It does not matter if you are in your fall semester of freshman year or in your fall semester of your final year at grad school, you get homesick at least once, or if you're like me, maybe 50 times. Especially during the holidays. You miss your dog, you miss your family, you miss your friends, and you wish someone had made you understand how much you would miss high school. It's rough, and there's no real way to get over getting homesick without going back home, but who wants to do that every weekend? No college student is a Rockefeller.

Here are a few tips and tricks I've discovered help ease missing home.

1. Call your parents, like, every day.

It may sound obsessive but I literally call my parents every single chance I get. Walking to class. Leaving class. Driving to hang out with friends. Driving to get food. Any time I'm able to squeeze in a five-minute conversation, I call my parents. Honestly, just call home. (extra tip: if you stay in touch, they're more likely to throw some money in your bank account, just saying)

2. Put up pictures of friends and family.

First thing that happened when I got into my room on move-in day? Pictures, pictures, and oh wait! More pictures. Miss your friends from home? Look up and there they are, and now you can shoot them the oh-so-basic "missin' my girl a lot right now" on the Insta story. Miss your mom? Look up, and there she is trying to do the very much dead-in-the-ground duck face that all moms love to do. Seriously, pictures have helped me out so much, plus they fill up so much negative space in your room.

3. Make a playlist.

Everyone has music they grew up on. My roommate hates country with a burning passion (who can hate "Dixieland Delight"?), but if she's super stressed and can't get her mom to pick up the phone, she'll throw on some pre-bro country and feel completely at home. The first time she did this, I saw how effective it was and created a playlist of literally all the music that my mom and dad would play in the car.

4. Skype. Facetime. Houseparty.

Honestly, whatever fits your fancy. Very similar to #1 but now you get to their face, see if they are still going about the same old routine, and maybe get your mom to show you the pet you miss so much living its best life. I always use Houseparty when I'm talking to my friends because you can fit eight people (including yourself) all in one room and have that big reunion even when you're all hundreds of miles away from each other. (fun fact: Houseparty is available in the App Store and Google Play Store!!)

5. Care packages.

Ask your friends if they want to do care packages. Y'all can fill it up with photos, candy, whatever you want, and send it off. Or if you're hoping to get a little of that motherly comfort everyone knows and loves, ask your mom to send you a package with some food, money, or whatever knick knack you're missing from home that you would love to have with you. I get excited whenever my mom tells me there's a package for me on the way or whenever she surprises me with one. Super helpful, 10/10, recommend.