No one is immune to it. It hits people at certain stages — sometimes all at once, sometimes gradually. But when it hits, it hits hard and you find yourself dumbstruck, reminiscing about the white sand beaches and clear blue skies you left behind in the quest for a higher learning. Yes, to be homesick can be quite rough.

There are some of you who are scoffing at me this very moment as you read this, thinking to yourself, ‘Ba! Homesickness is for the weak, the Mama’s boys and the Daddy’s girls’. Well, you’re wrong.

And for the rest of you that know exactly what I’m talking about, you are not alone in your feelings. For me, it took about two months into the first semester for the real nostalgia to set in.

To be homesick is a very dangerous thing, and if you’re not careful, it can consume you. It started as a flashback of something funny that happened with my friends that past summer. And as I went to bed that night, that memory rested on my mind.

It wasn’t long until I began to resent my surroundings, frustrated by the fact that I had to be at school, which was the last place I wanted to be. Winter break was still two months away. So what could I do? Tough cookies. I had to cope. And cope I did. I learned how to deal with the feelings I had, though I could not quite cure them. So, now in my second year, I know how to deal with this long, cold winter without feeling sad when I look looking out the window and not see palm trees and the sea.

I learnt that it is important to keep busy. Rest is important, but too much unstructured time can be detrimental.

Commit to your schoolwork. But also join campus organisations and clubs, or even a sport. Don’t be afraid to make new friends and spend time with them. While it is important to maintain the friendships of those back home (Facebook® now has a purpose!), you have to reach out to those in your school community. Start with your roommate if you have one.

Get out of your dorm room, go to the movies, hang out around town (safely, of course) and have fun. I cannot stress that enough.

Keep your mind fully engaged so that it doesn’t have time to dwell on negative things. After all, how we deal with these ‘negatives’ shapes the rest of our lives. It’s important to use time wisely. There is no greater harm than time wasted, isn’t that how the saying goes?

It is certainly not easy to be away from home for months at a time, no matter how close you may be; whether it’s in Cuba or Canada. At times the longing can grip your heart in a way that you never imagined. But I had to remember that there is a reason that I am in this place, at this prestigious university.

So many others wanted the opportunity that I have and it would be foolish of me to waste it. My father constantly reminds me that success can only be achieved through focus and complete dedication, and I intend to honour my promise to see this through just as I hope that you do. It’s important to keep your goals in the forefront of your mind so that while your tasks ahead may daunt you, you persevere and strive for the very best.