Illustration by Sarah FaulknerMark Linn -
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As new freshmen head to class for the first time, many of them are also having to deal with a completely new environment, some living hundreds of miles away from home for what might be the first time in their lives.
But feelings of homesickness are completely normal, and experienced by the vast majority of first-time college students, according to Josh Klapow, Ph.D., a clinical psychologist and associate professor at UAB.
“Most students who are homesick feel like they’re embarrassed, they don’t want to say anything, you know, they don’t want people to know,” said Klapow, who noted that somewhere between 60 and 80 percent of new students report feeling homesick.
Sharan Kaur and Sanjana Kattekulla are incoming freshmen from Tennessee. Katekulla noted that a challenge of hers would be keeping herself on track amidst the newfound freedom.
“Meeting new people, discovering a new city, and learning more about myself definitely has me intrigued,” Kaur said. “I want to see how well I adjust to being away from my family in such unfamiliar surroundings. And I’m also looking to make some lifelong friendships in the process.”
However, since this is also her first time being away from home, she’s worried about transitioning to a place where she has both more freedom and more responsibility over her own life.
“I’m very nervous about whether I’ll be able to adjust to college life,” Kaur said. “I’m scared I’ll not be able to time manage all my classes or eat proper food. I also know not having my mom in the same household as me will be a big challenge. I’ll have to actually wake myself up and get breakfast on my own.”
Feelings of homesickness aren’t the exclusive cause of problems students may have transitioning into college life, KIapow says.
“Some of those physical problems, a hard time sleeping, a hard time kind of concentrating, a lot of that also has to do with the new routine,” Klapow said. “You’re sleeping in a new bed, you’re eating different food. You’re on a different schedule, you’re interacting with different people.”
Even these physical symptoms are pretty common and not necessarily an indicator of more serious mental health problems, being experienced by 40 to 50 percent of new students, according to Klapow. He recommends that students who are having these problems, particularly if they persist after the first three to five weeks of school, should speak to someone in the Student Health and Wellness Center.
There are several strategies for dealing with homesickness as students get used to their new environment. The most important thing to do is to establish a routine, according to Klapow. And that goes beyond just sticking to your class schedule.
“It’s very important to have a pretty full routine in the early stages because actually that will help you more quickly feel like you’re in a predictable environment,” Klapow said. “It’s O.K. to pack your schedule early on until you start feeling more comfortable.”
Shweta Chawla is a rising sophomore majoring in public health. Before coming to UAB, she lived in the small town of Ocean Springs, Miss. She didn’t feel homesick during her first semester as a freshman because she kept busy with classes, sporting events and other student activities. She also had her sister, who is also a UAB student, to rely on. But her second semester also brought a lot more free time and she began missing home and had to push herself to get involved in more campus organizations and socializing with friends.
“I think getting involved with events and organizations on and off campus is a great way to get past homesickness because they keep you busy and you meet a lot of great people who eventually become family,” Chawla said.
Klapow also recommends avoiding isolation. New students should hang out, make new friends and get involved with happenings on campus. Many start-of-school activities like Blazer Welcome are actually designed to help students transition to campus life and work through homesickness.
“It’s OK to have time by yourself, it’s OK to feel sad and want to have some private time to process that. But connect with other people, simply because the social interaction will help you focus away from the homesickness,” Klapow said.
