College Tidbits Blog

Help! I am a Homesick College Freshman

Let’s get right to the point – You’re a college student, in most cases a college freshman and this is your first time away from home for an extended period of time.

Now of course you’ve been away from home before, a few days here or there, maybe even a week. But nothing like this where you are really, really away.

You didn’t think it would happen to you but it has…You’ve got the “Homesick College Freshman Blues”.

Is it Normal to Feel Homesick at College?

First of all, just so you know, YOU ARE NOT ALONE. Almost ALL college freshmen feel this at some point while they are away. There are thousands of other college freshmen at other schools across the country, that are right now feeling the same way you do. So it’s not just you feeling this way.

I’ll let you in on a little secret, even full-grown adults sometimes feel this way. I once worked for a job that required me to travel the first few weeks I started working and this was the first time I had been a way for extended periods of time and at some points during that time I would get lonely.

Our homesick feeling is nothing more than a case of Separation Anxiety Disorder (SAD)! It is a normal reaction to loss of contact with  parents, home or other close individuals. In your case, family and close friends back at home or away at the college they chose to attend. In my case, I missed my spouse and kids.

Overcoming the Homesick College Freshman Blues

Enough talking here are some tips that will help with feeling homesick:

• Get Busy – Remember first and foremost, that you are there to get an education, let’s not lose sight of that. One of the best ways to take your mind off things that make you sad, is to get busy and stay busy. Make sure that you are not sitting around when you should be studying. If studying alone makes you sad, then join a study group. Check at your student services office or college’s website to see if one is available. If one is not, be bold, start your own.

• Get Involved – Find yourself a hobby! Everybody is good at something and I bet your college has someone else there who shares similar interests as you. Ask around or check on-line to see if there is a group you can join. Making friends is a sure-fire way to overcome “Homesick College Freshman Blues”. You may even be surprised to find out that there may even be a group that meets regularly to discuss being homesick at college.

• Get Around Town – Walk around campus, visit buildings and parts of campus you have yet to see. Sometimes just exploring new things and learning outside the classroom gets you motivated about school all over again! Try to get OFF CAMPUS and just explore the town your college is in if possible.

• Get Some Exercise – Jog, aerobics, dance do something that gives you exercise, this will keep you healthy as well as help relieve any anxiety, stress, homesickness and help you sleep better. It will also bring you into contact with people and as I have already said, making friends will helps with homesickness.

• Get In Touch – Write a letter to someone at home. Oh’ that’s right, young kids don’t write letters, they “TEXT”. Send a text message to family members, or even update your Facebook Page or log onto Twitter and tweet somebody. BTW, did I say that right?

This may not only make you feel closer to the people you miss, but it will help you collect your thoughts and sort through your emotions. Perhaps it may be a good idea for you to start keeping a daily journal. If you’re feeling lonely at the end of the day, sit down and write in your journal about the stuff you did that day.

Finally

Just think about how much better your life will be once you finish college and received your college degree. Not everybody gets into college and even fewer people graduate. Imagine what a big honor it’s going to be, when you walk across that stage. Don’t throw that future vision away by quitting. If you got in, you might as well finish it! You can do it!

Guest Blogger: Aundrea Rogers

Picture this… You are halfway through the semester and you have been struggling with a class from the very beginning. Every test you get back has a grade lower than the last.

You are now to the point where it is too late to pull up that grade before the semester ends and you are on the brink of failing the class.

At this point you probably wish that you could turn back the hands of time to find a way to fix the trap that so many college students fall into.

What I can say to this is you should have gotten yourself a tutor.

College students too often have the mindset that a tutor is for those who are not as smart as others or have gotten themselves into trouble with a class halfway through the semester and need a quick way to bring up a grade. Both of these mindsets are myths. I got a tutor for reasons other than these.

Here’s my story:

I started off the semester knowing I had to take a very challenging Economics course. I had heard many negative things about the course including how much material was covered in only one semester and how tough that material was.

Since Economics was a totally new subject to me I knew I would need a little extra help. I walked over to the Student Success Center on campus the week after classes started and signed up for a tutor.

