It’s been a while since I’ve posted, so welcome back to my blog!
Going back home for over a month was definitely refreshing, and also reminded me of how much more I missed home than I thought I did. I thought homesickness wasn’t really an issue for me during the first semester, but when I saw my parents for the first time I felt a sense of comfort that I longed for during my first months on the hill. I realized then that I hadn’t seen my parents in over 3 months and that was the longest I was ever away from home. I learned to busy myself with school and feelings that lead me to an unhealthy mental health state. Semester one wasn’t easy. It happened, I made mistakes, but most importantly I learned from them.
During difficult times, it is important to seek help from others. You can’t stay quiet, and one of the biggest lessons I learned (As simple as it seems) was communication. Many don’t like to talk about going to the counseling center, because there is a bad stigma associated with it. But these resources are important for students to know about and USE because they are free, and there for us to use to help us.
Aside from that, there are staff and faculty on campus willing to help you. Go to office hours. Talk to your professors. If someone tells you to feel free to drop by and say hi, do it. (i.e. a dean giving a speech during convocation) They mean it. So go out there and meet the people that surround you!
Prioritizing yourself sometimes may not seem feasible, but it is important to take a break for yourself. One of the ways I practice self care is by doing face masks, and these two are my favorite. Additionally, journaling my feelings also helps, as well us making some sort of art. Sometimes, various clubs will even have special de stressing nights where you can make art and get free massages, etc.
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Here’s to Semester two (Goals):
- Improve time management
- Communicate with others
- Use the resources available to you
- Be more aware of spending habits to save money
- Take time for yourself
- Have fun!
