Research done for Consumer News and Business Channel (CNBC), an American news and business television channel, showed that one in 10 students find it hard to function, and this can lead to difficulty in maintaining a good GPA.
Being homesick isn’t the only thing that college students have to deal with. Another obstacle that must be faced is balancing school, social life or a job.
CNBC offers some tips that may be able to help a student who is feeling homesick. Some suggestions are to step out of the dorm room, make friends, remember things about home and keep in mind that feeling homesick is normal. It’s easy to miss home if one finds him or herself in his or her room alone all day, so CNBC recommended going to hangout with friends.
In the article by CNBC, adjunct professor Mark Beal from Rutgers University was interviewed. Beal has written a book called “101 Lessons They Never Taught You In College” and interviewed both current college students and college graduates for the book.
“Once students proactively get out of the dorm room and go to meetings and register for events and attend guest lectures and take advantage of all that their campus has to offer,” Beal said. “They become immersed and realize there’s some pretty interesting stuff in front of them.”
PSUC junior environmental science major Isabel Gomez from Trinidad and Tobago, a dual-island nation in the Caribbean, has about an eight-hour trip home, a four-hour flight to a connecting flight in Ft. Lauderdale, FL and a four-hour flight from there.
Gomez is also a resident assistant. She had to learn how to balance that with school work at the beginning of this semester because she wasn’t aware she was going to be one at first.
“It was kind of a lot for me at first,” Gomez said. “It’s better now than in the beginning.”
Gomez said balancing school and something like being an RA can be a challenge, but having a support system can provide relief, as long as one isn’t afraid to ask for it.
“I have a lot of help,” Gomez said. “When I need help, I’m not afraid to ask.”
Gomez also suggested going to the Learning Center, which provides one-on-one help and walk-in tutoring, if you’re struggling with school work. Going to get a little extra help with school work could help alleviate some of the stress caused by balancing work and school.
Planning things out and time management are also useful when finding that balance between a social life and homework. Prioritizing homework over going out on a Friday night can lead to a smaller amount of stress, according to Gomez.
“[Saying] I need to balance my s—, maybe next weekend I’ll go out,” Gomez said.
Having homesickness is something every student deals with, Gomez added. Going away for college can be a hard decision to make, but it also presents new opportunities and experiences to those who do decide to go.
“Obviously we all have struggles,” Gomez said. “It’s good in a sense: you meet new people and have new experiences.”
Email Annie Campbell at cp@cardinalpointsonline.com
