6 Ways to Deal With Homesickness at University

No matter how excited you may be for university, there’s nothing to prepare you for the scary move into student accommodation.

If you’re a home-bird, there’s a high chance you’ll get homesick from time to time – but that’s normal. Approximately 70% of Freshers feel homesick within their first few weeks of starting university, so you aren’t alone. Yet, over half of students find living away easier than expected.

Here are 6 tips to help you with the transition.

Venture out

Instead of sitting in your room alone, force yourself to explore the campus and meet other students. Remember – they’re all in the same boat as you, so don’t hide yourself away. A key part of feeling homesick is down to feeling uncomfortable with the unfamiliar. As soon as you familiarise yourself with your new surroundings, you should settle in quite quickly.

Phone home – but not too often

You’ll want to phone home constantly, but try and stop yourself from picking up the phone too regularly. Keep in contact by making short phone calls and texts. Long, drawn out calls could make the whole transition worse to begin with. Your loved ones will want you to make the most of your new experience, so aim to make them proud by sticking it out.

Keep expectations realistic

If you’re a wild child, don’t expect university to be one big party. The first few weeks of Freshers offer a range of activities to settle students in, but this period will soon be compromised by heavy workloads. Whilst these quiet times may stimulate homesickness, understand you’re at university to gain an education and further your chances of achieving your dream career.

Ask for help

If you’re ever in need of advice, always ask for help. Jumping from college to university can be a major adjustment and learning how to cope can be tricky. If you’re struggling to get to grips with any aspect of your course, accommodation or financial matters, there will always be someone to talk to.  Worrying about big problems may lead to homesickness, so try and find someone on campus who can give you the right advice.

Stay active

Although you may not feel like exercising, staying active can really help with homesickness. Exercise has been proven to reduce the rates of anxiety and depression, so instead of crying into your pillow, get out and take a jog, or join the university gym. Exercising will make you feel much more positive about life and should take your mind off negative thoughts. University gyms are far cheaper than public gyms, so you should be able to afford the monthly payments.

Things will get better

If you’re still struggling to cope with homesickness, remember there are others who are feeling exactly the same. It’s easy to grab the phone and ask your parents to pick you up, but try not to give into temptation too prematurely. After a short while, you should begin to settle in. Give it a month or so and see how you’re coping with university living – good luck!

Inspiring Interns is a graduate recruitment agency which specialises in sourcing candidates for internships and giving out graduate careers advice. To hire graduates or browse graduate jobs, visit their website.