Out-of-state College: Tales of Homesickness
When I went to summer camp for the first time when I was nine, I missed my parents and my home so much, I cried every night. Of course, I have matured since then. I’m more independent. I can go a few days — make that months — without seeing my family and my friends from home. But that doesn’t mean I don’t get homesick. I decided to go to college out-of-state, and knowing that I can’t jump in the car and drive home for the weekend doesn’t make my homesickness any better. I think this is an important factor to consider when deciding if you want to go to an out-of-state college, but it also shouldn’t deter you from going to school across the country if you think that’s what will be best for you.
It didn’t take me long to start feeling homesick. What I missed first were my pets. It may sound crazy, but I know a lot of my friends feel the same way. It’s just not the same, waking up without your dog or cat at the side of your bed. But soon, my longing for home got a little more serious. I remember talking to some of my friends from home the second weekend I was here. They were spending the weekend together, as usual, but I wasn’t there. I felt jealous and left out. But it’s also made me realize that I wouldn’t have met as many new people if I could’ve just called up my friends from high school anytime every time I felt like being social.
By the end of my first month at college I started missing my family — even my little brother. At first, I talked to my parents every day. They assured me that nothing was going on at home, that I’d be bored and wasn’t missing anything, but I wasn’t so sure. I started stalking my hometown — reading the local newspaper daily and watching bad YouTube videos of people driving around the neighborhoods I missed so much. That phase didn’t last for long. I became absorbed in classes, the student newspaper, and improv comedy. I’m slowly developing an identity here, and with that my homesickness begins to disappear.
In a few days I’m going home for Thanksgiving break. I can’t wait to see my family and friends, to go to my favorite coffee shop and to eat something cooked by my mom instead of by the dining hall. But I’m also worried. What if home doesn’t feel like home anymore?
I’d love to hear if other students at out-of-state colleges get homesick. Do you have any advice for me for the moments when I do miss home a little too much? Leave a comment.
