Five Ways to Banish Homesick Blues when Returning to School

It’s that time of year again. Your bags are getting packed. You’ve started reconnecting with your roommates and you’ve already hit IKEA three times. But leaving your parents after a summer of fun, a fully and always-stocked kitchen, and a few laughs shared with mom and dad over grilled burgers, you might be feeling a little melancholic about leaving.
Take this as a sign of maturity and growth rather than of regression and to keep your feelings of homesickness in control and in check, here are five things you can do:
1) Be Honest: A few days before you head back to the dorms, take some time to tell your parents just how much you have enjoyed their company this past summer. Show them your gratitude for not just their hospitality, but for their friendship by cooking them dinner or taking them out to dinner as you share some of your happiest summer of ’09 memories with them.
2) Ask for Help: Need assistance getting organized? Ask your mom who just happens to be the queen organizer to offer you some tips for keeping your clothing, beauty essentials, school supplies and housewares organized. Just make sure that you do as she asks, after all, Mom’s do know best.
3) Show Them You Care: Even if you hate goodbyes, don’t scurry your parents off and out of the dorm room. Take the time to introduce them to your new housemates and show them around your dormitory or apartment building.
4.) Stay Connected: Whether your parents are as well-versed as you are with email, text messaging or Twitter, or whether they still use only a rotary phone, stay in touch with them, particularly within the first few weeks of school when feelings of homesickness are likely to be at their highest. A five-minute phone call or a four-line text message will mean a lot to them and you.
5.) Take Care of Yourself: What is worse than feeling homesick? Being sick AND feeling homesick. Prevent this by maintaining healthy habits and a routine of eating nutritiously, exercising regularly, practicing good hygiene and getting enough sleep. While there may be heaps of temptation to begin the year by hitting the party scene hard, keep in mind that you have all year to socialize, so do yourself a favor and put your health first these first few weeks of school.