By Hannah Parker, BA (Hons) Business and Enterprise Management, 2nd year
I know first-hand how hard homesickness is. I moved from Surrey to Sheffield and it was a hard move! So here are my top tips to deal with it & settle in nicely:
1. Don’t go home for at least 6 weeks
A lot of people get the bug and want to go home at weekends just to keep the homesickness at bay, but this does the total opposite! As soon as you get back to uni after the weekend home, you will feel 100x worse! It takes about 6 weeks to fully settle in and only after that do I suggest going home for a weekend (and not every weekend! Just the odd one or else there’s no point being at uni!!!)
2. Make your uni room feel like home
If you decorate your room and make it cosy and homely (I like to use photos and fairy lights), you’ll feel so much better. Giving it that homely feel will just make it feel like you’ve gone from one home to the next!
3. Don’t lock yourself in your room
Get up and go into the kitchen, the common room or even the washing room! Chat to people and it will really help. You’ll all be going through the same experience and feelings, and it really helps to talk about it with each other.
4. Get out and about!
Go out and explore the new place you’ve moved to! You have so much free time at university so why not go out and get to know the place! Do some shopping, go for some lunch or just have a wander about! Get out into the fresh air!
5. Get involved with the Student’s union
The Student’s Union have got lots of online social events, sporting activities and societies to join so have a look at what they have to offer and sign up! Its a great way to make new friends, learn something new or get back into doing something you already love.
These tips really helped me, and I hope they have helped you settle those homesickness blues!
If you are struggling and would like some support, please contact the Hallam Help team who will be able to signpost you to your Student Support, Academic or Employability Adviser and/or the Student Wellbeing team who are all here to help you through your student journey at Hallam.
