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"Congratulations, you're at college! It's the best time of your life, and you should be living it up to the fullest! At least that's what everyone told you, so why do you feel so bummed? You might be suffering from the homesick blues, which is\u2014you guessed it\u2014totally okay and normal. Here are a few tips to help ease the pangs of being away from home for the first time.\n\nDon't be\u00A0embarrassed!\n\n There's nothing wrong with missing your old room, your high school pals, or even\u2014gasp!\u2014your mom. This is a difficult transition, but you don't have to keep your emotions all bottled up! Talk to your new friends about how you're feeling; chances are they'll totally understand where you're coming from (and maybe even feel the exact same way). Your RA is also a great person to check in with. He or she is older, theoretically wiser, and specifically trained to give you advice on this sort of thing.\n\nFocus on\u00A0the positive.\n\n Dwelling on the recent past and the things you miss about it is a surefire recipe for homesickness. Chances are, even though you're sad, things aren't all bad about your new situation.\u00A0Making a list, mental or otherwise,\u00A0of all the great stuff about being away can help you put things in perspective.\u00A0How cool are your\u00A0hallmates? Doesn't it feel amazing to sleep 'til noon on Tuesdays and not have classes on Fridays? How awesome is taking courses that actually interest you?! The answer: So awesome.\n\nShare something that reminds you of home.\n\n If you're longing for Pizza Thursdays with your girlfriends, why not try to make it happen with some college acquaintances? If you loved\u00A0watching Scandal every week with your family, book the common room and\u00A0invite your floor to take part in all of the Olivia Pope intrigue. By infusing a little bit of your old home into your new one, you'll feel more\u00A0comfortable and be able to start making fresh traditions in no time.\n\nExplore your new territory.\n\n College is full of so many opportunities to try out new things. They might not all be for you, but you have to give 'em a go to know for sure. Attend a slam poetry night, audition for an a cappella group, or try an intramural sport. Most dorms have tons of events programmed for students\u2014go to one, even if you think it might be lame. Chances are there will be at least one other person there who thinks it's lame too...voil\u00E0, new friend! Between your classes and all the new activities you'll be testing out, you'll barely have time to be homesick.\n\nIn the words of E.T.: Phone home.__\n\n There's certainly no rule against calling your parents or high school friends. Don't use phone time as a crutch, but do know a little long-distance TLC is more than allowed! Your mom and dad will love hearing about all of your adventures, and they'll also probably help you realize how cool your new situation actually is. When they start talking about garbage pickup day changing from Thursday to Friday, you may even breathe an actual sigh of relief that you're away doing your own thing."^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
<http://www.teenvogue.com/story/college-homesickness>