Dear AWARE real questions from real students

What are ways to help with homesickness?

Hello!

Homesickness is a very common feeling among college students regardless of how long they have been in school. It is a normal experience that is a part of every college student’s development toward adulthood. Although the feelings that come with homesickness are uncomfortable, they should still be acknowledged and accepted. After accepting these feelings, finding constructive ways to cope is crucial to reducing them. One of the most common methods I have seen fellow classmates use is going home every weekend or every other weekend. This strategy is not very helpful in dealing with homesickness, as these students are not truly creating a new home at Mercer. Doing this also probably means missing out on great opportunities to cultivate a social life and sense of belonging at Mercer. With that said, there are numerous ways to cope with homesickness, including making new friends, volunteering, taking advantage of campus life, going to football games and decorating your room with pictures of friends and family. Social support is also very important in helping with these feelings, so talking to a resident assistant, a friend, or a counselor from CAPS could be helpful. Another strategy that helps me get over homesickness is relaxing by myself. So, take some time to relax in addition to the previously mentioned strategies, and your feelings of homesickness should disappear soon.

 

What are the best ways to manage school and social activities? It's so hard to scale the level of importance of things when I find it all important.

 

Hi there,

 

There is no doubt that school and extracurricular activities can get quite overwhelming as we try to be able to do everything. When it comes to juggling, effective time management is essential. I cannot stress enough to make calendars and schedules with each of your commitments listed on them. Further, it is important to actually look at these calendars.

Consider also organizing your activities by importance and urgency. Complete the most important and time-pressing commitments first, followed by those that are important but less urgent. This does require some discernment as to what is important and what is urgent, so consider deadlines and how big of an impact the commitment will make.

Also, do not forget that your priority here is academics. Activities can be a great way to relieve stress and learn more about yourself and others. Ultimately, though, you are here to receive your degree. That being said, it is absolutely essential to ensure that your school work does not suffer in the midst of all of your activities. If you find yourself overwhelmed or your grades slipping, consider taking a break from one of your activities or scaling back on your involvement. It all seems important, but you must be willing to choose select activities to devote yourself to for the sake of your academic work and your own health.

A.W.A.R.E. is a student group of peer educators under the Counseling and Psychological Services umbrella. CAPS is located behind MEP and provides free, confidential counseling to Mercer students. The office is open Monday-Friday, 8 a.m.-5 p.m. Feel free to call 478- 301-2862 to schedule an appointment at any time for any problem, big or small.