Many out-of-state students spent their Labor Day weekend at OU as they adjusted to life away from home.

“It was definitely hard seeing people going home this weekend,” said Trauvello Stevenson, a University College freshman from Washington, D.C. “The being alone part didn’t bother me, it was not getting to go home.”

Kymber Kincanon, a University College freshman from Holtville, Ala., said she hasn’t found it too difficult adjusting to life away from home because she feels happy here.

“I realize that I’m growing up and I need to define myself apart from the context of my family,” Kincanon said. “And if I was going home instead of experiencing life here, I’d be missing that opportunity.”

She said being away from home does force her to be on her own, but she said it also helps her to be more independent.

“It’s harder, I think, because you don’t have that safety net,” Kincanon said. “It‘s scary not knowing what will happen or if you’ll be able to take it.”

Kristin Weyand, a petroleum engineering junior from Georgia, said the thought of never getting to go home used to terrify her, but now she finds it exciting to meet so many people.

“Sometimes it can get frustrating because it feels like everyone is from Oklahoma and many of them will be going home on the weekends,” she said.

Weyand said it definitely helps to have a good phone plan to stay connected with family and friends from home, especially during those quiet days on the weekends when everyone is gone.

“Sometimes I get homesick, but I try to keep a good attitude about it because I chose to come out-of-state to get out of my comfort zone and be different from staying in state,” she said.

Weyand said coming out of state has been rewarding and she said she has developed an appetite to do this more, go to more places even when she doesn’t know anyone.

“Learning how to be familiar with things was a struggle,” said Samantha Fuller, elementary education sophomore from Diamond Bar, Calif. “And being totally out of my comfort zone.”

Fuller said she would advise any out of state student to get plugged in somewhere on campus.

“That way you can get to know people on campus so you can have people to hang out with on the weekends so you don’t feel so alone,” Fuller said. “And so it feels a little more comfortable.”

Bryan Ray, electrical engineering senior from Pennsylvania, said it took him a couple of weeks to adjust to being an out-of-state student.

“I found some people and started hanging out with them, so after the first couple of weeks it didn’t matter,” Ray said.

Ray advises all out-of-state freshmen to hang out with different people to find the group of friends you will enjoy hanging out with the most.