I went to my tutor two times a week and we went over the notes and material my professor covered in class and I even got explanations of the things we learned that helped me understand better. In addition to my tutoring sessions, I looked over my notes a few times a week and read the textbook to stay on top of what was going on in class.

Every test I got back was either an A or a B+ and I ended up with an A- out of a class that so many people around me received C’s or lower in. I owe my success to not only my efforts in studying but also to the tutoring that I received.

What I can tell fellow college students is do NOT wait until you are already doing poorly to get a tutor or go ask for help. If you wait until it is too late to get that extra help there is a good chance you will not be able to pull up that bad grade in time. A bad grade will surely hurt your GPA and you will be disappointed, especially if you know that grade could have been prevented. Seeking help early gives you a better chance at receiving a good grade as long as you put forth effort and do not rely on your tutor to do everything for you.

Having a tutor however does not mean you should pay less attention in class or not read over class material. A tutor is there for EXTRA help and a reference in addition to your own efforts.

Tutoring is a resource that all colleges and universities offer, so my advice to college students is to utilize this very important resource to make your college career as successful as it can be.

When I was in college, I was a “cram” all-star: during mid-terms and finals weeks, you’d find me with a cup of coffee permanently attached to my hand for yet another all-nighter, scouring my notes and textbooks.

Today, students have a vast universe of tech-driven tools at their disposal to help them study and keep organized which may help to make sleep deprivation a thing of the past!

With everything that’s out there, it’s easy to get overwhelmed. I’ve compiled what I think are the best offerings available, along with a little wisdom I picked up during my time as a student. Have a great semester!

·       Leverage the Web – Join social learning sites such as Course Hero (www.coursehero.com <http://www.coursehero.com/> ) and Koofers ( www.koofers.com <http://www.koofers.com/> ) to share the knowledge and learn from other students. Also, check out #textbooktuesday, a day for sharing study tips, by following @textbooks on Twitter!

·       Study Groups Go Virtual - There’s no doubt that study groups are a great way of sharing information and getting to know new people. Instead of trudging across campus to the assigned meeting spot, try using Google Docs to conduct your study groups online. Multiple users can edit documents in real time, meaning that note sharing is made seamless. Did we mention it’s free? And don’t forget Facebook – it makes it easy to find and friend classmates, expanding your network of study partners and note sharing reach.

·       Blackboards go mobile- Many colleges and universities are listed on Blackboard, and more and more professors are using the platform to interact with students inside and outside of the classroom. The site just announced the launch of a Smart Phone app, making those interactions even easier.

·       Taking notes – Because many professors don’t allow laptops in the classroom, you’re stuck taking notes by hand – but even that can be done more efficiently. Try the 2/6 method, which refers to the way you divide the space on your notepaper. Make two columns and use the red border line on the left as the marker for the “2″ line – where you highlight the most important points, and the rest of the page as the “6″ column, where you take your notes. This way you’re organized from the get-go, and when studying for exams you make sure you’re focused on the points your professor stressed the most during lectures.

·       Brain Food – Your brain is powered by proper nutrition. Medical researchers agree that omega-3 fatty acids are essential for proper brain function. Cafeteria not serving salmon? Walnuts are one of the best natural sources of omega-3′s, and supplements are widely available and affordable. Easy recipe – drain off those microwave noodles and add some crushed walnuts and red pepper flakes (gourmet!) or mix some chopped walnuts into the peanut bar jar for your “peanut butter fingers special”.

·       Have fun - Don’t let yourself get too stressed – take time to have fun, even while studying. “Study breaks” are healthy, keep you focused and help avoid burnout. Whatever your favorite form of dorm fun – even Facebook stalking or sending a “still studying” Tweet – just keep it legal and you can call it part of good study habits.

-JT Thome, Textbooks.com <http://www.textbooks.com/>
Textbooks.com <http://www.textbooks.com/> has the cheapest prices on the planet’s biggest selection of hand-inspected used textbooks. For more information – or to save on your college textbooks today – visit www.Textbooks.com <http://www.textbooks.com/>