In order to maintain the essence of Heart of the Matter, the students who share their hearts with us will remain anonymous.
Fall is finally here at Villanova, and we are already a month into this semester. The rush of seeing friends again, moving into new dorms and seeing all the changes made to campus has long since worn off, replaced by the familiar routine of classes and activities that fill our days.
It’s not uncommon, then, for this to be a prime time for homesickness to spread.
A given for most people when going to college is that they will be moving away from home. Whether it’s a 40-minute drive or a six-plus hour flight, Villanovans come to campus from all over to begin their college lives. However, students leave a lot behind when they move into their dorms and wave away their parents’ cars.’
“I miss my mom and grandmom’s home-cooked meals,” one student said.
Despite all the improvements, sometimes on-campus dining just isn’t enough to replace comfort. Many students brought up food when talking about their hometowns, and I have to agree that it’s one of the first things I miss. Every time my parents send me pictures of meals they’re having back at home, it reminds me of the distance between us and leaves me counting the days until the next break.
Some students had more location-specific laments, discussing things about their hometown that are just not a part of the suburban Pennsylvania geography.
“I grew up just a 10-minute drive from Lake Michigan,” a student said. “So, whenever, it’s sunny or if I’m having a bad day, I would drive by the lake or sit on the beach to reset. I honestly sometimes feel landlocked here, and I miss being by water.”
On the best and the worst days there is nothing quite like being at home in all your favorite places.
A student from Wisconsin says all the things she misses seem that much further away. At a school where so many people are from just a state over, that distance is very much felt.
“Since being at Villanova, not a lot of people I know have had cheese curds, which is a staple for me,” this student said. “I would love to take them to a local cheese shop up the road from my house or to Culver’s.”
Hometown shops and chains come up frequently when you ask college students about what they would want to show their Villanova friends. It’s easy to forget sometimes that the people we spend 24/7 with here didn’t grow up going to all the same places we did.
“I’d love to show my college friends all of my favorite restaurants around my neighborhood,” another student said.
Meshing a home life and college life together can be fun, giving everyone a chance to learn more about their friends.
“I’m from New York City, so the thing I miss most is being able to walk everywhere,” another Villanovan added.
As a fellow NYC-native, I would have to say the same. The freedom of the big city is difficult to give up when coming back to school, even in exchange for all the other freedoms college offers.
Thankfully, in our digital age, home doesn’t have to always be as far away as it feels. When asked what the first thing they do when homesick is, most students say they pick up the phone and call a parent, a sibling or a best friend. However, while, hometowns might be amazing, but they are not the only thing that makes up a home.
