This week is the syllabus week that kicks off my sophomore year of college.

Sophomore year, that is so crazy to me -- it still feels like yesterday when I was a freshman getting lost on campus, simply by trying to find the dining hall! While it still feels unreal, it’s pretty nice to know that I’m not the “baby” on campus anymore.

Plus, it’s also pretty nice to have that year under my belt. Since I have already gone through the learning curve, I feel much more in control, and I know what to expect; however, sometimes I still feel like a freshman. This feeling is often a result of being homesick, which I imagine is commonly experienced by other college students as well.

Therefore, here is a list of seven times that you may feel homesick, even after your freshman year:

1. When you’re sick – like I said, it is syllabus week. However, I also am sick this week so it’s pretty safe to say that last night when I was running a high temperature, the only place I wanted to be was my parent’s house so my mom could rub my hair.

2. When you miss your pets – the other day, my stepdad posted pictures of our family's dogs on Facebook and that alone was enough to make me tear up and long for cuddles with my pup.

3. When you talk to your parents for the first time in awhile – sometimes I go a few days without talking on the phone with my family, and that’s okay because life is busy! However, the first time hearing their voice after awhile hits you.

4. When you drive back to college after visiting home – sometimes the homesickness hits the second your car is out of the driveway, and that is okay.

5. When you hear a song that makes you think of your family – earlier today “Do You Love Me?” by KISS came on my shuffle, and all I could picture was my mom’s funny dance she does every time she hears this song.

6. When you want to cook something your family makes but you don’t know how – I can’t tell you how many times I have craved one of my mom’s, my stepdad’s, or my grandma’s dishes and I didn’t know how to make it. Eating ramen just does not compare.

7. When you’ve had a bad day – Oftentimes after a long day you just want to hang out and watch old black-and-white movies with your parents in order to forget about the world.

Even after your freshman year of college, the homesickness never fully goes away, but it is less intense.

At times, though, you will get tinges of it – and at times, that is completely okay.