A trademark of the college experience is being able to leave home and dorm on campus. Moving to another state, meeting new people and being able to spend time with new friends. Nobody telling you to be home by ten or placing unnecessary rules. Sound appealing? Maybe it’s time to rethink a little.

At first, the idea of obtaining freedom to make your own choices and have a taste of adulthood sounds appealing. But what is overlooked is how one might feel in the long run. At Concordia University in Chicago, I asked Emily Eischen, a freshman on campus resident, how she feels and if she’s ever experienced homesickness.

“Yes, it actually happened my first week,” said Eischen. “Every now and then, I still get random feelings of missing home. I miss my cats.”

Emily is actually kind of lucky since her family lives in a suburb close to campus, unlike other students that come from states such as Michigan or Nebraska. Because her family is close, she tries to visit them most weekends.

When I asked her if joining any clubs helped her cope, she said, “It helps to take my mind off things, like feeling bad, but after, I think that this could be more enjoyable if my family were with me and the feelings return.”

I also had the opportunity to converse with Danielle Walejeski, who is the director and licensed clinical professional counselor at Concordia, about homesickness and how many students actually suffer from it. She offered a different perspective on this issue.

“We actually call it adjustment concerns, not homesickness, since these feelings can happen when students are in a new environment or area, as well as being away from family and loved ones.”

Here at the counseling center at Concordia, there is not a huge number of students that come in for these “adjustment concerns”, according to Walejeski.

“Only less than 10% in a given semester.”

Counseling services deals more with severe mental health issues. Homesickness is not really one of them.

Living on campus in college can be one of the best experiences ever, but it can also have its downsides, such as homesickness. That’s why it’s always good to know where you can get help and the resources that the campus offers, as well as getting involved. When you open up to others, it can help alleviate some of these feelings.