by Olha Romaniuk

Created on: August 02, 2009

You are all settled in your new dorm room and just outside the glass pane of your window you can faintly hear the muffled voices of hundreds of other college students passing through campus, going about their daily lives. Yet, as close as you might be to the other peers on campus, you still cannot help but feel alone and miss all those people you left behind when you moved to college. Memories of family gatherings, parties with high school friends all clutter your mind, and though college may be incredibly wonderful, you can't help but think back, from time to time, to the good old days and the good old friends that are no longer with you.

Homesickness is not a rare occurrence in college students, as many try to silently cope with a nuisance of being on their own and away from their families and friends. Many are not prepared for the unexpected feeling of longing for home, because for many, going away to college was a long-awaited milestone to look forward to, while they were still in high school. Now finally on their own and with a freedom to do whatever they want, many college students can find themselves starting to miss the simple comforts of their childhood homes, the home-cooked meals and backyard family barbecues.

You, as a college student, must know how to cope with homesickness before it escalates into depression and begins affecting one or many aspects of your life in college. Be aware that, if you bottle up and repress your emotions of nostalgia and longing for a lengthy period of time, you may be faced with more serious problems later on.

1. So the first step to dealing with homesickness is recognizing it. Knowing that something can always be done to alleviate and ease this feeling can quickly get you out of that trapped-in-the-closet state of mind and get you seeking solutions.

2. With an array of new technology readily available to any college student, it is easier than ever to stay in touch with family members and high school friends. If you miss your mom's voice, all you have to do is dial her cell phone number. If you miss seeing your friend's smile after you tell him or her a joke, connect with them through iChat and put that built-in webcam to good use. And, of course, emails can be the quickest and most efficient way of staying in touch with everyone you can find the time to write to!

3. Decorate your new living space with mementos from home and pictures of your family and friends. Making your new room cozy and inviting, instead of

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