Dear Freshman

house
Photo by James Thompson used under Creative Commons license

Dear Freshman,

Are you homesick yet?

I’m sure most of you think I’m crazy for asking that question since you are still just enjoying the freedom of college life (within SNU limitations of course). But I know the rest would answer with a yes. Want to know how I know? Well, not only have I talked to some of you individually, but I was a freshman once too (weird right?).

Let me just go ahead and tell you something. You may think I’m pathetic, but I
don’t care. I’m a junior in college and I still get homesick all the time. There it is.
Laugh if you want, but it’s true! I lived in the same house in Colorado for my entire
life until I moved to college, so almost all of my memories are from there.

Whether your home is across the world, across the country, or right here in
Oklahoma, you will probably begin to miss it at some point, it’s just bound to
happen. I’m not saying you’d actually want to go back and relive your early teen
years (I know I wouldn’t), but we each have certain things that are special to us
about the place we call home.

For me those are things I didn’t cherish enough while I was there. Things like
running into my dad in the kitchen at four in the morning because he was already
up and I hadn’t gone to bed yet, laughing at my dogs as they watched movies with
us, singing obnoxiously at the top of my lungs with my little sister and wrestling
with the other one, and baking with my mom. Then there was Pikes Peak looking
different every day I drove down my street, swimming at the hot springs when it’s
snowing outside…. I could go on forever, but I’ll stop before I bore you to death.

I’m sure you each have your own things you miss, but don’t dwell too much on
them. It’s good to reminisce sometimes, but leaving home just makes going back
that much better! Not to say going back to rules is always easy during breaks, but
you learn to cherish the small things so much more when you’ve been gone for so
long.

My advice for those of you who are feeling lonely, homesick, and maybe like you
don’t fit in here: just tough it out for a year, it does get better! You’ll be so surprised
at how much friend groups change as you begin to click with people. Don’t be afraid
to step out of your comfort zone and hang out with some random people because
they could end up being the people you will be friends with for the rest of your life.

Like our Facebook page and comment on the facebook post for this article for a chance to win a gift card! I want to know what you miss most about home if you are homesick and
what advice you have for others if you aren’t!

Good luck,
Kira

  1. One of the best ways for me to avoid being homesick is getting involved in student activities on campus, even when I don’t originally think that they’re the types of things that I would like to do. I never regret going to events and have built some great friendships bonding over awkward or funny moments!