5 Tips to Deal with Homesickness
Excerpt taken from this article, written by a student for other students….1. Stay busy: Getting involved in activities that interest you will help in a couple of ways. First, you’ll be so busy that you’ll barely have time to miss home! Second, getting involved helps to form new circles of friends. The people I met last year in my sorority and through [another student organization] became my “family” while I was away from home, and were a great support system for me.
2. Don’t go home at every chance you get: Because I was only 45 minutes away from home and had my car at school, it was tempting to want to run home whenever I got lonely or missed my little brother, but sticking it out is really the best way to get over homesickness. The more you can be at school making new connections, the faster the homesickness will ebb away.
3. Communicate with family and friends—often: Just because you’re going to school away from home doesn’t mean you have to miss out on what’s going on with your loved ones. A quick text to my best friend when something reminds me of her, Facebook messages with my brother, and Skype sessions with my grandparents are easy ways to stay in touch.
4. Use snail mail: Parents and family members love getting mail from you as much as you love getting it from them! Send pictures, greeting cards, or small gifts home whenever possible. (And remind your family, it doesn’t hurt to get a care package from them, too, every now and then!)
5. Realize you’re not alone: Ask around; you’ll find that plenty of others are experiencing homesickness, too. Chances are they’ll have even more suggestions for how to cope with it. Homesickness hurts, but it does get better with time.
Counseling Center
In your transition to JMU, you may find adapting to the social and academic pressures of college life to be overwhelming. Although the new experiences and greater independence in your move away from home may be exciting at times, this transition can also be challenging and stressful. If you’re feeling this way, you may want to consider the benefits of counseling.
Each year, the Counseling Center provides personal counseling to over 1,000 undergraduate and graduate students at JMU. The Center is staffed by a psychiatrist, psychologists, counselors, social workers and graduate students, and the services rendered to students are free, voluntary, and confidential. Their new space in the Student Success Center includes a relaxation area with massage chairs, Francis, the therapy dog, and a creative arts area to play and de-stress.