Grace Cavanaugh ~ Staff Writer
As a camp counselor during the summer, we learn very quickly that homesickness is the worst possible thing to happen in camp. It rampages through the cabins until all the girls are crying late into the night.
It has come to my attention that the same phenomena of homesickness that existed at camp exists in school. Living in the dorms and then in a house with a lot of people, I notice how fast someone quickly saying, “I miss my cat,” can dampen everyone’s mood.
At camp, we would try to isolate and control the girls. Let them cry it out and then they would go to sleep. If they were not isolated, there was the chance that the homesickness would spread.
However, in the dorms and the houses, isolating yourself is not the best idea. If you start to feel homesick, the best remedy is to find some friends and hang out. Being around people that you like and that like you will help the homesickness. Do not let yourself wallow in the homesickness because it will only make it worse.
While at camp, we also noticed that the girls would get homesick at the end of the night, when they did not have anything to do. At school, we are always busy. There is always something to do, until there is not. When you have down time, and you start to feel that homesickness creeping in, start doing something.
Another way to deal with homesickness is to just go home. I went home several times last semester for no other reason than I missed my cat and my family. Sometimes that is the only way to deal with your homesickness. I also had some friends that I missed back home and I had to visit.
Do not let your homesickness get to you. You are stronger than the homesickness. Focus on your studies and the semester will fly by, snow days and all. Speaking of semesters finishing up…
This semester is already chugging ahead. I found, in my one and a half years of experience, that second semester is easier. You have gotten into a swing of things and, although there are less breaks this semester, it will seem shorter.
Before you know it, this semester will be over, and you will be one year closer to graduating. Do not let the homesickness get you down, keep busy, and push forward. You got this!