Virtually every foreign student will feel homesick at some point during his or her stay in Holland. The SGZ offers some helpful hints for dealing with your longing for your home, family and friends.
Homesickness is something almost everyone deals with when they’re abroad. During the first weeks, the excitement of everything new will most likely keep you from feeling it. Though, after the excitement dies down homesickness may set in. There are five things you can do to prevent homesickness from taking you over:
Make goals for your time abroad If you have specific goals, then you will have something to focus on. Make goals like: ‘I want to be able to have a five minute conversation with my professor in perfect Dutch by the end of the quarter’. Having goals also ensures that you accomplish a lot while abroad.
Stay busy If you sit around your room all day then inevitably you’re going to start missing your friends and family. Instead, pack your schedule with different activities. This will help focus your mind on life in Holland, rather than missing life in your home country.
Don’t drink too much Drinking socially at a bar or club can be fun, but if you drink too much or too often you will only get more depressed and homesick. Remember alcohol is a depressant, so if you’re dealing with homesickness, drinking isn’t going to help you feel better!
Exercise constantly Keeping your endorphins flowing is extremely important in battling homesickness. Exercising will keep you emotionally stable and overall more happy. You can run outside or join the Sportcentre. It’s really cheap to join the gym and is well worth it.
Limit your communication with home It’s good to stay in touch with your family and friends at home, but if you’re constantly calling and e-mailing them, you’re never going to stop thinking about and missing them. Make a concerted effort to be balanced in your communication with those at home.
If you do the above five things, your homesickness will vanish. However, if you’re getting really depressed and nothing helps you feel better, then be sure to tell a staff member of the student healthcare center.
Dr. Nellie Harkes-de Jong is a student doctor at TU Delft. For more information about this and other medical issues, visit: www.sgz.nl
(Illustration: Juan Carlos Ortiz Nicolas, Mexico)
Homesickness is something almost everyone deals with when they’re abroad. During the first weeks, the excitement of everything new will most likely keep you from feeling it. Though, after the excitement dies down homesickness may set in. There are five things you can do to prevent homesickness from taking you over:
Make goals for your time abroad If you have specific goals, then you will have something to focus on. Make goals like: ‘I want to be able to have a five minute conversation with my professor in perfect Dutch by the end of the quarter’. Having goals also ensures that you accomplish a lot while abroad.
Stay busy If you sit around your room all day then inevitably you’re going to start missing your friends and family. Instead, pack your schedule with different activities. This will help focus your mind on life in Holland, rather than missing life in your home country.
Don’t drink too much Drinking socially at a bar or club can be fun, but if you drink too much or too often you will only get more depressed and homesick. Remember alcohol is a depressant, so if you’re dealing with homesickness, drinking isn’t going to help you feel better!
Exercise constantly Keeping your endorphins flowing is extremely important in battling homesickness. Exercising will keep you emotionally stable and overall more happy. You can run outside or join the Sportcentre. It’s really cheap to join the gym and is well worth it.
Limit your communication with home It’s good to stay in touch with your family and friends at home, but if you’re constantly calling and e-mailing them, you’re never going to stop thinking about and missing them. Make a concerted effort to be balanced in your communication with those at home.
If you do the above five things, your homesickness will vanish. However, if you’re getting really depressed and nothing helps you feel better, then be sure to tell a staff member of the student healthcare center.
Dr. Nellie Harkes-de Jong is a student doctor at TU Delft. For more information about this and other medical issues, visit: www.sgz.nl
(Illustration: Juan Carlos Ortiz Nicolas, Mexico)
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