![\"An](\"https:\/\/blog.admissions.uiowa.edu\/kiah\/files\/2025\/09\/fossil1-225x300.jpg\")
<\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/div><\/figure>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\r\nHonestly, it was just nice to spend time with my family after not seeing them for so long. It had only been a month and a half, but that is definitely the longest period I\u2019ve ever gone without seeing them! I call my parents about once a week, though, and text them throughout the week, so that also helps with any homesickness.
I was really worried about homesickness when I moved in. I am a sentimental person, and am deeply attached to my family, so leaving them for several months at a time was a scary prospect. I alluded to it in my last blog, but I was really sad on move-in day. I anticipated saying goodbye from the moment we pulled into the Mayflower dorm parking lot, and it weighed on me until they drove away. There were lots of tears from both my mother and me, even though I told myself I wouldn\u2019t cry. (She started it). Whatever your reaction is to being dropped off by your guardians, it\u2019s okay. It could be a relief to be starting your own life and maybe escaping a rough one back home. It could be sadness, similar to my experience. It could be panic at starting over somewhere completely new. It could be fear, anxiety, joy, excitement, but whatever it is, sit in that feeling for a little bit. Give yourself time to process your emotions as you come into this new chapter of life. Talk to a friend back home or one you make on campus. Call your parents. Speak to a campus counselor if you\u2019re really struggling to settle in. There are resources available to help with the college transition, so take advantage.
One way I take care of myself and restore some mental clarity when I\u2019m upset, homesick, or stressed is by working out. I run and weight lift, but also enjoy yoga occasionally. Like I mentioned earlier, there are a plethora of sports clubs ranging in competitiveness if organized sports are more your speed, but the individual training facilities on campus are also excellent. The Campus Recreation and Wellness Center is my favorite place to lift weights, but it also has a floor of cardio machines, many sports courts, a climbing wall, and a pool. If you\u2019re a runner or biker, there are lovely, paved trails all along the Iowa River. I use those almost daily. Lastly, most residence halls have a small fitness center if you need a quick workout or even a mat to do an at-home workout. One of my goals for the school year was to lift more weights and pack on some muscle, so I have been making frequent use of the athletic facilities here on campus.
Thanks for checking in with me. If you\u2019ve made it this far, leave a comment about how your school year has been going. While I highlighted some of my rougher patches, it has been an overwhelmingly positive experience this first month or so at the university. I simply wanted to reflect a little on what is hard right now and how I\u2019m trying to make it better. Stick with me the rest of the year to find out if I get my life together, and maybe, you\u2019ll pick up some useful tips and tricks, especially you incoming freshmen.
Again, thanks for reading, and I\u2019ll see you next time!
Kiah<3<\/p>\r\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
It has been just over a month since I began classes, and nobody is pulling any punches. Let\u2019s get into it. I\u2019ve been on the academic struggle bus basically the whole time I\u2019ve been here. My classes require a lot of reading, and as part of the Campus Symphony Orchestra, I am playing the hardest music I have ever played, so I must practice a lot. Beyond preparing for class, I also have homework. Duh. …<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":169,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-42","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.admissions.uiowa.edu\/kiah\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/42","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.admissions.uiowa.edu\/kiah\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.admissions.uiowa.edu\/kiah\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.admissions.uiowa.edu\/kiah\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/169"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.admissions.uiowa.edu\/kiah\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=42"}],"version-history":[{"count":7,"href":"https:\/\/blog.admissions.uiowa.edu\/kiah\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/42\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":56,"href":"https:\/\/blog.admissions.uiowa.edu\/kiah\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/42\/revisions\/56"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.admissions.uiowa.edu\/kiah\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=42"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.admissions.uiowa.edu\/kiah\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=42"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.admissions.uiowa.edu\/kiah\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=42"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
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