Homesickness is a common feeling among college students throughout the nation. No matter where you’re from, or where you go to school, you’re bound to feel some level of homesickness during your first year away from home. Living on your own with completely new people is a challenge, luckily though there’s always a way to make yourself feel at home no matter where you are.
As a college senior myself, I’ve gone through freshman year homesickness just like everyone else, and just like everyone else, I had to find my ways to get through it. I tried a lot of different things before I finally found myself comfortable in my new home, but eventually it was hard to remember what being homesick felt like.
First and foremost, finding friends whose interests align with yours is extremely important. It’s easy to say, “finding friends is the most important thing!!!” but this is slightly different than just finding some company. If you want to feel at home, and stay true to who you are at home, finding people who share your interests rather than changing your own interests in order to make friends is crucial. For example, two of my friends from home, Amani and Owen, and I are both really into basketball and have a similar taste of music, so when I came to Loyola I made friends who shared these interests with me. Finding new interests and hobbies isn’t a bad thing but changing your whole personality just to make new friends at school can make you feel farther away than anything else. However, people who share your interests and love the things you love will help you feel at home in your new environment.
Secondly, it’s very important to stay in contact with people who have been there with you your whole life. Whether it’s your parents, a sibling, or a childhood best friend, it’s important to stay in contact with the people who make home what it is. Staying in touch with these people may make you miss home sometimes, but in the long run it will make settling in at school much easier knowing they’re right there with you.
Personally, I did my best to do these two things to get through being homesick and by the end of freshman year I didn’t want to leave. It’s not that simple for everyone though, as everyone’s experience is different. For example, my roommate Liam transferred to Loyola from the University of Buffalo before his sophomore year, leading him to have a different college experience than most.
However, despite all of the stress of having to apply to college all over again and not knowing anyone at a new school, he made sure to try and stick to what he knew. “When I got to Loyola, I tried to join clubs that interested me,” he said, “I knew that that would be the easiest way to find people who enjoyed doing the same things as me.” Here Liam explains an easy way to find friends: join clubs and join as many as there are that interest you. Joining clubs not only lets you take part in things you love, but it also puts you in the same space as people who share that love for this club, making it a natural breeding ground for friendships.
Now, after two years at his new school, Liam is not only a part of the Club Lacrosse team but he’s also starting the Anglers Club here at Loyola. Being homesick is inevitable when you’re living alone for the first time, but it’s how you react to it that will determine how your college experience goes.
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