Everyone who is homesick raise their hands in the air!
Barely three weeks into the school year and the realization that mom and dad are no longer here to help and we really do have to start being adults is starting to sink in for many of us first-years.
But becoming sad, depressed and being a hermit in your room is not the way to shake off the gloominess. Nothing will ever replace your home, but college can be your home away from home.
Decorate your room to reflect your personality. Put up photos of your home and friends. Being able to see people from home will make the day a little easier, and make your dorm room feel better to come back home to at the end of the day.
Get involved on campus. Look at the calendars and the newspaper to see what is going on during the week, or just check your e-mail. Your SMU e-mail account is always full of email reminders of what is going on campus. If you get involved and keep a full social life, you will have less time to miss your family and be sad. There are literally hundreds of things to do at SMU.
Do something you love. Do you run, scrapbook, read, play the piano, write or listen to music? Don’t stop doing what makes you happy just because you are no longer living at home. Doing something you are used to and comfortable with will improve your day and make you a little happier.
Stay organized, use your planner and know when everything is going on. Not getting frustrated with getting behind will keep you more upbeat and positive and less likely to let your mind wander to thoughts of sadness.
Have a confidant. Go out for ice cream, pizza or a movie with a friend you are comfortable talking to and can confide in. Hey, you might discover you are not the only one feeling homesick.
Make friends with a student older than you that you can talk to. They already know what you are going through, and might have some good advice from personal experience.
Don’t forget to keep in touch with your family. That might seem like silly advice, but just because you are missing your family doesn’t mean you are remembering to call them enough. Whether you keep in touch through phone calls, or if you are on a tighter budget and your phone bill can’t handle any more, write letters, or just email your mom and dad and other family members. Keep your family updated on how you are. Because no matter how much you miss them, they are missing you just as much.
Keeping in touch will help both you and your family adjust to your transition to college. Write out your feelings in a journal or diary. And no, journals and diaries are not just for little girls. They are a positive way to keep your feelings, worries and fears. And hey, guess what? You aren’t graded on spelling or punctuation, so feel free to lol, u, r, and b4 your heart away.
Go visit some place new. Check out what is around the city, go see a museum or visit a mall. Discovering someplace new will add some excitement to the everyday of school, classes and homework. Who knows what cool little coffee shops or interesting places you could discover?
Maybe volunteer somewhere. Everyone knows the satisfaction you receive when you know that you have helped someone and made someone else’s life a little better. And you don’t even have to leave campus to find organizations to volunteer with, you can just check out SPARC.
Keep in touch with your friends, but within reason. Don’t constantly stay on Facebook or Myspace, because that just takes up valuable time and isn’t a productive way to stay in contact. But make the effort to call and see how they are.
Make plans for the breaks when your high school friends are home. That way you will have something exciting to look forward to when you get home.
A big thing: don’t forget why you are here. Set goals for yourself, and don’t forget your dreams, for why you came to SMU in the first place: to get an education.
Nothing will ever replace mom and dad or the friends you left at home. But this is the beginning of your new adventure. One that those in your life you left behind cannot go on with you. You get a clean slate, a chance to be truly yourself and discover who you are.
Take advantage of everything SMU can give, make the effort to get and stay involved on campus, meet new people, and have a good time.
About the writer:Rachel Carey is a first-year journalism major. She can be reached at [email protected].