiety about separation from loved ones.

• Feeling anxious about how you will perform in school.

• Feeling like you don't belong, that everyone else is better than you.

• Feelings of isolation and loneliness.

• Feeling different from others and believing that everyone else is having a good time and making friends except you.

• Feeling depressed/sad with low motivation to study, make friends, or put effort into anything.

• Constantly thinking about home, family, and/or friends.

• Wondering if you should just give up and go back home.

Tips for New Students/Overcoming Homesickness

• Take a deep breath -  You worked hard to get hear.  Breathe in and allow yourself to enjoy the moment.

• Know your resources- Sure you've been on the campus tour and heard a bunch of information about what was available, but how much of that really sank in?  Probably not much.  So, walk around campus, get to know your surroundings and what services are available.  Make use of the college website and learn about the resources.  Talk to the Resident Assistants (RAs) and the Resident Directors (RDs). You may not ever need some of the resources but if you do, it's much better to know they exist then to think they don't. 

• Step out of your comfort zone  - This is a time for you to try some new things and even some new ways of being. Challenge yourself to try some things you want to, even though you're nervous.  Walk up or downstairs from your dorm room and meet people on that floor.  Talk to someone new every day or week.  Try a different food.  Join a club. Doing things like this help you feel more confident and that will help in the college world and the world outside of college. 

• Get involved - Find out about groups and clubs on campus that may interest you.  Go to the Student Life planned events.  The more involved you get, the more connected you will feel and the more fun and satisfaction with school you will have.

• Seek out and work toward balance - You want to try to find the right balance between school, friends, work, and self.  At times, one or two of these things may take up most of your time.  Be mindful when this happens and get some time in the other areas that have been neglected.  This helps you feel less overwhelmed, tired and agitated.

• Watch the negative thoughts - When we don't feel comfortable, it is easy to allow negative thoughts to take over.  The seem to come automatically.  Remember, these are just thoughts, not facts.  Challenge them.  If you notice that your thoughts are saying, "No one likes you, you will never fit in."  Challenge it.  NO ONE likes you?  Not ONE SINGLE person?  Think about some of the interactions you have had and name a person or a couple people that you have started to get to know.  Challenge the thoughts, they ARE NOT FACTS. 

• If at first you don't succeed... -  Try, try, and try again.  No matter what size the campus, there will be people that you click with and people that you don't.  There will be people you thought you clicked with and later realize that you don't.  This is a normal part of life.  You don't have to make life long friends in the first few days.  Lifelong friends take time.  For now, meet people.  Get engaged. If something doesn't work out.  Find something else and give it a try. 

• Remember how you got here -  It was not an accident that you were accepted into college.  If you are here, you deserve to be here.  You worked hard and are just as valuable and as deserving as everyone else. 

• Use past experiences as a guide for this experience - Chances are, at some other time in your life you have felt anxious, uncertain, out of place, or uncomfortable.  Think about the actions you took to make it happen.  What did you do?  Changed an attitude, had more patience, took a chance, tried something new?  How did you eventually feel better?  Use that information to help you get through this situation. 

Articles and Information

Advice For New Students From Those Who Know (Old Students) - Article from NY times, 7/30/2015

8 Tips For Students Starting College - Article with words of wisdom for Freshman taken from collegelife.about.com

Top Ten Freshman Year Issues- Taken from mentalhealthamerica.net

15 Tips On Conquering Your College Freshman Fears - You are not the only one that thinks these things. Article taken from collegelife.about.com.

Kids Health.org - Website with several articles on various topics for college students related to health

13 Things Parents Should Do To Help Their College Bound Kid - Some ideas for parents taken from 

Reader's Digest (rd.com).