My Experience
I experienced homesickness when I first arrived at college. I knew there would be a lot of adjustments and classes wouldn't come easy. The homesickness I experienced at college was nothing I've ever experienced before in my life.
When I first arrived on campus I was a little apprehensive. I wanted to be here, but at the same time I was scared. There was so much to do and find out. Where does one begin? The first step for me was moving and getting settled in my room. My roommate, who is from Minnesota, and I had talked over the summer so I wasn't scared about meeting her. She sounded nice over the phone and when I met her in person, my instincts were right. I think one of the most important issues to deal with as a college freshmen is getting along with your roommate. Sometimes this isn't possible. I've had friends tell me horror stories about their first roommate. I was very lucky to get such an awesome roomie. We get along great!
One of the hardest things that I had to deal with was being away from the people I cared about. There were a lot of friends I missed, but most of all I missed my boyfriend. I've never really been away from him during our relationship, so it was hard leaving him. This was the main reason why I was homesick. We talked on the phone and emailed a lot, but it wasn't the same. My sister Rebecca helped a lot because she would send phone cards in the mail. This helped my phone bills. Soon things eventually got better. I went home a lot to see him, and I still do. But as time goes by it gets easier.
Classes were a whole another experience. Professors are much different than high school teachers. Professors give you a syllabus and expect you to know what is going on at all times. If there are questions on anything, go to the syllabus. It is the bible for each class. One thing I learned the hard way was that studying for a test in high school was much different than college. In high school, I spent minimal time studying for tests and still did well. In college, tests are harder and only a few tests are the only grade for your class. In high school, if you did bad on a test you could make up for it by assignments or labs. After a few low grades you realize that you're not in high school anymore and serious studying begins. However, once a pattern is established, and you know what each professor expects, it gets a little easier.
College homesickness is an experience. It is an experience where you learn about yourself and other people. It helps you find yourself and become an individual. Homesickness takes time to overcome but it does go away.