One idea is to practice being away from home. It's like when you were learning how to ride a bike and you started out using training wheels. Try spending the afternoon at a friend's house before you stay for the whole night. Or go to a summer day camp before you decide to try sleepaway camp.
These shorter trips can help you feel more confident and comfortable. You can learn to feel less homesick. We really hope you do. Why? So you don't miss out on all those adventures waiting for you!
Practice time away from home, Thurber recommended. Parents, too, can help by working with their freshmen to learn about the new environment by visiting campuses and talking to alumni. "They increase familiarity and, thereby, reduce anxiety," Thurber wrote.
Pena-Hernandez, who is finishing her Ph.D, makes a trip home once a year. She still misses home occasionally, but has the support from more friends and church as well.
We get homesick because "there are things that we love," said Thurber. "It's the byproduct of the strength of our attachment. If there were nothing in the world we were attached to, then we wouldn't miss them when we're away.