About the Author: Monica Frost (Nursing, Class of 2019) enjoys working and learning in the medical field. She enjoys reading and the outdoors. After graduating in May of 2019, she hopes to create a career in a nearby hospital as a Registered Nurse.

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The Top Five Ways to Deal With Homesickness

Lets face it, going off to college for the first time is scary. You’re not sure what to do. Your parents dropped you off and left you. The one person you sort of know is your roommate and you’re probably thinking to yourself, “What am I supposed to do now?” Even on the first night you may start to feel a little homesick. Here are some ways to help with that.

1. Decorate Your Room

A good way to acclimate to college living is to decorate your room so that it resembles home. The point of decorating your room is to reflect your personality. Bring pictures of your family and friends to hang up. It might also help to bring other items from home. This will make your room look less like a prison cell and more personalized to your lifestyle.

2. Keep In Touch With Your Family

Talking with your family while at college is obviously important. Send them a text or talk to them on the phone every few days. Your family will know what to say to make you feel better. While it is good to talk to your family, as hard as it sounds, try not to rely on talking with them constantly; otherwise, you might not adapt to your new environment. Since you have more freedom at college, it is also important to use that freedom and take advantage of it. Being independent means you have more freedom than what you had or didn’t have at home. You can go out to eat as often as you want. You can choose not to go to class, although I don’t suggest skipping.

3. Go Out And Explore

Bennington has plenty of places to explore. If you have a vehicle on campus, hop in it and drive around. There is a deer farm you can go to that is close by, as well as plenty of places to shop. If you don’t have a vehicle on campus you can walk down to campus safety located on the side of Aldis Hall, or you can call them. They will either take you where you need to go, or they will call a shuttle for you.    

4. Get Involved

One of the best ways to deal with homesickness is to get involved with the Southern Vermont College (SVC) community. You can join one or more of SVC’s many clubs. Sports are another popular option at SVC, or you can sign up for a work study opportunity if you qualify for it. For those of you who don’t know what work study is, it is a chance to earn money while you’re on campus. If you qualify for it, at the beginning of the semester you will receive an email with a list of work study options. You apply for a work study position that interests you, and during that year you will go to the job you signed up for and get paid. Getting paid while at college is something you should take advantage of. Who wouldn’t be interested in making money? There are other opportunities to make money if you do not qualify for a work study position. Tutoring is one of those options. During your sophomore year, your teacher may request you to be a tutor for that class. It is important to know that you don’t have to be recommended to be a tutor in order to sign up. If you are interested in becoming a tutor you can contact Catherine Burns.

5. Socialize

Coming to a new place where you don’t know anybody can be difficult. If you’re coming to SVC as a freshman you will be living in dorms A, B or C with seven other girls or boys depending on your gender. Rest assured, if you are a girl coming in as a freshman, they won’t place you in a suite with seven guys. It’s helpful to talk and get to know your other suitemates. Also talk to the person sitting next to you in class; you can easily make friends with the people you see on a regular basis. If you isolate yourself you’ll just feel more alone. Talking and communicating with your peers is always a good option. Southern Vermont College is a relatively small campus. There are around 500 students that live on campus and more that commute daily. Because SVC is a small campus, making friends is that much easier.

Homesickness doesn’t last forever. If you follow these tips on how to deal with homesickness, your college experience will be a happy and fulfilling one.

Copyright © Monica Frost (2017) All Rights Reserved.