Most international students experience homesickness. It is normal.

Okay, so how can you live with that? How can you make it easier? Think about this: What is your home? Is it the love of your family and friends? The look of familiar surroundings? Your own room? If it is, how can you not be homesick? You must be homesick. You cannot stop it, but remember you are very lucky. Think about the people who are not homesick. Don't they have family? Don't they have friends in their own country? If they are not homesick, maybe they don't have anyone to miss, (or miss them). That is a sadness which is much worse than homesickness. Remember that you're very lucky to be homesick. Telephone your family; tell them that they are wonderful! E-mail your friends; tell them that you are lucky to be their friend. You will feel good.

Since you cannot stop it, you need to make it easier. If you are too homesick or too lonely, you cannot study well. That would be bad, because you waste your money, (or your family's money).

So, you have to make your homesickness easier, then you can study well, and you will not waste your time or money. How to do that? First, you need to stand up and be strong! Remember why you are there, and for how long. Most likely, you are there to make things better for you and the people you care about. Your time away from home, is probably not forever. Remember that! It will help you. Remember too, that when you leave Canada, you will be sad to leave your new friends.

You need more than advice to help make your homesickness easier. Many students at the English Language Training College (ELTC) join clubs or various volunteer activities. This is very helpful, because it gives you the chance to talk with many different people. Some ELTC student pictures are at http://www.ELTC.com/pictures.html

A fun thing to do is to cook a traditional meal and invite some friends to your house. When you invite your friends tell them that they can each bring a friend. If you invite five of your friends and they bring five of their friends, then you meet find new friends. Five new friends plus your five auld friends, means you have ten friends! You are very lucky! Telephone your family! Tell them you're very lucky to have such good family and friends!

Borrow some movies or videos, of your country, from the library. In Edmonton, you can borrow them for free from the Edmonton Public Library. Watch them with your friends! Usually you can have subtitles on your television, and then you can enjoy watching them with all your friends.

Buy some vitamins! Maybe this sounds silly to you, but it is very important! The vitamins that you want to buy are called 'multivitamins'. You are not at home with your mother; you are not eating properly! Since you are not eating properly, you can get 'rundown', and you can't think properly. Good vitamin pills are expensive in Canada, but don't worry. You do not need to take one every day. If you take one every three or four days, it is not expensive, and it will help your thinking and your health. Telephone your family. Tell them that you are 'looking after yourself' well. Tell your mother that you are okay, and you miss her cooking!

Enjoy your new friends, e-mail your old friends, and telephone your family! You will be okay! I promise.