There's a stigma associated with being homesick. It seems that the second we admit that we are homesick, others automatically assume it's because we're depressed or unhappy with our college choices. Here's why being homesick is completely normal.
I'm homesick. I miss the luxuries that I used to take for granted when I lived at home. I'm tired and I want to go home. It seems like the past few weeks have been filled with conversations about how exhausted I feel and how ready I am to go home. I noticed that when I brought up these feelings of homesickness to my friends, they assumed I was unhappy with college. That couldn't be further from the truth, though. I love Berkeley. I love the school spirit and the friends I have made here. That being said, I really really want to go home, and that's OK. I'm not crazy. I'm not depressed. I don't regret choosing Berkeley. I don't need to transfer. I just need to go home.
Let's just take a second to acknowledge that absolutely no one in the history of humanity has ever actually enjoyed wearing shoes in the shower. No one truly prefers dining hall food to a home cooked meal. There is no doubt in my mind that no one would trade their room at home for a tiny dorm with close to no privacy. Just because I prefer the comfortable aspects of my home life does not mean I'm upset with college.
College has so many rewarding aspects to it. The people I am meeting and the connections I am making are priceless. I love going to class and seeing the hundreds of passionate campus organizations promoting themselves. The views are breathtaking and the campanile still captures my breath every day. Berkeley is amazing and I'm very lucky to be able to attend such a unique and high-caliber school. All the rewarding aspects can be overwhelming, though. Balancing school, sleep, and a social life is hard. Transitioning is hard. Moving away from home is hard. And sometimes, I'm going to be homesick. I'm going to miss all of the great things about home and, sometimes, I'm going to be sad. There's nothing wrong with that.
Find ways to deal with this homesickness, though. Find a sport you like or join an organization that makes you happy and find a home with those people. Create a home away from home for yourself. Find the things that make you happy when you do them. And if you're sad sometimes? Acknowledge you're homesick.
Being homesick doesn't make you weak or emotionally unstable, it makes you normal. It's a natural reaction to being in a high stress place, away from the comfort of home. So next time you're feeling sad about missing home, don't feel like you're crazy, know that you're not alone. Know that you're not depressed, you're just homesick, and that's OK.
