...okay, well maybe it's not THAT extreme (yet). I don't sleep in the studio... (although, a couple of my classmates do...)
Anyway, onto things that I've learned.
I've learned that there are two major types of sickness I'll have to deal with here:
Homesickness vs. Physical Sickness
Homesickness is mental and emotional, for the most part, while by physical sickness... I mean actually getting sick. I just got over the former and now get the joy of dealing with the later (at the same time I have a ton of projects due this week... great). So here are my tips on each.
HOMESICKNESS
Causes: having loving parents that you miss, lack of close friends being around, getting lost in unfamiliar places, missing the weather/local food/people/etc, loneliness, just plain human emotion
Symptoms: wanting to stay in your room all the time, spending lots of time calling/texting loved ones at home, crying when you can't speak to anyone at home
Remedies:
1. Call less often, but spend more time on the phone when you do. Schedule these times in advance. For example, I call my parents at lunch time and before bed. Sometimes at dinner too. I've found that doing this helps present an "initiative" to get other things done in the mean time. You can't call, so until then you should study or clean or go out. I'll spend about 10 to 30 minutes on the phone with them, talking about my day, and it's nice. : )
2. Find people in similar situations and, if you can, make friends. Being that I'm in New York, far away from my island home, I felt really isolated... but can you imagine my surprise when I met a girl from the same city as me?! I'm also apparently mutual friends with a guy who knows another girl from my home state. Though I'm not close to either of these girls because we're in different classes, it's nice to know they're here and that I'm not the only one in this boat by myself. Mostly we'll just smile and say "hi, how's it?" when we see each other in the hallways, and that's enough to brighten the day. There are also people I've met in my classes who are from different places than me, but we're all from tropical climates, away from our families, and getting used to the new cultures (and weather) here.
3. Talk about it with your parents, friends, classmates, upperclassmen, or a counselor. Trust me, talking with someone will help. You are never alone in your situation. Many college students are going exactly what you are going through. Remember that.
4. Join a club. For me, I go to my dorm meeting every week to help out. I'm also thinking of joining the yoga class on the weekends once some time frees up for me. : ) Adding these to your schedule will help you to meet people and keep you busy, which in turn will help you feel less lonely and find more things you like about college so you don't miss home as much.
5. Put up a combination of photos of you family, friends from home, and new friends at college in your dorm. To me, this helps me to remember home and feel better, but also reminds me there are people HERE who also care about me and vice-versa. : )
PHYSICAL SICKNESS
Causes: changes in weather, stress, lack of sleep, lack of proper nutrition, lack of proper hygeine, coming into contact with another sick classmate or dormmate, homesickness manifesting itself physically (via stress)...
Symptoms: Varies.
Remedies: (also varies, but I'll give some general tips instead~)
Prevention Methods:
1. Buy proper clothing. Obviously, cold weather clothes for cold weather and warm weather clothes for warm weather. You will want to get the online and/or in advance, because most places only keep things in season... and by the time the "season" rolls around it's already a month after you need whatever the item is. Trust me, I don't have any gloves so I have to keep hunting around for them because the stores I've gone to so far won't stock them for another month, and I can't order online because I don't know my size... Don't be stupid like me. On the flipside, if you're in warm weather, make sure you have light clothes so you don't get heatstroke.
2. Sleep. I repeat, sleep. Sleep. SLEEP. FOR THE LOVE OF EVERYTHING GET ENOUGH SLEEP. Cut down on all nighters. And take naps in your room, not the classroom, not the bench outside the lecture hall, not in the library. Sleep in your bed. As uncomfortable as beds are in college, it's better than sleeping anywhere else on campus. I know that especially in demanding majors *cough*likearchitecture*cough* it's difficult because even if you don't procrastinate, you WILL still need to do all nighters. And that's fine. But the day after and the day before an all nighter rolls around, take a nap. AND NEVER DO THEM FOR MORE THAN A DAY IN A ROW. Trust me, lack of sleep is one of the reasons I'm confined to my dorm with a fever right now.
3. Keep track of your diet. Eat some type of fruit every few days at least, and try to drink fruit juices. Eat a salad every once in a while and if you have to skip a meal, at least have some kind of snack! AND if possible start taking daily vitamin supplements. Along with a proper sleeping pattern, these will help to keep you energetic and awake during the day, which in turn will help your focus, which will help your grades, which will reduce stress... see how this works? I just started taking these things, and I swear, it's WAY more effective than chugging coffee!
4. Shower, wash your face, and brush your teeth daily. I'm serious. Staying clean will help repel germs. Common sense. 'nough said. If need be, carry around hand sanitizer or something too.
5. Splurge on something you like. Then use it as a reward for yourself after you've accomplished something. For me, every time I finish a part of a major project I take one of my favorite pieces of candy and pop it into my mouth for a quick treat. I also got some slightly pricey body scrub to shower with, but it's soooo soothing and relaxing! Great for helping me to unwind after a hard day of work. Another guy I know will play a game on his phone when he finishes something. And another will videochat with his girlfriend every other day. These "rewards" for yourself help to reduce stress and keep you motivated. So splurge, just a little, on something you want that will help reduce stress, because it will help to keep you mentally and emotionally stable. : )
And remember, no matter how sick you are or aren't, visit your school's health service to find out what's exactly wrong so you can get proper treatment.
In conclusion, there are lots of causes and remedies for homesickness and regular sickness. Both are inevitable, though the degrees of each vary depending on the person.
But don't let it get to you. Stay strong. Work hard, play hard, and remember to relax in between.
Now if you excuse me, I should study a bit and head off to sleep so I can get well enough to go to class soon!
