by Leigh Goessl

Created on: July 24, 2009   Last Updated: September 20, 2009

As a new college student living away from home for the first time, it can feel a little lonely. At first the level of excitement and newness of your surroundings keeps you occupied, but once the craziness of getting settled into college life settles down, it is not uncommon to begin to have feelings of homesickness and a longing for the familiar.

The feeling of homesickness can be disheartening because you may wonder to yourself why you're even having these emotions. Chances are you've waited a long time for this independence and the opportunity to be out on your own, so how can you possibly miss home and experience homesickness?

This is a hard emotion to admit, but if you're having these feelings, you aren't alone. Many other college students experience these same emotions, and a feeling of homesickness is normal. Lots of students begin to miss home the first several weeks, or even months, of being away at college.

The key to successfully combating homesickness is to acknowledge the feelings; pretending it doesn't exist isn't going to resolve the problem, if anything avoidance will compound the problem. Accept these feelings, and keep in mind it is OK to feel a little sad, and then get busy trying to find ways to combat the loneliness.

You have to be careful with these feelings because many students turn to alcohol or drugs in order to numb the sadness, and in some cases, depression. This is never a solution because the feelings will still exist once you sober up.

A better idea is to try some proactive and positive ways to combat homesickness. Here are a few tips:

*Keep Busy

Loneliness is one of the primary causes of homesickness and the best way to combat feeling homesick is to avoid being secluded, get involved! Classes and studies will keep you busy, but this doesn't offer any level of comradeship.

Try joining a club or study group, volunteering, or attending any social events sponsored by any groups or organizations. By getting involved you'll meet new people and over the course of time you'll feel less lonely and the homesickness will begin to subside. In the process you'll meet some great people and perhaps make some lifelong friends.

*Call Home

Even though you probably are adamant in wanting to grow your independence, it's all right to call home; this won't lessen your newfound autonomy. You don't even have to talk about your homesickness, just touch base. Sometimes just talking to mom, dad, or siblings is enough to give that much needed boost.

*Spend

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