College.

Just the word conjures up thoughts about classes, parties, dorms and Ramen noodles.

Homesick. Lonely. Stress.

These are words that everyone will inevitably experience at some point their freshman year; however, those words aren’t always thought of before leaving the nest.

Homesickness varies from person to person and everyone experiences different levels of the anxiety. Someone who lives 30 minutes away might feel more homesick than someone who lives 4 hours away.

Students are leaving their homes, families, friends and comfort zones for the first time. While some students might say they are used to being away from home, going away to college is something completely different.

I am not new to being away from home for an extended amount of time. For the past two summers, I have been gone for about two weeks at a time on vacations and attending camps. Yet I still got homesick the first weekend I was at Wayne.

At first, I told myself to suck it up and try to forget all about it. Well, that did not work—but does it ever? Instead of ignoring the problem, I allowed myself to be sad just for the evening and then the next day I threw myself into activities.

Getting busy and active was the best way to get over my homesickness. Here are some tips if you are feeling homesick:

• Get busy! The best way to be distracted from the sadness is to try new activities and get out of the dorms where there’s a lot of time to think about home.

• Do things that are relaxing. Take a walk, listen to music or go to the Rec Center.

• Talk to new people. Whether it’s in class or in the dorms, meeting new people will help you keep from thinking about the people you’re missing.

• Create a structured schedule that eliminates hours of free time.

• Know your limits academically. Stress can make the feeling of homesickness worse and make it harder to enjoy college.

• Use your resources. If you’re really having issues adjusting, then go talk to one of the counselors in the counseling center.

Transitioning into college isn’t an easy task, it will take a lot of adjustments and changes. It’s okay to be sad and miss home once in a while but when those feelings start to take over, it will be difficult to have the fabled college experience.

Just keep your chin up, smile, make new friends, go out and discover how much fun college can be.

If you’re experiencing difficulties transitioning, making friends, or just need someone to talk to, please visit the counseling center Monday through Friday from eight a.m. to five p.m..