When you go to college, there are a thousand nerves upsetting your stomach as you sit in the car with your parents for the final goodbye. You're basically ready to be on your own, or so you think. Homesickness is completely normal and a feeling many college students face at some point in their college career. However, after being away from home for almost two months, few feelings of missing home have really struck me. It's okay to be homesick, but it's also okay to not miss home. Here are some reasons why it's okay to not be homesick and why you might not be so homesick.
1. If your school is the right fit, you will feel comfortable
That feeling you caught when you stepped on campus? It will stick with you as you start to get into a routine on campus. You will feel comfortable being on campus and will feel like you belong there, just like you did at home.
2. Sometimes change is needed
There is nothing better than your own home, your friends, and all the other familiarities that bring you comfort. However, life is just too short to be in one place forever. Going to a new place will bring change into your life, and sometimes change is exactly what you need to learn more about yourself.
3. Meeting new friends who remind you of friends back home is weird and amazing all at once
You will catch yourself thinking about how your friend sounds just like your BFF at home or how your new friend dresses just like your other friend from home. Your inside jokes will soon become your new squads jokes and you'll go home and laugh about how your jokes are now traveling to a bunch of other friends. It's a little weird, but also a comforting feeling to help you get over those awkward "firsts."
4. Distance helps gain independence
For some, it may be your first time to be away from your parents for awhile. Others, not so much. Either way, the distance from home will help you gain independence. You won't feel like you're in high school anymore because you're responsible for so much. Though it is a tough transition, there is nothing more rewarding than feeling independent.
5. Your dorm room will begin to feel like your home away from home, and yes, you will refer to it as "home"
You will greet your roommate like they're your sister/brother and falling into your bed at night will feel like a huge relief at the end of the day. Your new "home" will make you miss it once you leave for breaks. There's just something oddly special about your dorm room.
