There’s no Place like Home

By: Jennifer Ostermann

          Homesickness doesn’t only happen to little kids when they go off to summer camp.  It also happens to adults, animals, and yeah, college students.  Most people that move away to college get homesick, especially if they move far away from home.  Either they miss their family or that special someone, maybe even just sleeping in their own nice comfy bed with that one fluffy pillow. 

          Homesickness is actually defined as acutely longing for one's family or home.  Dealing with homesickness is very hard, especially if you are used to being at home a lot and it’s your first time moving away. 

Why people get homesick…..

          People get homesick when it’s the first time leaving away from home or going to camp.  This would include me.  I moved away from home for the first time into the CSUS dormitories.  It was really hard leaving my mom, she’s like my best friend.  Most college students get homesick because they are not used to living “on their own.”  People cleaning up after you or doing your wash can be very hard to leave.  When you're used to having certain people and things around you, it can be scary when they're gone. 

Yes, you can get rid of it…..

          Homesickness isn’t something that physically happens to you, like a cold or the flu, but it can give you headaches or a stomach ache.  There are ways to get rid of it.  You can’t bring your whole bedroom with you or everything from your past, but you can bring those special objects.  I have a special stuffed animal that I sleep with every night that I brought to college.  Also, I have pictures of my family and friends posted around my dorm room. 

          Having fun is an easy way to get rid of homesickness.  The more fun you have, the more you forget about things from home.  I like to go to the club or a party with my friends just to get my mind off of things.

          My favorite thing to do is talk on the phone.  I try to talk to one of my friends from back home almost everyday.  Also, I call my mom every other day just to check up on her and the rest of my family, and yes of course my dog, Snoopy, too. 

          If no one is around for you to hang with, you could always got down to a game room or pop in a movie.  Something to get your mind off of stuff.

Find out more…..

          There are places you can go for help about homesickness or to find out more.  If you are really homesick and don’t know what to do, the best thing to do is to talk to an adult or even one of your teachers.  It’s hard to go through homesickness by yourself, especially if you’re new to your environment.  A good place to go to get some “help” is to a counselor or psychiatrist on the Health Center on campus.  You can get a hold of them by calling:  (916) 278-6461 or visiting:           http://webapps1.csus.edu/hlth/index.asp

If you want to find out more about homesickness, you can go to:

          http://kidshealth.org/kid/feeling/home_family/homesickness.html