There are very few life-changing phases in all our journeys- graduating, getting a job, getting married, starting a family, building a business empire and of course, leaving for college after high school. In this article we will see about, How To Comfort Homesick College Students?
For most, leaving for college is the first time they experience any kind of independence or loneliness. To have moved away from a home that you probably considered a comfort zone and to feel like a fish out of water is a common feeling for all of you. Venturing out on your own, learning to do your laundry, living away from family- all of this can take a serious toll on anyone who is the slightest bit doubtful about what they’re doing.A common effect of all this is homesickness.First off, you should get one thing straight- getting homesick in college is no weakness. It just means that you are a normal young adult who is going through a rough transition phase. It happens to all. Homesickness can occur not just when you leave for college for the first time, but also when you go back after a vacation. There are very few people who are an exception to this and it is no subtle feeling. It hits you like a wall of bricks.
How To Comfort Homesick College Students?
What Does It Truly Mean to Be Homesick?
When a student feels homesick is irrelevant- they all experience the same kind of grief. Homesickness is best put as a feeling of loss for what has normally been around them and they assume it to be something that is never going to change. It is usually when you miss a feeling of belonging or a sense of comfort that was so easily available to you before you lost it.
Most of the time, homesick people miss their day-to-day activities, their family or their regular feelings. For some, it could be something as minuscule as the food that they’ve gotten used to eating or just the fact that they miss a time when they could push their chores onto someone else- all of it is valid.What you should also be careful about is the fact that homesickness is not a clinical diagnosis, but if you are already struggling with anxiety or depression, it could trigger your condition into getting worse.
How Do You Help Out a Homesick Friend?
Before you approach someone whom you think might be homesick and isn’t doing well, you must remember and remind yourself that they have left any sense of belonging and comfort that they had. Their parents, their pets, their friends from school- all of them are miles and miles away! Right now, their feeling is that they are living with a bunch of strangers who can’t care less about them.
All their support system is gone and all that they knew to be normal is gone too. They don’t have any rational way to approach this kind of sadness and there is a huge possibility that they feel sad about the fact that they feel weird about asking for help from someone who is the same age as them.That can make anyone feel very stressed and unhappy.
Now that you know how your homesick friend is probably feeling, you’re probably itching to figure out how to help them too! Here are some things you can do.
- Help Them Get Involved: There is nothing that can make people feel more homesick than not wanting to get involved in anything and feeling alone as a consequence. You can remind your friend that now is the time for them to join new activities, new clubs, religious and political discussions and develop character! There is no better time than now to do any of this. Help your friend find anything that you feel would help them get their mind off of their loneliness.
- Help Them Get Familiar with Their Surroundings: With a homesick friend, chances are that they probably don’t want to leave their room. This isn’t because they are scared, it’s because they’re trying to create a safe space. Now, you’d do good to show them what’s around them and wander the grounds together. Ask your friend to go scope out the library and check out any events that they’d probably like to attend that happen regularly- like a weekly karaoke night or movie screening. The best way to get rid of homesickness is to develop a feeling of home. This happens with getting familiar with your surroundings.
- Introduce Them to New People: While it is easy to feel awkward about talking to strangers usually, it’s not so much so during your freshman year. This is because everyone is looking to get comfy and make friends. Make sure you introduce your homesick friend to a lot of new people and make a conscious effort to involve them in conversation. Freshman year is the best time for people to engage in conversation because the feeling to talk is mutual. Make sure your homesick friend doesn’t miss out.
- Encourage Them To Call Home: If you have a homesick friend, chances are that their homesickness was also aggravated by the fact that they probably feel like it would be embarrassing to call home. Make sure that you encourage your friend to call home and speak to their family. Sometimes, a few encouraging words are all they might need and if you need to be the one who pushes them toward it, then take the plunge!
- Retail Therapy: There are very few occasions where retail therapy doesn’t work. If you’re feeling generous enough, buy your friend a little something- maybe a t-shirt or a gift card to a nice place you think they’d like. It’s an instant mood lift!
Conclusion
There is no feeling worse than feeling out of place at college- a place that promised bright pastures. If you have a friend or college students who is even the slightest bit homesick or if you are experiencing some bad bouts of homesickness, don’t think twice before helping them comfort or yourself. The best way to fight homesickness is to take swift action and make sure that you kick it to the curb as soon as possible because you can’t make way for something good without throwing out what’s in your way!