Q: am I the only one feeling this way? A: Absolutely not! You’re not alone — results from the UCLA Higher Education Research Institute show that feeling lonely, isolated, and homesick are common experiences for new college students. In fact, more than 65% of first-year college students report feeling homesick.2 As humans, we may tend to gravitate toward the familiar and comfortable and avoid the unfamiliar and uncertain.3 Therefore, being away from what you consider “home” may cause you to feel a sense of uneasiness. If you think you may be homesick, what you’re feeling is normal, and there are likely others feeling the same way!
total wellness ▪ fall 2016
Q: why am I feeling homesick, but some people aren’t?
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A: Homesickness is a normal experience, especially among first-year college students. Chances are you’ve already come across people who’re also feeling homesick but have kept their feelings private. It’s important to realize that homesickness varies from person to person. For example, you may be more likely to develop intense homesickness if you have spent little time away from home, have very close relationships with family and friends from your hometown, or have a tendency to feel anxious in social situations. Students whose hometowns are very different from their new environment might find it particularly difficult to adjust, and some students may experience discrimination that decreases their sense of belonging in college. For example, international students may struggle more than their peers to adjust to college as a result of linguistic and cultural differences, as well as stereotypes about where they are from.1 How far you had to move as well as how happy you are with your new environment have been found to factor into homesickness, too.4
