Going away to college can be a tricky thing. It requires moving away from the places and people you know and love. This change may induce some worrying, but there are tactics that can be used to make the change less drastic. Many people find versions of the people from home within their college. A lot of the time this process happens subconsciously.
Finding PSU Parents
Flying from the nest is a statement no one really prepares you for. Your first weeks at college may seem like an extended sleepover and you may feel the adrenaline of starting something new. When that adrenaline wears off, you start to realize how strange it is not to come home to your parents or have them with you at all times to ask for advice etc. Being away from family can feel lonely and that is when you start to look for your PSU family.
Have you ever walked through campus and seen the PSU moms set up, ready to answer questions or give you a hug? They know you may be a little homesick and want you to know, you are not alone. You may find a professor or an advisor you look up to or a boss that becomes a version of your parents giving you advice. Maybe sometimes all you need is someone to talk to or someone to hug. Whoever it is, little by little you start growing a connection with someone that is slightly older and wiser that you confide in. Your PSU parents are important as they can help you feel guided in such a big and new environment.
Finding Your Group
Have you ever noticed that when you spend a lot of time with people, you start acting similarly to them? The people you surround yourself with are a mirror version of you. Naturally, your friends from home and your friends from PSU will have some similarities as they are made up of bits and pieces of you. You stay the same no matter where you are in the world.
Sometimes you’ll notice that one of your friends at PSU would get along so well with a friend from home because they share similar personalities. When you met them at PSU you might have been reminded of your friend from home which is why you guys became so close. In college, your friends become your daily and your support system so its important for them to be people you can relate to and feel close to.
Finding The Feeling
Finding a version of home at PSU doesn’t necessarily have to be so sentimental and serious. Finding a home is a feeling more than a person or thing. When you feel connected and comfortable with someone or somewhere it feels like home. Sometimes you find home in a coffee shop worker that reminds you of the one back home, or in the way the wind smells that day.
State College can feel like home in many ways. You might want to cuddle up in your living room with your favorite blanket, take a stroll by Old Main or eat your favorite meal downtown. Whatever it is that makes PSU feel homey to you, keep it close by to ease the homesickness away.
Tell us what makes you feel at home at PSU on Instagram @VALLEYmag!
