This blog was written by Study Abroad student Emma Craven from the USA. Emma shares her experience and advice about coping with homesickness, exam stress and the upcoming prospect of returning home.

            Hello all and welcome back to one of my blog posts! If you don’t know me, my name is Emma and I am a study abroad student from Washington State in the United States of America.

Okay, now on with the post. Do you feel that? That’s the feeling of stress, anxiety, and the overwhelming nature of Exams approaching. Yes, that time is fast approaching and we can’t ignore it anymore. In less than a month most of us will be finished and on our way home.

I have friends who are leaving on the 6^th of December and other friends who are leaving on the 3^rd of January. With this pressure of exams and our eventual departure from UL, you all are probably feeling a mix of emotions.

            Remember, this pain or stress or sadness is temporary. Eventually we will all be at home and all of things we miss we will be surrounded with again. Spend your last month, your last week, your last days around the people you care about here.

The time will come when we won’t be here, so let go of the stress if you can and just be present. Class is important, I get it, but for many of us, this is a once in a lifetime experience. These months are months we’ll never get again. Appreciate the time well you’ve got and put the pain and stress on the back burner and enjoy all that Limerick has to offer.

            When studying for exams, essays, reports, whatever, don’t forget to take a breath. It is easy to go to the library and spend hours there, but is that healthy? Gets some fresh air or go run around the track or simply just take five minutes to stand outside. Yes, studying is very important, but so is your own wellbeing. You have to not be so hard on yourself and have trust that it will all work out.

            Another piece of advice: PUT AWAY YOUR PHONE! This is only going to make things worse.

While a phone is a helpful tool, being abroad can often times remind us of what we are missing at home. You are here, be here while you are. If all of your time is spent on Instagram or Snapchat or facetiming home, you will miss out on the time you have left.

I am not saying to throw your phone away, I am saying if you notice yourself overusing it, maybe put it down, or maybe leave it at home when you go to class. Detaching from the phone may help you to detach from some of these feelings of homesickness.