Homesickness is real for Freshmen

Over the years, I’ve been fortunate enough to be able to travel with some of my closest friends. Some of the trips would last for over a week, but they were also the only times I was actually separated from my family. From traveling to Ocean City, Maryland for week-long getaways to spending four days all around the Tri-state area, I will forever cherish these memories I made with my best friends.

Over the summer my camera roll was filling up with stories to tell people about, and I could truly say I wasn’t prepared to miss home this much when I left for college. Now, I’m the first one to admit that I miss eating home-cooked meals, I miss my dad waking me up by bringing my dog into my room, and I miss my daily dose of sarcastic conversations with my mom.

It’s hard being separated from the usual routine you’re so used to having everyday.

At first it felt odd not seeing my parents in person on a daily basis, but thanks to good ole Steve Jobs and the creation of FaceTime, it almost felt like my parents were here with me experiencing the good times right by my side.

Before even coming to Temple, just the thought of coming here felt liberating. I’m fortunate enough to only live an hour and a half away, so I immediately walked on campus with the mindset of being able to take advantage of my proximity to home, while at the same time also being able to experience the city.

Yes, I do miss my parents, my dog and the people I was constantly surrounded myself with over the summer. However, I know that I’m lucky to attend Temple University.

Temple’s high rankings as a top university made me realize choosing to be at this university was the right choice. Because it’s located in Philadelphia it provides opportunities such as internships and jobs for my major, advertising, and I’m constantly reassured that choosing to become Temple Made was the best decision I’ve made thus far.

On top of it all, I have few of my closest friends from home here at Temple as well. Not all students can say that they’re lucky to come to school with their hometown friends, but thankfully for me it has made the adjustment pretty easy so far. 

When I was a senior in high school I was lucky to come visit Temple and see my older friends who were already here. I thought that once I finally got here I wouldn’t be homesick at all, but I was wrong about that. My homesickness is already kicking in and it’s still early on in the semester. However, I know I’m not the only freshman feeling this way, and that’s why its important to know that everyone misses home. We’re all new to this large community of students in the middle of North Philadelphia. 

Once my roommates expressed that they too were homesick, I knew it was okay to say that we all miss our comfy beds at home and the lifestyles we were used to. Here’s a few things that they said to me about their own homesickness (see, you’re not alone).

“I really miss home cooked meals, as well as my mom cleaning up after me.” -Michelle Li, freshman.

“I miss the days when I lived at home and Amazon’s 1-2 day shipping would actually deliver in 1-2 days. Having to wait an extra 5 days for that notification from the mail office is killer.” -Anna Sturbenz, freshman.

So far, though, living with three other girls has been nothing but fun for me. I’m lucky to have such an open bond with my roommates, where we have the chance to talk about things rather than be passive aggressive about situations. I truly believe the reason why we get along so well together is because none of us are afraid to speak our mind, and that’s made it pretty easy to become so comfortable so quickly around here. Communication is key when living with people, so having a group message and talking things through is essential.

One thing no one tells you when you leave for college is how much you will truly miss your dog back home. I haven’t Facetimed my dog since I’ve gotten here, and while some girls miss their loved ones most, I’m just missing my dog a lot right now. 

As we’re gradually starting to miss our homes, some freshmen, like Hannah Montalvo, have been told they’re being missed too. Hannah’s dad has even been showing their dogs her senior picture every day to make sure they don’t forget her face while she’s at Temple. The look of happiness on Hannah’s dog is precious, and I really think that owning dogs in dorm rooms should definitely be a thing. 

If you haven’t caught on by now, it’s okay to miss home. Everyone does at some point and it’s okay to miss your family, your friends, your pets and maybe even that job you used to hate. Not everyone has been away from home for this long, and coming to college is an adjustment that takes some time to get used to.  I’ve been told to keep myself strong and know that it will be fairly easy to adjust here after a while. We are living here for a few years, so why not make this your second home?

You also shouldn’t be afraid to put yourself out there so you can get the total college experience. I’ve been at Temple for three weeks and I’m proud to say I’m already a member of three clubs and made friends with a majority of people in the hallway of my dorm. We might not all be active in the campus community, but it isn’t hard to find your niche around here. The most reassuring advice I’ve been told is “Everyone is lost, but they just don’t want to show it.” If you haven’t noticed, we’re all trying to adjust as new students on campus, and it’s okay to admit this. Every freshman student might feel homesick here and there, and yes, the homesickness is real, but realizing we’re all Temple Made makes everything much better.