Wednesday, November 18, 1998
I miss my Mommy!
STUDENTS: Moving away from home for the first time
can cause a lot of stress for students, but
Student Psychological Services is there to help
By Michelle Navarro
Daily Bruin Senior Staff
Now that the last remnants of midterms are dropping off and the
scent of finals is starting to waft in from the lecture halls, a
few illnesses among students are starting to pop up.
To combat the flu, the Arthur Ashe Center offered free
vaccinations. But unfortunately for some first-year students, there
isn’t a vaccination available for what’s been spreading around the
dorms: homesickness.
With all the welcome barbecues, meetings and boxes full of free
samples that first-year students were hailed with at the beginning
of the year, it still wasn’t enough to ease their transition from
life at home to life on campus.
Not only did freshmen have to say goodbye to family and the
comforts of home, but they also had to jump right into the whiplash
of the quarter system, cope with living with strangers and attend
lecture halls big enough to fit their entire high school senior
class.
No amount of barbecue chicken can prepare anyone for that.
"They come in (to SPS) because of the transition from being in
high school to being in college," said Hal Pruett, Director of the
Student Psychological Services on campus, "They’re dealing with a
lot of changes. It’s hard to know how much of that is homesickness.
For one thing, it’s a big change from having your own room to a
multiple-living situation."
It’s enough to make anyone miss lying on a couch with full
control of the remote, having privacy in the bathroom or even
getting a hug from a loved one.
"It’s the difference in environment," said Nora Huerta, a
first-year computer science and engineering student. "At home, my
family was very huggable. When you’re used to that contact every
day, you get kind of an empty feeling when you come back to the
dorms."
Huerta, who lives three hours north of Los Angeles, said she
gets homesick every week and copes by putting pictures all over her
wall, calling home and talking to newfound friends.
Pruett mentioned making new friends as a way to help deal with
the change in lifestyle.
But where does one start at a school as large as this? After
all, UCLA is where nobody knows your name.
Just by watching the vast flood of faces flowing down Bruin Walk
in the morning, it’s easy to see how one could get lost in the
shuffle, especially a first-year student.
"We usually suggest that students develop a support system,"
Pruett explained, "whether it be their roommates, new friends, TAs,
professors, or clubs and groups on campus."
Joining a club or organization can be a good way to meet other
students with similar interests, but on the flip side it may be
time-consuming  something freshmen might not want to add to
their pile of pressures.
"I haven’t really had the time, with all the stress from the
quarter and everything," Huerta said, "but I was planning to (get
involved) during second quarter, once I got used to
everything."
The time it takes for students to adjust to college life depends
on the individual. However, there is a trend as to when most come
to seek help  usually about five to six weeks into the
quarter.
"It’s hard to know if that is related to midterms or exams,"
said Pruett. "Probably what happens is when students first enter
the university it’s kind of exciting for them, but once they get
used to it they start missing home."
The difference between high school and college is of such major
proportions that it isn’t surprising that many students take a
while to switch gears. What is puzzling is that not enough prepping
is done by high school counselors beforehand.
"If counselors prepared them for these changes, it would help,"
Pruett said. "The academic environment is very different. In high
school there is someone who makes sure you are in class. At a
university, people don’t know if you are in class or not. The
responsibility falls on the student more than in high school."
For most students, the problems eventually work themselves out
over time, but Pruett said there is a small percentage that decide
they can’t handle it and drop out.
If students ever find themselves in that serious of a
predicament, perhaps it would be wise to seek counseling before
making any major decisions. Pruett said the Student Psychological
Services has been able to intervene with students who were planning
to drop out.
Pruett emphasized that the solution to such problems may be
different for everyone. One first-year student who found trouble
adjusting to the living arrangements agreed.
"Some adjust better than others," said Ashwinii Hari, a biology
and psychology student, "But you make such good friends that you
never have trouble.
Mark Davidovizh didn’t have trouble making the transition.
"I love it here," the first-year undeclared student said,
lounging by Puzzles and smoking a cigarette. "You have the freedom
to do whatever you want without having to ask someone."
Eventually, freshmen will get into the groove of eating Panda
Express and making 20-minute hikes to class. It just takes time and
the will to stick it out.
There is also no need to do it alone since counselors, friends
and other freshman going through the same transition are in
abundance.
"I’ll get used to it," Huerta concluded, "once I get friends who
I’m close to like the ones I’m close with back home."
For help and counseling, contact the Student Psychological
Services at (310) 825-7985.
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