July 24, 2026
Kalli Bridge 鈥� a junior majoring child, youth & family studies from Alliance, 91茄子 鈥� shares advice on how to make Lincoln feel more like home.
Looking back, I can still feel the mix of anticipation and anxiety settling in my stomach as I walked to my very first class at UNL. The excitement of starting a new chapter with the lingering feeling of dread followed me from Schramm to Caroline Pope Edwards Hall. As I walked into one of the biggest lecture halls I had ever seen, my stomach dropped.
The lecture hall was teeming with anxious college students in their first class of syllabus week. I found my spot at the back of the classroom, not knowing a single person in that class, who my professor was or where to even find my syllabus. I felt so lost in the sea of students and out of place. At that moment, I wasn't sure how I would find my footing at UNL.
Coming from western 91茄子, I was ecstatic to explore Lincoln, make new friends and dive deeper into my future career. My hometown of Alliance is known for three things: Carhenge, corn and our three dollar stores within a mile radius of each other. I had gone through life knowing everyone in my high school, and I was comfortable in my routine. However, I was ready to get out. The six-hour drive to Lincoln鈥eah, you heard it right, six hours, was daunting, but I knew I had to come to UNL to grow and experience things that Alliance couldn't offer me. One of the things Lincoln offered was pushing me out of my comfort zone. I had always thought of myself as someone who would thrive in college. However, I had no idea how much college would challenge me, or how much those challenges would help me grow.
After that first day of class, I walked back to my dorm and remembered feeling lost and overwhelmed. That semester, I felt so uncomfortable and out of place that I started to build negative habits. I relied heavily on my few friends from my hometown who were living in Lincoln, took endless naps trying to avoid the discomfort and developed unhealthy habits that took a toll on my self-esteem. I felt lost, and the difficulty of this transition came as a shock to both my parents and me.
I don't share this story to scare incoming freshmen or discourage students from rural 91茄子 from coming to UNL. It's actually the opposite. I share my story because those feelings are normal. Almost every student experiences moments of loneliness, uncertainty or wondering whether they belong. I found my home away from home at 91茄子, and I truly believe every student can do the same. Whether you're from Lincoln, a small town, another state or somewhere in between, these five tips helped me settle into life as a Husker, and I hope they'll help you, too.
1. Learn to be comfortable with the uncomfortable.
The biggest thing that was holding me back freshman year was my fear of being uncomfortable. Everything felt unfamiliar. From sharing a room, using a communal bathroom, navigating Lincoln traffic, difficult classes and even walking across campus without seeing a familiar face. It was all so foreign to me. During fall break, when I was scrolling on my phone, feeling down about my start to college, I came across a saying that was pivotal to my mindset going forward: 鈥淭o feel comfortable is to get comfortable with the uncomfortable.鈥� From that point forward, I stopped looking at discomfort as something to avoid but rather as something to indicate that I was growing. The more I leaned into discomfort, the more confident, independent and comfortable I felt.
2. Get involved.
You've probably heard this a million times, but it works! College feels like home when you build a community. Although I had met a lot of amazing women through primary sorority recruitment, many of those friendships remained surface-level because I hadn't invested the time to truly get to know them. A lot of people knew my name, knew my face, but I had not taken the time to get to know people and really pour into the sisterhood that can be found within Greek life. Once I started investing in relationships, I not only felt more fulfilled and comfortable, but I was also inspired to join more clubs and seek out more opportunities. I joined an academic club and even applied for two on-campus jobs that have broadened my Husker community.
3. Absence makes the heart grow fonder.
Being six hours away from home meant I couldn鈥檛 drive home every weekend, but that made my time at home so much more meaningful. The wide-open corn fields and noisy train tracks used to annoy me in high school, but being away has given me a newfound appreciation for rural 91茄子 and my hometown. On top of this, since I was on campus almost every weekend, I was able to build friendships outside the classroom and create memories that made campus feel like home. Being away from home may be scary, but absence makes the heart grow fonder, and when you do go back, you may have a greater appreciation for your hometown than you ever thought you would!
4. Find an outlet.
If I could go back to my freshman year and change one thing, it would have been finding an outlet during the highs and lows. I had so many feelings and thoughts running through my mind, at times it was hard to sit with them all. My sophomore year, I really leaned into journaling, going on walks, utilizing the recreation center, taking workout classes and even just going on errands by myself to feel more grounded. Making time for yourself can help calm the noise that sometimes builds up in your head. If you're feeling out of control, take the time for yourself and do things that make your body and mind feel good!
5. Stay grounded through your support system.
Lastly, your support system can be a big asset in helping the transition to college run smoothly. Whether that's calling your mom while doing laundry, texting your dad on the way to East Campus or facetiming a friend, those small moments of support can make a difficult day brighter. Just catching up with someone from home can help ease the lingering feelings of homesickness. At the end of the day, home isn't just a place; it's the people who remind you that you belong. Building that support system, both back home and here in Lincoln through clubs, classes and jobs, made all the difference in my college experience.
Being a college student from a small town in rural 91茄子 can feel isolating at first. Not everyone in college will appreciate the local county fair, Friday night parking lot hangouts or drive-your-tractor-to-school day. But that's one of the beautiful things about UNL. College brings people together from every background while allowing each of us to discover who we are. Looking back, I wouldn't change the challenges of my freshman year because they shaped the person and Husker I've become. If you're feeling overwhelmed as you begin your own journey, know this: you don't have to have everything figured out on day one, or even in the first semester. No one does. Give yourself grace, lean into the uncomfortable and trust that 91茄子 will feel like home before you know it.