When your student transitions into college, it means a new flow of classes, new friendships, and a lot of time away from their childhood home. If your student hasn't spent a lot of time away from home, they might experience homesickness and strain from the changes in their environment. However, a little practice can make a world of difference. The summer program at Northwest College Support might be the perfect opportunity for your student to travel to Coeur D'Alene, ID, and gain confidence and comfort in being away from home. While the transition can be difficult, your student can learn to be more comfortable while taking this next big step in their lives.
Homesickness: When Your Student Isn't Comfortable Away From Home
When your student leaves for college, they might experience some homesickness. Homesickness is the feeling of distress that is a result of being separated from home. Research has found that many college students in their freshman year experience homesickness. This is because, for many students, going away to college is the first time they have spent an extended period of more than a few days away from home.
NWCS Summer Program
One way to help your student be more comfortable away from home is to have them spend an extended period away from home, with more support and structure. The summer program at Northwest College Support offers this opportunity. Located in Coeur D'Alene, ID, the summer program combines college courses, adventures with peers, and the opportunity to learn new skills.
For students both originally from Idaho or from afar, it also helps them to practice what it is going to be like living away from their childhood home. However, going to college and the summer program have many differences. The summer program offers a lot of support that allows for a gentler change. It allows your student a chance to learn responsibility and independence by taking small steps that will help them build confidence and comfort in the process.
Learning to Be Comfortable Away From Home
While you may have moved around some, your student likely has very little experience moving to a new place alone and learning to be comfortable. Fortunately, some simple steps can help. Learning new routines is one way that improves your student's comfort. Additionally, you can help them to learn how to feel at home in a new place. If you are concerned that your student may struggle, that is ok. While it may take time, they can learn to feel more comfortable in a new place.
New Routines
Your student has likely had to learn new routines at some point. An example of this is the transition from middle school to high school. During this time, your student likely had to wake up at a different time, have a different schedule, and meet new people. However, going to college puts their ability to build new routines to the test.
When your student goes to college, their whole routine will be different. This includes where they sleep, the store they go to for snacks, and more. As a result, it can make your student feel less comfortable. This is because none of it will be familiar. However, new routines can help to create the feeling of a familiar place. For example, creating a morning routine for getting breakfast can help your student feel more at home.
The ability to discover and create new routines is a skill. However, it is one that your student can learn. As a parent, you can help them. One way is to discuss what kinds of routines they might like. This might include transferring routines from home to college or helping them find new routines that will work better in this new environment.
Creating a Home Away From Home
Creating a safe space is another option that can help your student feel more comfortable away from home. When your student moves to college, they will be living in a new location. This might be a dorm room or a room in a house. Regardless, the change can feel hard. However, they can learn to make changes to their space to feel like they have a home away from home.
Your student likely has things in your home that they particularly enjoy. This might be a perfect desk setup or a comfortable place to relax. While it is not always possible, often they can replicate these things. One example would be their bedroom. Having your student choose things for their bedroom that they like is important. They might not have a lot of privacy at college. However, they can decorate their bed, create a desk to work at, and have a place they feel safe in. This helps them to feel comfortable and gives them a place to retreat and rest when they are having a hard day.
Transitioning into adulthood means spending more time away from the comforts of a childhood home. However, many young adults who haven't spent very much time away from home struggle when moving away. At Northwest College Support, we understand that this transition may be concerning for you as a parent. Our programs, including the summer program, offer the opportunity for your student to have support while they make this change. In these programs, they can learn skills that can help them feel comfortable and confident when taking the steps toward living independently. If you are interested in learning more about our programs, we want to talk to you! Call (877) 485-2776 today to speak with a staff member.
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