Meg Croney-Clark (far right) visits Lisbon, Portugal with her newfound group of friends, (from left) Taylor Noyes, Hailey Conston, and Shelly Perry.
When homesickness hits
FSU Valencia students find ways to cope By Audrey Caraher
A
Photo courtesy of Meg Croney-Clark
The FSU Valencia PAs show their love for each other at Fourth of July pool party.
person’s day-to-day life can be busy, demanding, and even draining. The remedy for a hectic schedule can be as simple as being at home, where the surroundings are familiar and comfortable. When we’re away from that place for a long period of time, we tend to miss our everyday routines. The travels and adventures are fun, but it’s completely reasonable to experience that annoying little tic: homesickness. The symptoms hit most people in one way or another. For students studying abroad for extended periods of time, say an entire academic year, the difficulty of dealing with and overcoming homesickness is probably expected. However, even students studying abroad for a five-week summer session may find themselves feeling homesick. Florida State University sophomore Lauren Martin studied in Valencia, Spain for the 2018 Summer C session, and she recalls that her toughest point was during week two. “I think week one was very busy,” she says. “Then week two is slower and you have more free time and it hits you, like, ‘Oh crap, I’m here for three more weeks.’”
Erin Groves (left) and McCaryn Porter became friends through FSU Valencia and took a trip together to Sorrento, Italy.
Christina Williams takes a walk around the Serranos Towers—a monument just outside of the Garnet building.
Photo courtesy of Christina Williams
18 Nomadic Noles // Summer 2018
Photo courtesy of Erin Groves
So, how do students abroad deal with homesickness? How do they prevent those emotions from getting in the way of having fun? Several FSU Valencia students were willing to share how homesickness affected them and how they dealt with it. In addition, the program assistants (PAs) of FSU Valencia shared how they help students work through homesickness. Ideally, those insights can help future students combat what is a common occurrence. “Home” away from home FSU has had a presence in Valencia for nearly 20 years, so many students have studied in this beautiful city. A student can choose from several lengths of time when planning a study abroad experience: a full year, a full semester, or a summer session.
“We’re only here for five weeks, so everything we feel, we feel fast, and then it’s over.” — Lauren Martin Most of those who spend a year immersed in Spanish culture are part of FSU’s First Year Abroad (FYA) program. These students are incoming freshmen, and many are from out of state, as they reap certain benefits. For example, International Programs offers FYA students instate tuition at FSU for the remainder of their college experience after their return to the U.S. Understandably, FYA students have a big adjustment to make in Valencia. Not only are they likely away from home for the first time, they’re in a completely different country. FYA student Christina Williams says she “felt out of touch” because she was “so used to being in America, always hearing American things, being around American friends, and doing American stuff.” Students who are only studying abroad for three months or five weeks can have
