Coping with Homesickness

Most of us are so used to being surrounded by our family 24/7. You get so annoyed with them that you think there’s NO way you’ll miss them once you’re in college! You know you love them to death, and some of us know we’ll miss them immensely once we leave, but for a lot of people college is the first time experiencing homesickness. I want to start off by saying that it’s completely normal to feel this way. Everyone misses their family at one point or another, so just know that it’s perfectly okay if you’re feeling a little bit sad.

The first days and weeks are definitely the most challenging because everything is so new and it doesn’t feel quite like home yet. After saying goodbye to your parents on move-in day, try and keep yourself busy once they leave. Find some new people on campus to meet and hang out with, or an activity to do. Furman puts on lots of orientation events, so they try and keep you pretty distracted! Just realize that everyone feels the same way and try to focus on all the new exciting experiences you’re about to have. These are moments that you’ll always remember so just try to take it all in and make the most of it!

When you do feel homesick, most of the time it just hits you like a big wave. Don’t let it overwhelm you, just relax and find something that can make you feel connected to home. This could be a show that you love to watch, a song you love, or maybe even just calling your family or friends to chat can give you the feeling of home. Having some kind of constant in your life that’s the same at home and at school can help make you feel more settled. Whether it’s your favorite food that you continue to eat, or something you would do/ watch everyday, even the smallest things can make the transition less stressful. Reaching out to your friends about homesickness can help too because they may be feeling the same way, or at least they can distract you and get your mind in a better place.

If I’m being honest, going through the pictures of my family and writing this post definitely made me feel pretty homesick. Call your family, tell them you love them, make them send you pictures of your pets (obviously that’s what we all miss the most – enjoy these lovely pictures my family sends of our dogs everyday) and know that the time until you see them will flyyy by! Next thing you know, you’ll be home and missing your Furman family!

The more college feels like home, the less you’ll feel homesick! Just know that it gets easier as you spend more time on campus with new friends. Everything is strange at first and it’s a big transition, but just jumping into it and embracing the new experiences makes all the difference.

If you ever have any questions or just need someone to talk with when you’re homesick, I’m always here!

ALL the love!

Andersen