Personally, I come from Minneapolis, Minnesota, which is halfway across the country so I understand how hard it is to be away from home. I have a very close family; leaving my mom and my brother was harder than I thought it would be. However, I found ways to make my school feel like home.
One of the first things I did when I got to school was get a job. I knew that some kind of structure outside of my school work would help me a lot because I had a job back home for the last three years of high school. Getting a job would help make life feel slightly normal, being away from home. Plus, I knew I could meet people my age there and make friends because the first job I got was on campus. Getting an on-campus job can really make college feel like home if you are living there, and if you are a commuter it can help you feel more a part of the campus community.
I also knew that joining clubs and organizations would help me meet people that were like-minded, so I started looking into ones that I might be interested in. I joined Womxn’s Leadership Association, which ended up being my favorite club on campus because it made me feel safe and I felt as though I was a part of something really special and empowering.
At the end of my first semester at Whittier, I also joined student government. I didn’t do join my high school's, but I always knew it was something I wanted to do. Coming into Whittier College, when I heard that there was a First-Year Class Council I knew it was perfect for me. It would help me connect to other students, and push me to get out of my comfort zone and meet new people. Being First-Year Class Council President was one of the best decisions I made at Whittier, and joining student government connected me to so many people on campus and gave me a community.
When I got to Whittier I joined so many things because I wanted it to feel like home—but be careful not to overdo it.
I stretched myself too thin. With the amount of work I was putting on myself, and school on top of that, I started to lose sight of taking care of myself. I struggled a lot with mental health issues because even though I joined a lot of things, and Whittier started to feel like home, it didn’t change the fact that I missed my family. It’s important to ensure that you are always taking care of yourself and putting yourself first. I know that is easier said than done, but in the long run you’ll thank yourself for doing that.
There is no true way to not feel homesick because no matter what you do, it won’t stop you from missing your family. Making sure that you take time to Facetime them, or even just text them once a day to check in, can help a large amount.
Trying to make things at school feel as normal as possible will help, because not only are you dealing with being away from family, but starting college is a huge change in our lives. Some normalness within that can help the transition.
Lastly, make sure you are honest with yourself in how you are feeling and reach out to others for help and guidance when you need it. Use the resources that are given to you, like outside mental health resources or your college’s counseling center. It can be really hard to reach out for help, believe me, I know, but in the long run, it helps—it truly does.
