Ask Catherine: Homesickness and Hose

by Catherine Arjet

opinions editor

Hi Everyone! Welcome back to “Ask Catherine,” where I answer any questions you might have for me. This week I’m talking about how to deal with homesickness and dressing professionally. Remember, if you want my advice, opinion, or thoughts on anything, you can always ask here.

 

Q: I’ve really been missing home lately. I know most freshmen felt homesick at the beginning of the year but since I got back from break I’ve really been missing my family and friends from home. Do you have any advice on how to deal with this?

A: First of all, there’s nothing wrong with getting homesick later than your classmates. A lot of people get so wrapped up in new friends and experiences their first year that they don’t even think about home at all, and it isn’t until second semester when things are really settled that you start feeling homesick. I recommend a few things. First of all, make sure you have a good support network here (I know, easier said than done). Most of the time, if you weren’t homesick first semester, it’s because you were having so much fun with your new friends, so have fun with them! It might take your mind off it for a few hours. Secondly, don’t be afraid to call your friends from home and tell them you miss them. I know sometimes your first year of college can seem like a giant competition between you and your high school friends to see who can have the most fun at college, so it can be scary to tell them that you miss them or even that things are less than 100 percent great all the time. Especially when they’re posting on every social media platform about how much fun they’re having with their new friends. But if they really are your friends, they’ll be there for you. And they probably miss you too.

 

Q: My mom always told me I should ALWAYS wear panty hose when I’m trying to look professional, but most of the women I see who do look professional don’t have any. I’ve got a job interview in a week and I don’t know if I should wear it!! Help! Is it a must or is my mom just old fashioned?

A: Just from personal experience, I’ve never worn panty hose to an interview and I’ve been fine. However to check on that, I scoured the web (okay, I Googled “what to wear to a job interview”) and found that depends on what you’re applying for with only the most formal and conservative places requiring panty hose. So if your interview is with a law firm in a small town, I’d go with neutral colored panty hose, at least for the interview, but if you’re applying for Wendy’s, a summer camp, or even a trendy boutique, I’d skip it. If you’re really not sure, you can always ask the interviewer what’s appropriate to wear. Alternatively, you could just avoid the whole issue and wear a pants suit.

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