I may earn a commission when you buy through links on the site at no extra cost to you. By using the links, you are helping support College EDC, and I genuinely appreciate your support.
How to Overcome Homesickness in College
For many students, homesickness in college is very common, especially for freshman who are living on their own for the first time. The initial transition period from home life to college life can feel quite overwhelming. This period is typically when homesickness is at its peak, but the good news is that it doesn’t last forever.
If you’re not used to your college environment yet, then you’ll probably end up feeling homesick — and that’s completely okay. As you become more comfortable with living on a college campus, your homesickness will start to subside.
A lot like anxiety, feeling homesick is natural, but it can have a negative impact on your academics and other areas of your life. Feeling homesick might also have a more profound effect if you’re already dealing with large amounts of stress and anxiety.
What is Feeling Homesick Like?
Many experts compare people who are grieving to people dealing with homesickness because they both experience similar emotional responses. For students, it can feel like they’re missing a sense of belonging and miss everything they used to do back home. Depression, insecurity, and loneliness are also common symptoms.
Being separated from the people and surroundings they’re most familiar with will trigger those emotional responses. College brings a new way of life that can be hard for any student to adjust to, which is why so many experience homesickness. However, it’s important to remember that feeling homesick is a very normal process for anyone living in a new place for long periods of time.
How to Beat Homesickness in College
Anyone can beat feeling homesick, it just takes some time and the right coping strategies. Luckily, dealing with homesickness in college means you’re not alone; your roommate and many of the friends you make probably feel homesick as well.
There’s a million different ways college can help you eliminate feeling homesick for good. A whole world of opportunities and fun experiences are awaiting you in college. So while you might miss being home and seeing all your friends at first, those feelings will eventually go away.
There’s a lot of factors that influence the intensity and duration of homesickness, so each student will process it differently. To help speed up that process, you can utilize these effective methods for dealing with homesickness.
1. Stay Busy
If you’re just moving into your dorm for the first time, you’ll usually have a few days before the semester starts. This is a good time to check out what your college has to offer around campus.
This can be things like student lounges, fitness centers, libraries, and different facilities related to your major — all places you can spend time at instead of just sitting in your dorm feeling homesick.
If you’re feeling adventurous, go outside the campus and explore the town or city your college is in. These are all excellent activities for staying busy in your free time. They’re also a good way to familiarize yourself with your new surroundings.
2. Get Involved
Colleges offer so many opportunities for students to find that sense of belonging they’ve been missing. Getting involved on campus will also make for a more memorable college experience. You can start by looking for clubs to join. They’re fantastic for meeting new people who have similar interests as you.
Most colleges have academic clubs, like a national honor society, or ones related to specific areas of study. There’s also clubs for students interested theater, politics, media, community service, social justice, and religion. Additionally, you’ll be able to participate in different events and activities going on around your campus.
This can be anything from fundraisers and festivals to TED talk speakers and job fairs — sporting events and tailgating are popular, as well. Clubs and other student organizations will even host events you can get involved in. Some common ones include scavengers hunts, sports competitions, video game tournaments, and charitable events.
3. Be Patient
Feeling homesick is completely normal, but it might become frustrating after awhile, especially if you’re trying really hard to get rid of it. In times like this, it’s important to stay patient because you might find that you’re more attached to home than you originally thought.
There’s nothing wrong with that, it just might take you a little longer to overcome your homesickness compared to other students. Whether you’re in college for the first time or you’re coming back from break, give yourself time to adjust as you make that transition.
4. Decorate Your Dorm
You’re going to be spending a lot of time in your dorm, so why not decorate it with things that make feel more homey. Place some pictures of your friends and family around the room, hang up your favorite posters, and fill the space with other familiar items.
Or you can go a different route and decorate it with completely new items to symbolize a new chapter in your life. However you decide to decorate your dorm, make sure when you’re done, it’s a living space you’re comfortable and happy in.
5. Call Home
You’re going to be very busy once the semester starts, but you should make it a priority to talk to your friends and family back home when you can. A lot of students become overwhelmed with all the new stresses college brings, and they overlook how much a simple call home can improve their mindset.
Receiving some thoughtful advice from your loved ones can help a lot when you’re not in a good place mentally. Also, if you have other friends who are away at different colleges, it can nice to talk to them about similar experiences you guys might’ve had.
6. Put Yourself Out There
Stepping out of your comfort zone is a good thing. In college, there’s going to be times where you feel shy, anxious, and nervous. Use those times as opportunities to overcome those feelings.
Instead of isolating yourself in your own little bubble, try to take risks, be spontaneous, and push through your own insecurities. It’s not going to be easy at first, but trust me, your future self will thank you. Once you’re used to doing this, you’ll go from feeling homesick to not wanting to leave.
Putting yourself out there is how you grow as a person, forge long-lasting friendships, and create memories you’ll never forget. College doesn’t last forever, so you need to make the most of it. Talk to that guy or girl you have a crush on, go to a college party, ask questions you’re nervous to ask, and try new things.
7. Try Commuting
If you’ve lived on campus for awhile now and you’ve decided it’s just not for you, then you might want to consider moving back home and commuting to campus. Commuting will be much easier for students who don’t live far from campus, so if you go to a college that’s a few hours from your home, then commuting isn’t a very realistic option.
In that case, I would try sticking it out on campus at least until the semester is over. From there, you can decide what your future living situation will be. Not all colleges allow students to commute either. If your college is like that, then you’ll have to think about transferring to a school that does allow their students to commute.
Another option would be off-campus housing, which can be quite affordable with a few roommates. It can have its downsides though, which I go into detail about in the blog post below. Just remember to do what works best for you and your overall well-being
Related: Pros and Cons of Off-Campus Housing
8. Find a Job on Campus
Getting a job on campus is another excellent way to keep yourself busy. On-campus jobs are also ideal for students looking to make some extra cash and don’t have any means of transportation for jobs off campus. Additionally, having a job on campus makes it easier for students to maintain a healthy balance between work and college.
Jobs on campus are going to vary for every college, but a few common ones are library attendants, peer tutors, teaching assistants, administrative assistants, and resident assistants.
9. Seek Professional Help
One of the best things about college is that help is not hard to find. Academic advising, mental health counseling, IT support, financial aid offices, career services, tutoring — the list goes on. For help dealing with homesickness in college, you’ll want to talk to your college advisor or a counselor on campus.
They’ll be able to give you professional advice on what you can do to overcome those feelings. There’s also plenty of professional help students can find off campus, including online counseling services.
