Studying abroad is a wonderful opportunity for anyone who is adventurous enough to immerse in a new culture, even if it is just temporarily. It comes with a myriad of new and exciting experiences that you will cherish for life. However, even the boldest of us can’t help but feel homesick from time to time.

As we mentioned on our ‘Learning English in the U.S.: 5 Reasons to Study Abroad’ blog post, being an international student increases your maturity. Understandably, feeling homesick and knowing how to deal with it is part of the growing up process.

Why Do We Feel Homesick?

The American Academy of Pediatrics defines homesickness as “the distress and functional impairment caused by an actual or anticipated separation from home and attachment objects such as parents.”

Of course, every person is different and will have a unique experience. However, some of the most common reasons are missing your family, your food, or your friends. This is completely normal and thanks to today’s globalized world, it is much easier to handle than before. Technology allows us to keep in contact with our loved ones and in most cases, you’re likely to find little pieces of your culture nearby. For example, a restaurant, a store, or a group of people from your region.

Don’t let feeling homesick stop you from enjoying the experience of living abroad. How can you do that? One option is to immerse in the local society. Find places and activities you like to do after school and try to make local friends. Also, get together with fellow international students and plan these activities.

The Advantages of Living in a Multicultural Society

Choosing to study abroad goes beyond the academics. The main learning opportunity is seeing how other people live and understand their views. By stepping out of your comfort zone, you’ll get to learn about your own personality and your ability to handle change.

Here in the United States, we welcome people from all over the world. Consider this as numerous opportunities to learn from all those unfamiliar cultures and find similarities to your own. You might be surprised by how many things you have in common with your classmates from different nationalities.

How to Avoid Homesickness

Now that you know feeling homesick is perfectly normal, let’s work on keeping it under control. Here’s a list of some things that can help:

• Research before your trip, learn everything you can about the place you’re going to
• Have an open mind and try local customs
• Talk to other people going through the same as you
• Keep in contact with your friends and family at home and share all of your new experiences
• Take the chance to make friends from diverse cultures
• Set some time aside from your studies to be a tourist
• If you need to, talk to a counselor or school authority on how to deal with homesickness
• Avoid isolation! Get out there and socialize
• Search your local or online stores for home goodies to help you feel better
• Eat healthier and exercise, both factors have a significant impact on your mental and physical health

Enjoy the Ride!

Here at Harvest, we welcome students from over 40 nationalities across our four campuses. Some for very short periods of time, others end up making a new life as immigrants. Our advice to all of them is the same: enjoy your time as an international student! This is a unique experience that you will remember for life.

Living abroad can be a very rewarding experience, let’s help everyone see that! Have you ever experienced feeling homesick? Share this post with anyone you think could benefit from it.