For incoming freshmen, transfer students or any returning students, college can be a time that induces feelings of homesickness. Being away from a familiar community can feel disorienting – but it can also be a time of putting down roots, growing and creating a new home. Many Eastern students feel right at home on campus. Some ways to make Eastern feel like home are to get involved in the student life, find jobs on campus or in the local community and participate in social activities.
One of the best ways to make Eastern a home is to become involved in the community. Vesa Pema, a junior math major, is involved in the theater department, the dance department and the math department. She is also involved with Refuge and the Engineering Club. “Join as many things as you can. I think the more involved you are, the more people you know, the more it feels like a home. If you just stay in your room the whole day and you’re not involved in anything except for your major, then you’re not making an effort to make you feel like you’re home,” Pema said.
Levi Weir, another junior math major, also emphasizes the willingness and participation required in making Eastern into a home. “I think if you put the effort in, it can become a home. By meeting people in the lobbies and going out to events, [then it will] become a home. But if not, then it’s just a temporary place for the next four years,” Weir said.
Oluwadamilola “Dami” Akinboro says becoming involved on campus is the key to rooting at Eastern. He is the president of the African-Caribbean Union (ACU), involved in the Pre-Health and Medical Club and is the treasurer of The Gathering, which aims to bring together various Christian clubs and ministries on campus. According to Akinboro, it is not just club involvement that creates roots at Eastern, but rather the regular interactions and small talk. “I would say the way to make Eastern a home is just by saying hi to people and talking to people. Just treating Eastern like it’s your own neighborhood,” Akinboro said.
One major advantage of Eastern over other schools is the small student body, which creates potential to foster strong relationships between professors and students. “Go to their office hours for advice on school work, but also just to get to know them. Most professors here are super chill, and because it’s such a small campus, they’re willing to get to know you personally as a student, which makes it feel more like a home,” Pema said.
A main obstacle for students trying to feel at home at Eastern is the overwhelming cost of textbooks, tuition, room and board – not to mention financing all those midnight Wawa runs. A great way to find jobs is to get on the platform Handshake, which advertises campus jobs. Popular campus jobs include working at the library, the mail center, the dining commons or the coffee shop on campus, Zime. Additionally, the Center for Career Development at Eastern has assembled a handy list of jobs in the neighborhood you can find here.
Akinboro has an on-campus job through Peer Coaching for students. “Peer coaching is basically just helping students, especially freshmen, get through academic stress and stuff. We don’t tutor them specifically with the classes, but we help give them advice on how to study, how to go through school and going through life as well,” Akinboro said.
Junior Joseph Walsh, who is an ARD, the Music Department Technology Assistant, is involved in several music ensembles and TAs, cautions against getting overly involved on campus or taking on too many responsibilities. “I think it can get easy when you’re really involved for Eastern to feel like a workplace. Kind of like you’re going to your job when you come to campus,” Walsh said.
A great way to take the stress off the busy campus life and rigorous academic load is having a little fun on or off campus. With countless niche study spots, a beautiful campus, walking distance from a Main Line town, and a short train ride from Philidelphia, there is no shortage of things to do for fun around Eastern. Walsh enjoys escaping campus to Valley Forge Park, a mere fifteen minutes from campus, and attending on-campus sports games that gather the community together. Weir likes going shopping with friends at King of Prussia Mall or playing card games on campus. The Philadelphia Museum of Art is also a popular destination for students and offers free admission for youth under 19.
In four years of education, Eastern can become an exciting walkable neighborhood of lifelong friends or simply a means to a degree. Getting involved on campus, finding jobs in the neighborhood, and unwinding on or off campus with friends is a great way to carve out a home. Ultimately, it is up to each student whether they choose to dive in or skim the surface.