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Mentor Advice

Question

What are the best ways to avoid being home-sick?

3 Replies from Mentors

  • mentor picture Marie
     
    Marie
    Senior Year Student
    Loyola Marymount University
    -Bring favorite things or reminders of home i.e. family/friend/pet pictures or favorite...
    -Bring favorite things or reminders of home i.e. family/friend/pet pictures or favorite blanket/pillow/stuffed animal. -Designate a day and time to call home every week but don’t spend too much time on Facebook, IM, or Skype. -Explore, go out and have fun being in a different country! Make new friends! Travel! -Find fun activities to do and get involved in your community, i.e. join the church choir, play sports, volunteer. -Talk to other students who may also be feeling homesick. -Write down your thoughts in a journal.
  • mentor picture Amelia
     
    Amelia
    Senior Year Student
    University of California, Los Angeles
    Home-sickness is inevitable, even if you are independent or nomadic. Whether you have a home or you...
    Home-sickness is inevitable, even if you are independent or nomadic. Whether you have a home or you are constantly travelling, there are aspects of each place that you will miss. To deal with this, it is important to first realize that your experience will realistically not last a lifetime (in most cases), so you will have to make the most of your time abroad. After having spent most of your life in one location, this is your chance to be somewhere else and do something different from everyone else, so don't focus on the negatives of being sad or homesick! If you will be returning home, then you should realize that your time is temporary and your usual comforts are only away for a matter of time. Homesickness can be furthered by keeping in touch too much or reviewing photos from back home too often--stay away from over-indulging in nostalgia, because you may be wasting moments to create new and exciting memories.