Conquering Homesickness and Midterms (October Resources)

After the initial excitement of being a new UCF Knight, students might realize the reality is not as flawless as they imagined. Many students think they are the only one who experience homesickness, but a UCLA survey found 70% of first year students experience this phenomenon. It is more than normal for students to experience some uncertainty or miss their home or family, especially under their new environment. Adjusting is not easy for everyone and everyone reacts differently. Additionally, students are now facing their first midterm exams of the semester. Academic expectations can overly burden and trigger more homesickness in students.

UCF believes our students who are experiencing homesickness and/or are intimidated by their first midterm are in the process of growing toward their unique goals. The important thing is that they have a great support system (you!) who will always encourage them and give guidance so they can fully be an independent and responsible adult.

Read below for what your student might be experiencing this month and how you can support them practically and emotionally.

Students may express homesickness and plan to return home for upcoming weekends. Enjoy these visits but having some supportive conversations can be helpful for them to overcome homesickness.

  • Help them become aware that it is usual among new college students. Homesickness is very common. Students may not talk often about it with each other but remind your student they are not the only one. Tell them it is normal and temporary feeling. Sharing your own experience of homesickness can be helpful if you had any.
  • Offer them support. The best way to simply support them is by listening to what they say. Parents or supporters can’t make the homesickness go away, but students can realize you are always on their side by how you treat their feelings seriously. Thus, reassuring your students when they call or when to visit home can be helpful. It is important to keep healthy distance with your students; allowing too many or too less trips home might not be the best way to combat homesickness.
  • Remind your student to have a healthy lifestyle. Since many college students struggles on having well-balanced meal or having good night sleep, it is important to emphasize a healthy lifestyle. Getting used to taking care of themselves is another way of overcoming homesickness. Remind them UCF has various campus dining spaces (some of them open until 11pm!). We also have Counseling & Psychological Services and Recreation and Wellness Centers that students can utilize for free.
  • Encourage them to get involved. Participating in various campus events can help your student to make friends and to feel more involved in UCF community. Talk to your student about opportunities for engagement when they're home next. The UCF events page can be helpful to find some exciting campus events. Also, they should try exploring the Office of Student Involvement's website to find any student organizations they might be interested in.

Having to take a big exam that covers half of the semester’s material is still a new experience for many students. In October, students are now realizing that exams are around the corner, chapters are still unread, or a forgotten paper or project is soon due. The fact that midterms often account for 20-40% of final grade can also be a pressure to students.

Students may start to feel the stress of academic performance. Some students thrive on stress and seem to take it in stride, but for many students, this stress can feel debilitating.

As parents or supporters, remind them this is part of the rhythm of academic year. Although midterms are important, it is only one part of a full semester’s class. Maybe it is a good time to encourage them to find their own stress management skills as well. Lastly, try to encourage them to tackle this in their own way since they are now an independent college student; building skills to tackle tough exams or the stressors around them are important skills needed in college and beyond.

Also remember, Federal Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) gives students ownership of their academic information. All academic information goes directly to your student, not to you. Read more about what FERPA means for you and your student on the UCF Registrar's Office website.

Those who have not done well on a midterm exam or first big project in a class might begin to have doubts about their abilities and may be confused about if their current study and time management skills are working or not. Please encourage them to put their best effort to reach their academic goals. However, if your student is seriously considering changing their major, the below resources can be helpful.

  • If the student is not confident about passing a course, it is important that they discuss with their advisors as soon as possible to ensure they are exploring their options, while also keeping on track towards graduation requirements. The withdrawal deadline for Fall 2022 is Friday, October 28. You and your student can explore all about the course withdrawal process on the UCF Registrar's Office website. In addition, students can get academic help, learn time management skills, and more from visiting the Student Academic Resource Center.
  • If the student is questioning their major, encourage them to visit the Knights Major Exploration and Transition Center and other resources provided by the Student Success and Advising area. These can be helpful resources for them to get answers.

Students are not the only ones who experience homesickness. Parents and supporters often experience "empty nest" syndrome if their student has left home. You might feel loss of purpose, frustration over lack of control, anxiety about your student, or even depression.

It is time to take care of yourself. Make social connections, use your fee time to reconnect with some old friends, or set goals for the future. Adopting a forward-looking mindset can be a great help. Trying new hobby or career also help you keep busy. Attending community organizations or volunteering events is another way to cope with "empty nest" syndrome. Even connecting with other parents or supporters of college students can be helpful as well; there is support in community!

Most first-time students and their parents or supporters are surprised at how early students can be prepared for the upcoming semester's course registration process. Meeting with an academic advisor before their official class registration date is very important, and there is no such thing as too early to meet with an academic advisor!

Starting Monday, October 17, students can find their Spring 2023 enrollment appointment date and time on the myUCF accounts. Their “enrollment appointment” is the date and time they may begin to enroll in courses for the subsequent semester (in this case, Spring 2023). If they haven't already, your student should make an appointment with their advisor and talk about their Spring 2023 enrollment plan, how to resolve holds, check on course prerequisites, etc. Students can meet with academic advisors multiple times, whenever new registration concerns arises. Meeting with an advisor now can help your student be confident with class registration and be more successful with registering for the classes they need.