Making The Transition From High School to College

For incoming freshman, college is most likely their first time living away from home and away from their friends and families.

If you're in this position, you have our sympathies. It can be scary to adjust to a new city, a new set of people, a new home, and a new way of life. You're going to spend a lot of time thinking about how you used to sit out on the deck and drink iced tea on a sunny day, or how your mom made your laundry smell like rain, or how your dog would lick your toes to get you up in the morning, or how Dad would always have a tall stack of French toast waiting for you on Sunday morning, like clockwork.

Just know that it will get better. You'll get used to your new friends and your new dorm room and your new city and your new life as an independent college kid. Many people experience homesickness early on in their undergraduate career, and it's nothing to be embarrassed about or ashamed of at all.

The best thing to do is to try to begin your freshman year with an open mind and let go of all preconceptions you might have. Feeling homesick should be expected, so don't be caught off-guard by a generally blah feeling.

Obviously, thinking about how popular you were in high school or how much bigger your room was at home isn't going to help you. So try to stay positive and upbeat as best as you can and think about what you like about the new people you're meeting now and your new surroundings. Also, think about the things you like about yourself that helped you make so many friends in high school, and then think about what you can do to recreate that again.

If your feelings of homesickness become more intense than you anticipated, don't immediately think that you're not fitting in or that you don't belong at your new school or that you just failed at life. Try to fight off such depression, because it will only make things worse.

If you do feel depressed, however, don't let that affect your eating habits. Lots of people turn to food and the wrong kinds of food when they're depressed, and this is not the correct course of action. Chances are, you'll be pigging out on foods that will exacerbate your condition instead of eating those foods that will help alleviate your depression. (And yes, there are foods that help alleviate depression: the magic words are balanced diet.')

You've heard of the freshman fifteen, the fifteen (or more) extra pounds that freshmen gain from overeating or eating junk. This is definitely a status quo to resist! Stick to a balanced diet (plenty of fruits and vegetables and grains will help keep you energized and do wonders for your mood and attitude) and don't pig out on junk food between meals or, worse, late in the night when you're up studying. As a freshman, you have enough to deal with already and you don't need to add to that by creating a new diet plan or starving yourself. Just try to make a few smarter choices when it comes to your food.

It's the little things that count:

o Avoid excessive caffeine, sugar, and fatty foods.
o Drink lots of water instead of soda.
o Eat a granola bar instead of a candy bar.
o Eat dried fruit instead of potato chips.
o Find some time to exercise: take the stairs instead of the elevator, take the long way to class if you have the time, or just go for a walk.
o Fit in some time to relax and decompress.

If you include these little things in your schedule, it'll do wonders when it comes to alleviating depression and easing tension, and you'll feel much better for it. It will definitely help you overcome feelings of homesickness due to your positive lifestyle changes, as well as the fact that you'll be keeping yourself so busy that you'll forget to sit around and throw yourself a pity party. And remember, the absolute worst thing to do if you feel homesick is to sit around in your dorm room and feel sorry for yourself.

Get out there, have some fun! You'll be feeling better in no time.