Feeling HOME Sick?

By KATE PIERCE
News Editor

At this point in the semester students may find themselves often thinking about home and feeling isolated, which can lead to a lack in motivation. These are common symptoms of homesickness - the feeling of missing certain aspects of home to the extent that it frequently produces negative emotions.

Experiencing homesickness is something that most students face no matter where they attend college. Being homesick affects students across the state, and even the country - and is not an uncommon experience for Saint Rose students.

According to Alan Martell, assistant director of the counseling and psychological services on campus, every year at the beginning of the semester there are students who go to the counseling center to receive advice for coping with homesickness.

“We try to normalize it,” said Martell. “There’s a perceived stigma about being homesick, and also about going to the counseling center. By normalizing the conversation about homesickness, it can be easier for students to open up about how they are feeling.”

It can be hard for students to be away from home for such a long period of time - especially if they’ve never experienced it before, according to Martell.

When sophomore Jayda Shamblee from moved to Saint Rose a little over a year ago from living her family in Brooklyn over 150 miles away, said that she had a period of adjustment to living on campus.

“I started to feel homesick around October,” said Shamblee. One of her biggest adjustments was the noise difference. At her home in Brooklyn the noise of traffic and people passing by was much louder than the noises on campus.

”I missed my family, but I also missed the noise,” she said.“I’m used to noise all the time. It was different adjusting - to go from crowded New York City to less densely populated Albany.”

For most students moving to Saint Rose as residents, the night they move in is their first night ever staying on campus.

“You’re in a new environment, and that takes a lot of adjusting,” said Martell. He encourages students to get involved on as much as they can, especially with clubs and other organizations. Forming relationships on campus can help alleviate the feelings of separation from friends and family back home.

“I encourage students to go online and see what’s available for clubs,” said Martell. “If a student is interested in hiking I would refer them to the Adventure Club, for example.”

David Judd, Student Association Director of Academic Activities, also recommends that students pursue campus activities if they are feeling homesick.

“You can really get involved on campus through multiple groups,” said Judd. “You can find something through your major, or find something else that interests you.”

One club that Judd especially recommends that homesick students join is Outside the Box, a group that is committed to promoting positivity and community on campus.

At Saint Rose there are a variety of opportunities for involvement, from intramurals, to leadership workshops and over 40 student clubs and organizations.

Another outlet for resident students who are homesick are resident assistants - students who are responsible for supervising and assisting the other students who live in the same house hall. From helping students to understand and abide by college housing policies to helping with day to day problems, resident assistants are resources for resident students.

Resident assistants generally ask students if they are involved on campus as one of the first steps of addressing feelings of homesickness, according to resident assistant Anne Vaeth.

“We talk about what it is they are feeling, and then ask how involved they are on campus with classes and clubs,” said Vaeth. She also encourages the residents of her house to attend events on campus, and offers to go with them to certain events.

“I’ll say - ‘There’s Disney Trivia tonight, want to come with me?’” said Vaeth.

Depending on the severity of the feelings of homesickness, resident assistants like Vaeth might talk with their supervisors about the best way to help their residents. They will often also refer their residents to the counseling center to speak with counselors like Martell.

“Sometimes homesickness can feel like depression,” said Martell. “ The difference is that if you go home and you feel better - it’s most likely just homesickness. But if you go home and you don’t feel better, that could point towards depression.”

The counseling center is holding a depression screening day open to all students from 10 a.m. to 2p.m. on Thursday at the counseling center in Madison Hall, 947 Madison Avenue.

The screening itself is not a time consuming process, so students who have other commitments that day could still find time to stop in.

If a student is unavailable during the screening day, they can still schedule an appointment with a counselor, as undergraduate and graduate students who attend full time have free counseling services on campus at their disposal, for both residents and commuters.

The first step in the counseling process is to have a 5 to 10 minute screening appointment with a counselor. That’s when a student could discuss what they would like to talk about or get advice for and develop a plan for moving forward. That day a student should receive a call from their assigned counselor to set up future appointments. Further appointments can go more into depth as much as the student is comfortable.

Although the counseling center does not currently offer a group counseling service for students experiencing homesickness, Martell said that the center may consider starting such a group.

No matter what route students pursue to cope with homesickness Martell encourages talking about it to someone - a friend, a counselor, a resident assistant, or any other available campus resource.

“Being honest and forthright is key,” said Martell. He also encouraged students to be patient with themselves.

“Eventually the unfamiliar will become familiar, and the uncomfortable will become comfortable,” said Martell.