Difficulties associated with distance
I was excited to move out of my house and into residence during my first year. I’d packed my things, said goodbye to my friends, and I was just about to start my journey into whatever it is people call university-age-living. I was also lucky since I was on the same floor as a variety of people who were just as excited about living on-campus. As far as anyone I knew was concerned, residence was going to be awesome – it was going to be like a hotel, except doors would always be open and friends would always be available.
What I didn’t know was that just below my room was someone who was nowhere near as excited as I was. They weren’t looking forward to leaving home, they missed their friends, and their journey into university-age-living was more intimidating than exciting.
Experiencing none of the same excitement as their roommates or floormates, going through homesickness and loneliness, and wanting nothing more than to be somewhere familiar are reasons why not everyone looks forward to moving away from home. Especially difficult is the feeling of isolation that can creep up on a person when they’re in an unfamiliar environment surrounded by unfamiliar people doing unfamiliar things.
Despite enjoying his time, Aaron Awdhan is a fourth-year Human Kinetics student who experienced difficulty and unfamiliarity with his first year.
“I had an amazing experience when I first came to the University, although I was fairly scared initially because I had just met my roommate for the first time, knew nobody, and was overwhelmed by all the people moving in and overwhelmed by the events happening on campus,” explained Awdhan.
Shelby Cady is a third-year Zoology student who experienced a similar difficulty in getting acclimated to the new university environment during her first year. Hailing from Missouri, Shelby was a significant distance away from her family and her home.
“The hardest thing is that having your family be a 12 hour ride away makes it impossible to go home for a weekend while everyone else is [visiting their family],” explained Cady. “I can’t go home and have my mom cook me dinner or play with my pets to relax.”
Living away from home is a difficult and daunting experience, but students should always remember that they are not alone. Every incoming student shares a certain amount of apprehension and excitement, even if they don’t show it. More importantly, there are a countless number of resources available to students during any period of anxiety.
Raithby House is the home of the Student Support Network at the University of Guelph. They specialize in helping students not only acclimate to new experiences, but also deal with stress, moments of crisis, fear, and apprehension. Furthermore, there are after hours resources like Crisis Line and Good2Talk that always have operators present to talk to students.
For students living on-campus, Residence Advisors (RA’s) and Cluster Leaders are always a good option. RA’s and Cluster Leaders are current students who have experience and training to help with confusing emotions, difficult roommates, incredible course loads, and general mental wellness.
Daunting as it might be, the best way to get acclimated to the university setting is by getting involved. Orientation Week is a time for new students to meet one another and learn more about themselves and each other.
“[Orientation] Week is definitely one of the most social times [students] will have during university, because [they] meet lots of people, and everyone is so friendly,” explained Awdhan. “[Students] generally feel the same way [as each other] and there are so many events to meet people who have similar interests.”
However, another great way to deal with the stress of moving away is by engaging in volunteering activities.
“[Student Volunteer Connections at Raithby House] helps people who feel alone by helping them put down roots in the Guelph community both on and off campus,” explained Kelsey Taylor, Director of Student Volunteer Connections. “Volunteering off-campus is a great way to get to know the culture of the city, make friends outside of the campus bubble, and find a support network for those days when you are feeling homesick.”
It’s difficult getting used to the university environment, but there are always options available to people who feel down or out of place. The simple truth is, regardless of our many differences, we’re united by the University of Guelph.