Remember that you're not the only lonely soul ...

That first week of college can be really daunting, and extremely overwhelming. With all the new names, faces, and "fun" activities you are bombarded with, the flood of homesickness and fatigue can take over. But the most important thing to remember is that YOU ARE NOT ALONE! There are at least 300 other freshmen/new students who are going through the exact same thing as you, only some probably hide it better. My first week at Covenant College, I was a mess! Before my parents left, they had helped me set up my room, and my dad realized that I didn't have any soap. So, he sweetly went down to the store and brought me back some. For the next 2 weeks, every time I used that soap, I broke down in tears. But eventually, the tears turned into just a lump in my thought, and that turned into sadness, and before I knew it, I was too busy making new friends to even notice the soap! Another thing I would suggest is that you, no matter how shy you think you are, should make it your goal to reach out to another new student. During that same week at Covenant, I lived across the hall from a very nice girl. We both were having a really hard time adjusting to our new lives, but neither one of us was brave enough to meet the other. We watched each other as we would go to our rooms, close the door, and unbeknownst to the other, sit down on our beds and cry. We later became very close friends, (she was my maid-of-honor in my wedding!) and realized how much we could have comforted each other during that time...but we were too shy to say hello. So, get out there, put yourself on the line. Don't worry about what people think of you because everyone is just trying to figure this whole college thing out together!
Alicia Skrivan