For any TALK student studying abroad, homesickness is often a painful reality. Homesickness affects many students and results in them being unable to concentrate on their studies and to make the most of their study abroad experience. For those who are struggling with homesickness, here are some tips on how to deal with this and to be able to enjoy this special time in your life.

1. Routine: When traveling, it can be hard to have consistency  and routine in your life. You may find you feel life is unpredictable, inconsistent, and unstable. To help ease that homesickness, it is a good idea to establish a routine as soon as possible.  This will give you a sense of security and well-being. Maybe begin with a good breakfast and follow up later in the day with a scheduled exercise regime.  Once you get into a routine, involved and in control of your days activities, you will find your homesickness starts to fade.
2. Be Active: If you’re homesick, you possibly find it comforting to stay stuck in your apartment a lot of the time. This only serves to feed your feelings of sadness, however. Rather, get out and exercise or just be engaged in some way that is outside of yourself and your room. When you are physically or even mentally active, you release endorphins, and endorphins make you happy! Go for a walk in the park, read a book by the beach, or explore new neighborhoods.
3. Meet People: Another great way of overcoming homesickness is by meeting new people. This can be someone in your class, a local person who you have met, or someone who comes from the same country as you. Socializing is a great way of coming out of your shell, and can really help to reduce your homesickness.
4. Skype: With technology today, it is easy to make international calls with friends and family by using programs such as Skype. Schedule in time when you can talk to your family on a weekly or bi-weekly basis.
5. Remind yourself why you are Traveling: When studying aboard, and if your home sickness becomes overwhelming, try to remember why you are doing what you are doing and how much you are going to accomplish. Be positive about your adventure and learn that is okay, in fact, fantastic, to be doing what you are doing.