<p>So I just finished my freshman year of college. I go to school out of state, around a thousand miles away from home. I just started summer classes at my college, and lately I have been feeling really depressed, sad, and lonely. My freshman year, I was able to become friends with my roommate and 8-10 kids on my floor. My freshman year, since my friends lived on my floor, I was able to constantly hang out with them. I made few friends outside of my floor, because at that point in time I didnt need to make new friends (I had people to constantly hang out with).</p>
<p>I started summer classes today at my college. NONE of my good friends are coming back to college to take classes over the summer. The summer session lasts for 6 weeks. I am living in an apartment style suite for my summer session (not the dorm that I lived in freshman year). I DONT KNOW ANYONE HERE RIGHT NOW. I have 3 other roommates, and we were each assigned our own bedroom. My roommates seemed like cool kids, but they were always too busy hanging out with their own friends. I dont know anyone here, and my family is 1000 miles away. I am feeling really sad and depressed, and I have nothing to do.</p>
<p>Assuming you’re a Vandy student, there should be plenty for you to do in/around campus. Nashville’s a vibrant city and I know we as students don’t usually have time to see all of it’s touristy attractions–go to them! Enjoy yourself. And if you’re looking for a way to meet other people on campus, see if anyone is still volunteering for flood relief; that way you’re actively doing something to combat your boredom AND meeting potential new friends.</p>
<p>I feel that if I have a support system in place, I will do better in school, because I will be able to focus on my schoolwork more, rather than worrying about being alone for 40 days.</p>
<p>At least with being a commuter student, your support system can be your family. Living 1000 miles away for 8 months, you can’t really rely on family as a support system. However, if you lived like 1.5 hours away, you can still go home for the weekends and stuff.</p>
<p>True, but if your parents don’t really offer much emotional support beyond the simple words, “Just deal with it”, then such a support system isn’t really worth much either.</p>
<p>My parents just hand me meals, give me a free bed, and expect that I know what to do. And I do. I earn good grades, but damn, the loneliness gets to me too.</p>
<p>But I am sure that your parents are probably better in that department than mine are. </p>
<p>Sometimes, I am glad I didn’t go out of state, other times, I wish I did. I guess you can’t have it both ways, eh?</p>
<p>Anyways, your summer term will be over soon, then you can catch up with your family.</p>
<p>My 3 other roommates are either doing their own thing, or are cooped up in their rooms. They did offer to take me to some stores if I needed to get something, but I had classes when they all went. =(</p>
<p>I am really worried about next year as well, because my good friends are all living off campus and I am still living on campus, which means that I will rarely if ever see them. I am just sad that next year I will be in a similar situation as the one I am in right now.</p>
<p>Freshman year my buddies all lived on the same floor, and it was really convient. Sophmore year I lived in the house, the guys lived in their houses, and my friends lived in suites. Even though we all lived in different places, we saw each other every weekend. Most of my friends are living off campus next year, as am I, in a one mile radius, while others are living in suites or in greek housing. If you want to see your friends, you’ll find time to see them. I haven’t stayed over the summer but at my school a lot of people stay for the summer and everyone gets really close. People are laid back and it’s not weird to ask your roommates to chill. They might have been in your situation before. I don’t think it’s weird if someone I lived with ask to hang out, even if we weren’t really close. Summer is chill and people are looking to have fun, try suggesting a group outing or something like that. Maybe go downtown for the night, go to some bars (18 and over places if you aren’t 21), movies, hiking, outdoors stuff, camping, bonfires, fireworks, concerts, pickup sports, rock band, going out to eat. Just throw out a couple ideas and they’ll probably say yes and start asking you if you want to hang out. Look at it as an opportunity to expand your group of friends. Everyone is looking for extra company in the summer because there aren’t too many people who stay. Most of my friends are only staying with a few friends, and are open to meeting new people.</p>
<p>^^^ What do you do the rest of the week when you don’t see your friends? I can’t imagine not having ppl to chill with a couple of hours a day during the week. Actually I can imagine it, because it is what I am going through right now. I just can’t imagine doing that for an entire year.</p>
<p>First of all, Vandy, RELAX! Don’t worry about the entire year. Just concentrate on getting through the summer. </p>
<p>I took some non-major courses the summer after my freshman year and I felt the same way you do now. I got through it by forcing myself to try some new and different activities, such as Tiff90 mentioned above. It wasn’t long before I met some new people and tried new things that I might not have even considered doing under normal circumstances. Pretty soon, I forgot how lonely I was. </p>
<p>You just have to pick yourself up and get yourself out there. It’s tough at first, but believe me…it get’s a lot easier the more you do it. </p>
<p>For now, just take one day at a time and hang in there. By the way, I’m taking summer classes this year as well and it’s so much easier this time around. </p>