When first moving away from home to Uni lots of students experience homesickness as you’re thrown into an unfamiliar environment away from your friends and family.
In fact, research has shown that 50-70% of UK students suffer from culture shock and homesickness to some extent within their first two or three weeks. This can often be even worse for international students who might be experiencing a big culture shock moving from one country to another.
Lots of things can trigger homesickness, you might feel that your expectations of University are different from the reality, you might be feeling overwhelmed by what’s expected of you academically, or it might just be because you’re geographically a long way from home.
But there are lots of ways you can ease your stress to feel more content in your first few weeks of Uni.
1. A phone call
It sounds obvious but if you’re missing home why not just give your friends or family a ring? You can let them know how you’re doing as well as catch up with what’s been happening at home. However it’s important not to become too reliant upon phone calls or visits home as it may just prolong the time it takes you to settle in or prevent you from adjusting to University life.
2. Don’t stop yourself thinking about home
The majority of people miss home, but the worst thing you can do is not allow yourself to acknowledge it. It’s fine to look at old photos or talk about old times with a friend, just as long as you don’t keep it bottled up for it to come out at the worst time like in the middle of an exam or when something important is expected of you, you should be fine.
3. Don’t let homesickness stop you from enjoying yourself
You don’t want to become so bogged down with missing home that you forget about having fun! If you’re feeling that you’re dwelling on thoughts about home too much you might find that throwing yourself into an unfamiliar environment will help take your mind off things. Try looking at the clubs and societies you can join, exploring the local area or experimenting with your room to get it just the way you like it.
4. Talk to someone
If you’re worries are stemming from insecurities you might have about your chosen course you can try talking to your academic tutor for reassurance. They’ll be able to reassure you about what is realistically expected of you academically and should put your mind at rest if you’re feeling overwhelmed by the content of your course or the volume of work that is expected of you. Plenty of people have been to them with the same problem so it’s worth seeking their advice to see what they say.
5. If you’re still not settled…
If you feel like you’ve tried everything and are still feeling insecure at Uni it’s important not to make any rash decisions. Questioning whether you’ve done the right thing going to Uni or chosen the right course or University for you is something that runs through everyone’s mind. Try student support for what should be unbiased advice as for a few students re thinking your decision ends in a happier result.