Being Homesick As A Freshmen

Summary: Many freshmen have sudden and fierce longing to turn back the clock. Believe us, we know how you feel, but this is an impossible dream. It can't be done. Accept where you are now and move on from there. Some of the most pathetic people on any campus are those college freshmen whose thoughts, wishes, and (endless) conversations are all focused on how great high school was. Those big moments of glory (both of them-just kidding, there were three), when they just ruled the pla...

Many freshmen have sudden and fierce longing to turn back the clock. Believe us, we know how you feel, but this is an impossible dream. It can't be done. Accept where you are now and move on from there. Some of the most pathetic people on any campus are those college freshmen whose thoughts, wishes, and (endless) conversations are all focused on how great high school was. Those big moments of glory (both of them-just kidding, there were three), when they just ruled the place. You may already have met someone who fits this description. Don't you just want to tell him or her to get over it? Sure you do. And that's probably similar to what your new friends may secretly be wishing to tell you. This is not to say that your freshman year will be one easy, fun-filled, and personally enriching ride. It probably won't be, because few things are and because freshman year is difficult for almost everybody. Everybody runs into some trouble. Sadly, some freshmen don't make it; they fall through the cracks; they crash and burn. At some colleges, the dropout rate for freshmen is 25 percent or higher. (This doesn't mean that all of these students are out of college forever. Some enroll in other schools rather quickly-a college nearer home, maybe, or a junior college instead of an overwhelming university-others may do something else for months or even years before trying college again.) While we're on the subject: If what you're experiencing is going beyond the usual "I miss my home and friends and family" and is leaning more toward "I hate this place, I've made a huge mistake, I wish I'd never come here" (or worse, "I wish I'd gotten into one of my first three choices instead of winding up here at this crummy place"), don't despair. This situation won't last forever; it can't. One of several things will happen. It might be that you'll settle in, make some friends, enjoy your classes and professors, and actually learn to like the place, if not love it. You may even think back fondly on your freshman year one day. Or maybe a snapshot of the future will pop into your head, and it's a picture of you in a sweatshirt with some other school's name on it. Maybe a transfer to another school is your destiny. The point here is that if you're not going to your dream school, several options are open to you: