Amber,

This is my first year at the University of Minnesota. I’m from out of state, and I miss my family more than I thought I would.

One of the reasons I applied here was to explore more of the U.S. outside of my hometown. It sounded like a good opportunity to spread my wings and explore myself as my own individual person. I’ve only been living here in the dorms for a little over a month, but I miss my home.

I like being here for the most part. I enjoy a lot of my classes, and I’ve already met a few new friends. Despite all of this, I can’t help but feel like all of these new experiences are just being tainted by my homesickness. I am constantly comparing my life here to what I would normally be doing in my hometown.

My friends here are wonderful and understand my homesickness. I feel bad though because I keep comparing them to my friends back home. It’s a toxic mindset, and I hate that I’m doing this.

How do I get over my homesickness?

Signed,
Sick of Being Homesick

Dear Sick of Being Homesick,

First of all, I want to emphasize that whatever homesickness you’re feeling is completely understandable. It can be incredibly scary to be off on your own, especially if this is your first time away from home. Don’t feel ashamed about missing your family and friends.

How often are you in contact with your family? Homesickness cannot always be easily cured, but it can be lessened by talking it out with the people you miss most. I’m sure they miss you too and would love to hear from you!

Remember the pandemic days? During the pandemic, I would schedule hours-long FaceTime calls with my friends to just talk about our mutual boredom and express how much we missed seeing each other in person. There are plenty of ways to keep in touch with those you can’t always see in person. Try to figure something out with your friends and family: scheduled phone calls, writing letters or anything else you can think of.

As you said, it’s still early on in the school year. In cases of homesickness, sometimes the best you can do is wait a while longer. Be proud of the life you’re building for yourself here, and I’m sure that eventually, your homesickness will subside.

Best of luck,
Amber

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