College Homesickness
From "The REAL College Survival Guide" by Kevin Lawson
Transcript
00:00You know, they say college is the best time of your life.
00:03They don't mention that it's also the time when you realize just how much you miss your
00:08mom's cooking.
00:09I mean, I thought I was ready for this whole independence thing.
00:14But I didn't realize that independence meant eating instant ramen for breakfast, lunch,
00:20and dinner.
00:21I've become a connoisseur of microwave meals.
00:24I can tell you the subtle differences between the various brands of mac and cheese.
00:29And let me tell you, there are some serious contenders out there.
00:33But nothing, absolutely nothing, can compare to my mom's homemade lasagna.
00:39I'd trade my entire collection of ramen cups for just one slice of that cheesy goodness.
00:45And then there's the laundry situation.
00:47I thought I was a pro at doing laundry back home.
00:51But apparently, there's a whole new level of laundry anxiety when you're at college.
00:56Back home, my mom would sort everything for me.
00:59Now, I'm standing in front of the washing machine, staring at my clothes like they're
01:04a complex math problem.
01:06Do I separate colors?
01:08Do I wash my whites with my reds?
01:10Is that a thing?
01:12I once accidentally turned all my whites pink, and I swear I could hear my mom's disappointed
01:17sigh echoing through the phone when I told her.
01:20You should have listened to me, she said, and I could practically see her shaking her
01:25head.
01:26And let's not even get started on the social aspect of college.
01:30I thought I'd be making friends left and right.
01:32But instead, I'm sitting alone in the dining hall, pretending to be engrossed in my phone,
01:38while I watch everyone else laugh and chat.
01:41I've become a master at the art of looking busy.
01:44I've even started taking notes in my notebook, and I don't even know what I'm writing.
01:50It's just doodles of my cat, who I miss more than I ever thought possible.
01:54I mean, who knew a fluffy ball of fur could be my emotional support animal from three
01:59hundred miles away?
02:01Then there's the whole finding-your-way-around-campus ordeal.
02:05I thought I'd be navigating like a pro, but I've ended up in the wrong lecture hall more
02:10times than I can count.
02:12I've walked into a biology class, thinking it was my history lecture, and sat there for
02:17a good ten minutes before realizing that no one else was taking notes on the French Revolution.
02:23I just sat there, nodding along as the professor talked about mitochondria, trying to blend
02:29in like I was supposed to be there.
02:32Spoiler alert, I wasn't.
02:35And the weather!
02:36Oh, the weather.
02:37Back home, I had a routine.
02:40I knew when to wear my favorite sweater and when to break out the flip-flops.
02:43Here, it's like Mother Nature is playing a cruel joke on me.
02:49One minute it's sunny, and I'm basking in the glow of a beautiful day.
02:53And the next, it's pouring rain, and I'm drenched, looking like a drowned rat.
02:59I've never appreciated my umbrella more, but of course, I left it at home.
03:05Classic!
03:06But you know what?
03:07Amid all the chaos and confusion, I've learned to cope with this homesickness in my own quirky
03:13way.
03:14I've started a little ritual where I FaceTime my mom every Sunday.
03:19I sit in my tiny dorm room, surrounded by my collection of ramen, and we talk about
03:24everything and nothing.
03:26She tells me about the neighbors, and I tell her about my laundry disasters.
03:31It's like a lifeline, a reminder that even though I'm miles away, I'm still connected
03:37to home.
03:38So here's to the homesickness, the ramen, the laundry mishaps, and the awkward social
03:45moments.
03:46College may not be what I expected, but it's definitely an adventure.
03:50And who knows?
03:52Maybe one day, I'll look back on this and laugh.
03:55Preferably while eating a slice of that lasagna.