No Place Like Home: Navigating Feelings of Homesickness as a College Student
By Lauren Sundberg
Fall 2025
After a long stressful day of classes, homework, and other activities, it's time for you to head back to your dorm. That’s when it hits you, you are in a new unfamiliar place and you really miss home and everyone there. If you think you are feeling symptoms of homesickness just know you aren’t alone. In an article posted by Rutgers Health, during any point of the academic year roughly 30 percent of students experience homesickness. This typically isn’t a subject someone experiencing homesickness normally wants to talk about since it may trigger some strong emotions. This guide is here to provide you with some ways to manage your feelings of homesickness, as well as to be used as a guide for others who may know someone struggling with these feelings.
What is Homesickness and What are Some Signs?
Licensed Professional Counselor, or LPC, Ashley Baylor about homesickness among college students and she says, “Homesickness is a feeling of loneliness and missing the way things were while trying to adjust to something completely different.” This feeling may come in many different forms for every person, especially when it comes to moving into college. Don’t feel panicked if you notice you are reacting to things differently than someone else. Everyone has their own ways of adjusting to a new way of living. Some signs that you or someone you may know might be experiencing homesickness are:
Baylor also says that when evaluating a client for homesickness, she finds that they tend to isolate themselves and/or even go home frequently. And that doing this is actually the opposite of what would be considered helpful for these students.
Tips for Managing Homesickness as a New College Student
So, as I’m sure some of you may be wondering, what should you do if you are experiencing feelings of homesickness? Here are a few tips to help keep those pesky feelings at bay:
1. Get Involved on Campus
As much as I’m sure this has been said, getting involved on campus really helps to maintain strong feelings of homesickness. In an article written by Audrey Wittrup and Noelle Hurd in Sage Journals, “Extracurricular involvement may be one avenue through which students can reduce feelings of homesickness and depressive symptoms.” Being involved opens up the doors for new connections with people who may become close, or even lifelong, friends. It also opens up opportunities to meet people who may have important connections when it comes time for a career. Getting involved can even help you reduce stress and give you a way to create a school-life balance.
I got involved with a community service club at my college called Breakaway. Joining this really helped me with giving my mind a break from being so stressed and worried about everything. It really helped me to forget about my very strong feelings of homesickness and feel good about myself because I was doing something beneficial for other people. There are more than likely so many groups, clubs, or organizations that your school may have. Even if you aren’t sure if you want to join one, take a look at what there is offered because maybe one of them might pique your interest.
2. Create a Routine
LPC Madeleine Stucky and she says, “Routine gives the brain a sense of predictability when everything else feels unfamiliar.” She gives examples such as setting a certain time for going to bed, listening to a specific podcast or show while working out, and even planning a weekly outing, like a coffee date or lunch, with a friend.
I had a really hard time adjusting to living in a new space because my whole routine that I had when I was at home had changed. I had to wake up, shower, and even go to bed earlier than I was used to. It made me really miss how things were when I was at home. I found it to be a struggle until I set a specific time to start my bedtime process. Doing this gave me plenty of time and I wasn’t rushing to try and get everything done.
The reason the shift is so difficult when it comes to moving into college is that the routine you have known your whole life has been disrupted. Establishing a new routine may help your body and brain feel a sort of normalcy again. The familiarity of having a routine should hopefully allow you to start to relax and become comfortable with your environment. Sidney Ziebel, a current college student at North Central College, says that establishing a similar routine to one she had at home really, “helped me find a sense of stability in a new world full of uncertainty.”
3. Connect with People on Your Dorm Floor
During the first few weeks of school I really struggled with homesickness. I was always calling home saying how much I hated school and wanted to come home. It was a struggle feeling like I fit in because everyone seemed to already know each other. However, I really connected with a few girls on my floor and we now hang out all the time. It has really helped me feel less homesick because our little dorm hallway now feels like a big family.
Since homesickness is most common within the first semester of school, this is a great time to reach out to people around you. Everyone is still adjusting to their new lifestyle and can always use a friend, especially in an unfamiliar place. Putting yourself out there provides you with a positive distraction and allows you to meet new people that can even become your friends. Connecting with new people gives you the opportunity to meet others who may even have some of the same classes or interests as you. It can give you a sense of comfort knowing you have someone, or even many people, you can talk to if things start to feel lonely. This shows to be true especially with college students. Ziebel says, “I have found some amazing girls here that I hope to know and love for a lifetime. We all live on the same floor and have worked together to create a living space that feels homier. We spend time in our ‘living room’ and feel like a little family. We have family dinners together and all look out for one another.”
Putting yourself out there provides you with a positive distraction and allows you to meet new people that can even become your friends. Connecting with new people gives you the opportunity to meet others who may even have some of the same classes or interests as you.
4. Reach Out to School Counselors
As scary as it may seem, reaching out to school counselors is a very useful tool when feelings of homesickness arise. These people are professionals on mental health and can really provide you with a lot of help. In an article written in the American Journal of Undergraduate Research, Morgan Huenergarde writes that, “Recent research supports the effectiveness of counseling centers in reducing the effect of stress, anxiety, homesickness, and depression on the students’ well-being.” Even though it may feel daunting to reach out, these professionals are there to support you and help you if and when you may need it. LPC’s Baylor and Stucky both also recommend reaching out to a counselor for help if you are able to.
