I just want you to know that it’s OK.
It is OK to love your school and yet still feel miserable because you want to go home.
It is OK to be upset when you miss a birthday or an event because you can’t leave campus.
It is OK to go out and enjoy yourself with your roommate even though your little brother called you crying earlier that day because he misses you.
It is OK to miss the family and the life you left behind.
It is OK to enjoy the friends and the life you have now.
It is OK to put your schooling first.
It is OK to put your family first.
It is OK to not call your family everyday because you're busy.
It is OK to call them everyday.
It is OK to feel fine away from home.
It is OK to feel terrified away from home.
In case no one has told you lately, it’s OK to feel how you feel. It is okay to be homesick, no matter what that looks like for you. I want you to know that you are not alone. College can be hard, especially if it’s the first time you’re away from your family. If you're a family-oriented person like I am, it's even worse. This is not the case for everyone and that’s OK. Some people thrive away from home, and some don't. I just happen to be one of those who falls in the middle. I am someone who loves my school, but yearns for the life and the people I left behind. I feel like people don’t talk enough about home sickness. They like to pretend it doesn’t exist, but it does, and it can be bad. In fact, 34% of college drop outs occur due to homesickness. However, just because you feel homesick doesn’t mean you can’t have fun in college; you may just have to try a little harder to enjoy the things that come so easily to others. Don't let being homesick ruin something you were so excited about in high school; don't let it ruin a place that you love. So instead of laying in bed looking at pictures all day, go out with your friends, go to that favorite dessert place in town, take a walk, dance around your room to Christina Aguilera, watch your favorite movie, study as much as you can, eat as much as you can, and call your family. I promise it will get easier to be away from home, but until it does, don’t be afraid to call your mom, or your sibling, or whoever it is that you are missing. Don’t be afraid to tell them how you feel, don’t be afraid to Skype them, and don’t be afraid to admit that you are homesick. When it does begin to get easier, don’t be afraid to miss a call one day because you're going out or hanging with friends.
Don’t be afraid to enjoy college. It is possible to miss your family, and to miss your home while still loving your new niche. It is OK to feel how you feel, but I promise one day it won't be so hard. You just have to hang on until then.
