How to Avoid Being Home Sick

Ok, so I will be the first to admit that I get homesick every now and then. No matter what, there will be at least one time when you wish your mom would make you a huge heaping of mashed potatoes (mashed potatoes are my fave!). Here are some tricks I learned to keep that homesick feeling at bay!

1)      Be extremely active: Whenever I feel homesick I try and make plans with my friends or go to a cool event psu is having (there is always a ton). If you are joking around with your friends or listening to a cool new student band, you won’t be thinking about your home.

2)      Get Green: So the new trend these days is to “go green” but this can actually help with homesickness too. I’m not saying that switching to diesel or recycling your plastics will help you forget about your favorite meal (have you noticed all the food references? It’s pretty much why I go home J ), but actually having the color green around you. Some researchers a few years ago found that the color green actually helps squash home sickness, and they recommended college kids get green towels, comforters, etc. I went with green towels and I think they help! If you don’t like the color green that’s totally fine there are plenty of other options to help home-sickness!!

3)      Get A Good Book: For some reason curling up in a blanket with an amazing book (For example: Twilight, not that I read that vampire junk…) makes me feel like I’m at home. Throwing yourself into a good book can be a great way to relax after an exhausting day of classes or after a rough weekend. Just grab a cup of hot chocolate from the campus coffee shop, throw on your fluffy rabbit slippers (everyone has them right?) and call it a day.

4)      Friend and a Fourth (another food reference): Haven’t heard of 4^th meal? Well let me introduce you to a wonderful phenomenon: at South Commons (don’t worry I can show you where that is) from 9pm-1am the cafeteria opens for 4^th meal. It’s amazing, they have mozzarella sticks, scrambled eggs, hash browns, tater tots (someone should be concerned that I memorized the menu) and lots of other good food. If you’re feeling down one night grab a friend and eat up! You talk and laugh and have a blast, all while consuming grade A calories!  

5)      Talk to a WEPO Gal: Last but not least, I would suggest getting in touch with your WEPO friends a.s.a.p.! Call me and we can hit the gym up or grab food! Or call your mentor or rover! Someone is always available to chat; you will find WEPO is a great resource and you should use it as much as you can! Its really unlikely that with all the girls in WEPO not one of them is feeling/ has felt the same way you are at that moment, so talk to us and we can help. Always remember WEPO is like a big family and someone can help you no matter what! Good luck next year girls, I know you will all do well!!!

Jess Menold is a junior majoring in Mechanical Engineering. She has completed an internship rotation with Boeing.  Jess will serve as a Mentor in WEPO 2011 and is also active in the American Society for Mechanical Engineers (ASME) and THON.