Baylor says that, “Counseling helps people to get out of their own heads and make steps towards the person they want to be.” This is really great information since most of the time homesickness is caused by a person letting themselves constantly think about all of the things or people they miss back at home.
Stucky’s also includes that, “Counseling helps normalize homesickness before it spirals out of control into something bigger. It gives students a space to say, ‘I miss home,’ without feeling like they have failed.” I really think the last part of what she says is important. She basically says that it is okay for students to feel this way and to talk about it to someone who will listen and validate your feelings. She also says that another goal of counseling is to help a client recognize what particular emotions make the feeling of homesickness worse and what behaviors and thoughts can help lessen the pain of those emotions. From the student side of this, Ziebel says that therapy is a very great resource and that anyone who has access to it should take advantage of it.
5. Frequently Call Home
Calling home can be another great resource to use to help with homesickness. It may help just to see a familiar face or voice. When calling home it may also be helpful to schedule a day or time, like a weekend or weeknight evening when you are not too busy. This ensures you can spend quality time on the phone and have an engaging conversation without the worry of other responsibilities that you may have.
I have found it easiest to call home when I get out of my last class for the day because I can chat with my parents while on my way back to my dorm. It has also helped me to call and text my parents throughout the day as well because it allows me to feel more connected to home. However, since people have different schedules, this may not be an option for everyone. Baylor also says that while a lot of students feel that they need to “push through on their own to figure it out”, it is okay to call home and express your feelings too.
Your people back at home are there to support you and help you navigate your way through this big change. Ziebel says that the most beneficial thing that helped her manage her homesickness was calling home. She also told me that setting a schedule with her mom to call at the same time everyday helped her too because it gave her something to look forward to.
6. Decorate Your Dorm to Make it Feel More Like Home
Bringing items from home might help make your dorm room feel a little more cozy and less like an unfamiliar place. It might help you feel a little more relaxed in your new environment when you have something to go back to in your room that reminds you of home. It is suggested by experts that you bring comfort items to help you feel more comfortable. These could be items like a childhood stuffed animal, a blanket, a painting, a piece of jewelry, pictures of pets and family or friends that remind you of home.
I found it helpful to bring a specific blanket as well as some of my favorite stuffed animals that I kept on my bed at home. It helped me feel more comfortable, relaxed, and connected to home. I felt less like I left everything behind and had to start fresh with all new things. Additionally, Ziebel says that she brought some small items from home like her favorite stuffed animal and even her pillow from home as well “to have a similar starting point and not feel like too much change was happening all at once.” She also says that she brought some other sentimental pieces from home like her rocking chair, string lights, pictures of family, and posters.
Other Recommendations From Professionals
If the other tips don’t seem appealing to you or seem out of your comfort zone, these other recommendations by LPC’s Stucky and Baylor might be a helpful alternative.
Stucky recommends the apps WeMind, an app that helps reduce “the hurt, guilt, and later exhaustion” that feelings like homesickness can cause, and I Am, an app that sends daily notification affirmations built around a certain theme. She also recommends creating a playlist of music that connects to key moments in your life and says that, “Connection is a big part of improving our sense of competency and our willingness to try new experiences.”
Baylor recommends engaging in hobbies that you enjoy, doing some deep breathing exercises, journaling about how you are feeling, or even stepping outside your comfort zone to try something new or make new friends.
What to Know About Homesickness as a Friend or Family Member
As a friend or family member who may have never experienced homesickness, there may be some things that you are unaware of. If homesickness gets to an extreme point it can affect a student's studies and they may be having trouble sleeping, skipping classes, or even having slipping grades. If you notice this is happening it may be a sign that it might be time to reach out to someone. If you are the friend or roommate of the student, those people may be your dorm Resident Assistant, the counseling center, or even the students parents. All of these people will be able to provide the student with the help they may need to get back on track.
For parents it might be helpful to reach out to your student and check in on them or even reach out to the school's counseling center if the student seems to be really struggling. It is difficult to see someone you know going through a tough spot but it is important to be encouraging and supportive of them even though they may not want to hear it. Sometimes all they might need to hear are some positive words of encouragement from someone close to them. Baylor also says that, “The most effective thing I have seen has been just being a listening and empathetic ear…” For the student, having a source of "social support" helps to make them feel like they aren’t alone in their struggle and that many people are feeling a similar way.
Conclusion
Overall, implementing some of these strategies into my new daily routine has helped me to feel more welcome and connected with others while living on campus. I feel like I really benefited from connecting with people on my dorm floor and joining clubs on campus. From doing these two things I had people I could surround myself with and talk to when I was feeling down and familiar faces that I see when I am out and about on campus. There are still some times when I feel sad or find myself longing to go home, but by using these strategies I am able to keep my feelings at bay and begin to find comfort in my people here.
Lauren Sundberg is a junior and a transfer student majoring in marketing at North Central College, graduating in May of 2027. She is a student of the School of Business and Entrepreneurship at North Central College as well as being a First Gen college student. She belongs to the Cardinal First first generation program as well as the Breakaway community service club.
Lauren’s personal experience as a student who encountered homesickness inspired her to create a space where those who are experiencing similar feelings can go to seek guidance or reassurance. She hopes that her research will be of help to students who may be struggling, as she wishes she had a resource like this to go to when she needed it. She also hopes to provide information through her research to other students and family members as to what life may look like for a person struggling with homesickness.