Dealing with Homesickness

By the time you receive this email, your student will have completed his/her first week of classes at Liberty. Hopefully they have figured out where all their classes are and when to fit in time to eat and stay ahead of their homework assignments.  During this time many students will begin to experience homesickness as they adjust to college life. If your son or daughter struggles with homesickness, encourage them to connect with someone on their hall leadership team, a Resident Assistant (RA), Spiritual Life Director (SLD) or Prayer Leader (PL). RAs are students who are carefully selected for their ability to advise and aid resident students in everyday situations. RAs are a great resource for students who are homesick. They can help students get involved in programs and activities on their floor or around campus, or can help residents meet some of their "neighbors" and adjust to their new community. Remember, all of our leadership team, RAs, SLDs, and PLs have been new Liberty students at some point, and can relate with the challenges of adjusting to a new school and environment. Sometimes students just need someone to talk to and that's part of what our leadership team is there for along with encouraging them in their spiritual growth.

Students who are feeling homesick are especially encouraged to get involved on campus. This is a fairly easy way to meet new people, and to find a new activity to participate in. Our Student Life Department offers many activities and there are many intramural sports your student can also get involved in.  The Prayer Groups within each hall is another great way to get connected with other students. The RAs on your student's hall are there to help your student to get plugged into activities that interest them. At Liberty, we have something for everyone!

Reference additional links below with specific suggestions in dealing with a homesick student:
http://universityparent.com/2008/08/27/tips-on-dealing-with-your-college...

http://www.ecampustours.com/campuslife/yourfreshmanyear/overcominghomesi...

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2002/08/06/earlyshow/contributors/earlysh...