Coming to college, one of the things I was most afraid of was missing home. Since I was born and raised in Hawaii my whole life, I was scared that I would experience a total culture-shock and miss home to the point where it would be unbearable. Interestingly enough, my experience here at USC has been totally the opposite of what I had expected. I've been here for over a month, and I haven't experienced a single ounce of homesickness. In fact, I've enjoyed my time here so thoroughly that I almost enjoy living here more than Hawaii!
I think one major factor that contributes to my lack of homesickness is the fact that the people here are so friendly, diverse, and welcoming. So far, I haven't met anyone at USC that I haven't liked. Everyone here strikes me as intelligent, always has a friendly demeanor, and is so easy to just strike up a conversation with. I've made friends here really easily - in fact, it's far easier than high school. I believe a lot of it has to do with everyone is going through the same experience, and are generally more open to meeting new people and making new friends. In high school, or at least where I came from, it was totally the opposite- everyone already had set groups of friends, tight cliques, and didn't bother to mingle. The people here at USC have made all the difference for me.
Another reason I'm not homesick is that it's really easy to keep in touch with my friends and family through email, over the phone, or online using AIM or skype. It's not the same as being with people face to face, but in a way, your friends and family never leave you. They're always just a fingerstroke or phone call away.
The weather here at USC is also really manageable. I was afraid that the mainland would be really cold compared to Hawaii, but I've been able to adjust really well. I still put a jacket on when it gets into the 60s - the weather hardly ever does in Hawaii, that's why - but for the most part, I'm surviving and coping easily in jeans and a sweatshirt. Hopefully the weather doesn't get any colder than it does now, cause it's actually starting to get decently chilly!
The fact that there's just so much to do here at USC and in LA also makes my experience here so much fun so I don't even think about home and Hawaii all that much! It's so easy to take the metro/the bus to the Santa Monica pier, Hollywood, Westwood/UCLA, Little Tokyo, and downtown, which I've done so far. It's impossible to get bored here. Also, obviously we always have homework and assignments to do and that occupies a lot of time. Simply living with your friends and peers also keeps you busy - people are constantly walking in and out of your suite, stopping by to chat, and just hanging with you/going to eat meals with you. I love the college lifestyle.
In a nutshell, I don't miss home at all. Occasionally I think about how nice the weather probably is in Hawaii, or I wonder how my friends from home are doing. I also really miss the local food- Hawaii has REALLY DELICIOUS Asian food and all types of other foods as well. In the end, though, I don't feel like I really had to "transition" to USC- it was just so easy to start living here that I don't think I needed to adjust at all. I'm so glad that I chose USC and Southern California for school, and also grateful that I gave it a shot- USC was actually my third choice after UCLA and Berkeley, but turned into my first choice when I didn't get into the other two. It must have been a sign when I didn't get into those schools, because I love it here so much. :)
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