Sep 14, 2023 3 min read

Q. I’m homesick. I didn’t expect to feel like this. All I could think of since my junior year in high school was going to college. I carefully wrote essays and applied for scholarships, got into my first-choice school, and I’m here! And now all I can seem to think of is home. I miss everything – my parents, my bedroom, my friends, my old job (that I complained about all summer), even my annoying 12-year-old brother. How do I get out of this mood?

– 18-year-old

Mary Jo’s Response: If my inbox is an indication, your feelings of homesickness are very common among new college students. When something is common, though, it can still be stressful. In your case, you spent the last two years preparing for college. In a way, you’re like a kid the day after Christmas. Your focus was on getting to college, and now you’re there. Change can be hard.

Let’s talk about some tips for raising your mood by bringing some of “home” into your college experience while allowing yourself time to adjust.

Set a schedule for regular talking, texting, emailing or video-chatting with people from home. Spending time sharing your new experiences and checking in with those who matter to you may ease your transition. Technology is your friend.

Hang up pictures of home in your dorm room. Use these images as comfort and to start conversations with new dorm mates. You say you miss your bedroom at home. Create a comforting and welcoming space at school.

Invite family (even that annoying brother) to visit you if the distance allows. A weekend with those you love may ease your homesickness.

Ask someone to send you a care package of your favorite treats from home.

Get creative about becoming part of your new environment. Chat with classmates who share common goals. Join a study group or form one. Talk with your dorm’s RA. Join an intramural sport.

Focus on your classes. Remember why you tried so hard to get into this college. Set small goals and complete them, one at a time. Visualize yourself succeeding.

If your feelings intensify, consider talking with a counselor at your college health clinic.

The day may come when you are homesick for college. You’ve embarked on a new adventure. It’s OK to look back fondly, but, in time, I hope the present becomes so compelling you can enjoy memories of home without such sadness.

Peer Educator Alumni Response: Yep. This feeling sounds familiar. We think it will pass and you’ll wonder how you ever were happy away from college. Talk with a counselor if it doesn’t, but our experience was similar to yours. It gets better.

Have a question? Send it to Dr. Mary Jo Podgurski’s email podmj@healthyteens.com.