The semester is nearly half over, but some NIU students are still dealing with homesickness.

Brian Pillsbury, a psychologist at the NIU counseling and student development center, said the first few weeks are the most difficult for new students. He also said homesickness is a good example of what the center can help students with.

“A lot of people see the counseling center as only talking to people who have really serious issues. Something like this is a very normal issue, and talking to a counselor doesn’t mean you’re crazy,” Pillsbury said.

Trying to adjust to many new things can be problematic. Students have worries about getting along with a roommate or succeeding in their classes.

“There’s a real kind of conflict between hope for what might happen here and for fear about the unknown,” Pillsbury said.

The CSDC offers a presentation called “When Hope and Fear Collide,” which can help sort out hopes and fears of entering college life. Leaving behind an old lifestyle is a challenge for some.

“I missed mostly my family. I missed my friends, too, and my house and everything familiar to you,” said Amanda Hoetzer, a freshman undecided liberal arts and sciences major.

Cell phones and the Internet make it easy for students to keep in touch with family. But, when adjusting to college, it is important for some students to give time to their new lifestyle, too.

“My mom told me I wasn’t allowed to call home as much anymore, and she said I couldn’t come home as much,” Hoetzer said. To keep busy, Hoetzer spent a lot of time on homework.

Pillsbury said it is important to spend weekends here at NIU because going home every weekend is going to make adjustment more difficult.

“I would call my mom before class every day. I used to call home three to four times a day. Now I call once a day at night,” Hoetzer said.

Some students aren’t as homesick as others.

“I’m not really homesick. I talk to my family two or three times a week, which is just enough. They miss me,” said Fanchon Kelley, a freshman undecided liberal arts and sciences major.

Getting involved with NIU and embracing the campus community is important, Pillsbury said. Finding a purpose of being here may also help students appreciate campus more, he said.

“I’ve made friends and being in organizations keeps me busy,” Kelley said.

Being away at college is difficult for parents also. Pillsbury said students should understand it’s a time of adjustment for parents as well.

“If you have parents who expect you to communicate with them every day or go home every weekend, just sitting down with them and talking about what you need – making new friends, feeling like you’re a part of campus – is important,” Pillsbury said.