You asked:

I had such a great winter break, and now I actually feel homesick. It’s not that I want to ditch college or anything like that. But how do I shake these icky feelings of missing home?

Going home for any extended period of time is bound to bring back familiar comforts. It’s OK to feel homesick, but it’s also good to get yourself in gear for the upcoming semester. Try these suggestions:

• Think positively. Instead of thinking, “Man, I don’t want to be here; I’d rather be home,” try, “I just spent a lot of time at home, and while it was good, I can readjust to life here. I remember how much fun I had last semester, so let’s make that happen again!”

• Get busy. It can be hard to redirect your thoughts, but if you’re out having fun, then it’ll be easier to let go of the homesickness. Instead of obsessing about what you could be doing at home, find things to do at school. Are there games to go to or campus-life events? Are your hall mates going out and doing things that you’d like to be doing?

• Redo your room. Make your room a little more homey. Sometimes your living arrangement isn’t particularly inviting, but if you have some time to kill, rearrange and redecorate to make it feel more welcoming. Get a roommate involved and you won’t feel so lonely.

• Give it time. Usually, time heals homesickness. But what if you find yourself struggling to overcome it, even after you’ve been patient and gotten back into the swing of the spring semester? It could be useful to seek guidance from a school counselor who can give you more tips on how to cope with homesickness.

Name: Sarah Arsenoff
School: UNC Wilmington
Year: Senior
Major: Marine Biology
Her Deal: This is Sarah's third year as an R.A. for freshmen and international students. She writes for Periplus, a university newsletter for students who, like her, are in the honors scholars program.

TALK IT UP

Have a better answer? Share it here.