No matter how excited you are to start university, it’s natural to feel a bit homesick sometimes. If you’re suffering from homesickness, just remember you’re definitely not the only one. We’ve got some great tips on how to get through it.
Don’t give yourself a hard time
This is perhaps the most important message of all. Feeling homesick isn’t a weakness, nor is it something to beat yourself up about. Missing home is something that affects most students – you’ll only make the situation worse if you think of it as something you should feel guilty about.
Don’t spend too much time in your room
It might be tempting to treat your room as your own little safe haven, but staying in too much will only serve to make you feel worse. Isolating yourself will make your feelings more intense, as you’ll spend even more time thinking about what you miss from home. Try to keep yourself busy by organising day trips, studying at the library rather than in your room, getting a part time job or even trying out some extracurricular activities.
Keep your expectations realistic
One of the biggest myths about university is that every day is a wild party, where you’ll enjoy minimal responsibilities and get drunk most nights of the week. It’s easy to look at everyone else’s Instagram and Snapchat stories and think you’re not having as good of a time as they are, or that you’re doing something wrong. But don’t forget that social media just shows a superficial snapshot of what people’s lives are actually like. Try not to compare your uni experience to others, and don’t expect every single day to be the best one of your life.
Bring home comforts
Whether it’s your favourite teddy bear or a rag of a blanket, we all have objects that cheer us up when we’re not feeling our best. Whatever your comfort things are, make sure you bring them to university with you. This is particularly important if you’re studying abroad or on a gap year, as home comforts can massively help with feelings of homesickness while travelling.
Improve your accommodation
When you first move out from your parent’s house, it feels new and exciting but after a few weeks the reality kicks in – you start feeling homesick. Here are a few tips to improve your university accommodation that help make your student place less dull and more cosy like your home.
Stay positive
Of course, this can be a lot easier said than done. But making a concerted effort to carry a positive attitude around with you will help you to combat homesickness in a major way. Plan things into your day that you enjoy doing and can look forward to, whether it’s socialising with friends or a nice hot bath and an episode of Bake Off. Staying positive also makes you a pleasure to be around, so you’ll probably find it much easier to make new friends (which also helps to keep homesickness at bay). That said, if you are struggling, don’t feel as though you can’t tell people you’re unhappy. Friends and professional organisations are always on hand to help.
Ask for help
The jump from school to university can be tough to get your head around at first, and there’s no shame in asking for help. If you’re having any issues with your course (or anything else for that matter) don’t suffer in silence. If you’re feeling homesick, worrying about your studies or your finances will only make things worse, so take steps to sort any issues out or get support as soon as they arise. As well as approaching your lecturers directly, you’ll also find that universities have counselling services available too – use them, that’s what they’re there for!
Explore your surroundings
One of the main reasons we feel homesick is often to do with being in unfamiliar surroundings, so it’s a great idea to set aside some time to explore your uni town or city so you’ll feel more at home. In fact, not getting to know their uni city better is one of the biggest regrets students cite when they graduate. Go for walks, do some sightseeing, volunteer with the local community or just get to grips with what’s available on your uni campus. You’re only around for a few years, so now’s the time to make the most of it.
Keep in touch
Whether it’s a phone call, a WhatsApp group chat or a letter in the post, keeping in touch with your friends and family helps to close that gap and make you feel more involved with things back home. However, keeping in touch too much can actually make you feel the distance more. The trick is to not let it get to the stage where you’re communicating with people back home more than you are with people at uni. Remember, your friends and family will still be waiting for you back home during the holidays, so try to focus on the here and now at uni. You can go back and visit any time, but try not to go too close to the start of term, as it could make your homesickness worse.
Keep healthy
Keeping healthy will keep you feeling much more positive about life. University life can be a lot of fun but it can also be hard work and it’s important that you look after your physical and mental health so you can make the most of your time. Here are some simple steps you can take to make sure you’re leading a balanced and healthy lifestyle.
Make most of student life
Although you go to campus to learn, it is also beneficial to get involved in one or more communities on campus. Participating in student organisations and campus events can be a great way to get to know your school, make friends, build a professional network and have some fun along the way. You can read our suggestions how to make most of student life which will also help you to get through homesickness.