For most of us when we first go to university, it’s our first time away from home, which can be pretty overwhelming. The first thing you’ll quickly realise is that everyone is in the same boat, so you can be sure you won’t be the only one feeling like this. It’s a big transition going from your life of safety and security back at home, to a whole new place, maybe in a new city.

Just remember these are some of the most fun years of your life! One of the totally normal feelings you’re likely to experience is homesickness. It is completely normal to miss your home! To help you deal with the sadness, we put together some ways to help you deal with homesickness at uni.

Just because you’ve moved away doesn’t mean you have to forget about everyone back home. Keeping in touch with your parents or your friends from home will keep away those lonely feelings, giving you comfort when you might need it most. It’s great to have your close circle back at home to keep in touch with, but try to embrace independence. Push yourself out of your comfort zone and socialise with the new people around you, and build new friends away from home. As we said, everyone’s in the same boat, and you’ll likely make friends for life in your new home. 

Throw yourself into uni life. It’ll be worth it. You’ll find yourself being super busy, making a new little life for yourself. With everything going on, you won’t miss home as much as you think you will. Socialise with your

and friends, sign up to new societies, and

. Make the most out of your

,

, and you’ll feel settled in no time at all, leaving those sad homesick feelings behind!

Turning your new place into a home away from home will help you feel so much more settled in, and make you feel like you belong, keeping your homesickness away. Take some home comforts with you when you move to uni, whether that’s your fav teddy, blanket, photos to put up on the walls. It can be literally anything to remind you a little bit of home, and make your new dorm room so much more homely. Check out

to make sure you don’t forget what you need to settle in.

If you’re feeling a bit down, exercise really does help lift your mood. Even if it’s just once a week, you’ll immediately feel better and more energised. Exercise releases endorphins in your body, which makes you immediately feel happy! Even better, go on a run or

with a couple of friends, so you’re not spending too much time by yourself. It’s also a great way to combat any stress you are feeling with the new workload, and as time goes on, fights off the struggles of deadlines throughout the term.

For those who are struggling with things at uni,

throughout your time at uni, especially when you first get there, really does help keep yourself in check. Even if your schedule is jam packed, make sure you set time aside for yourself as you don’t want to burn yourself out. Take yourself on a nice walk, do a facemask, or binge watch your favourite

show, whatever self care looks like to you. It’s natural to feel like you miss home if you feel burnt out, so setting aside some time for yourself will really help you out.

There is no better way to make a home away from home, than

. Exploring your new surroundings will help settle you in, so everything won’t feel so confusing and different. There are so many different ways to get to know all the spots you’ll be going to throughout your uni experience. You will feel right at home in no time. Struggling for ideas? Click here to learn some more ways of how to

.

Trying a new hobby is the perfect way to also expand your social circle. You’ll expand your friendship circles, gain some new skills, and mostly keep yourself busy. It’s fun so why not! Going to uni is all about trying new things so sign up for something that you’ve always fancied. You never know, you might find a new labour of love!

Plan fun days out, by yourself or with your friends. It fills your downtime with something to look forward to, and makes a change from doing the same thing every single day. Head out bowling, go for a picnic, get yourself down to a gig, plan a day trip somewhere different! Feeling fancy? If you can afford it, take a mini city break away with your friends. These are all great ways to bond with your new mates. There’s loads of

! Having something to look forward to really does help keep those sad feelings of missing home at bay.

One of the most underrated ways of dealing with homesickness is to simply give it time. When you first move away from home, you’re bound to feel homesick in some way. You’re in a new city, surrounded by new people, and everything’s so unfamiliar. But it’s really nothing to worry about, it happens to everyone, every time they move to a new place.

The more time you spend away, the easier it becomes. Over time everything becomes more familiar, and you will feel settled in no time at all. You’ll slowly create a little home away from home. But the best thing to do is to put yourself out there when you move to uni. Get yourself out of your comfort zone, and get involved in everything you can. We promise, it will do you the world of good, building a support network of new friends for life, and you’ll flourish in your new home.

If you are struggling with life away from home, and you can feel it affecting your mental health, make sure that you ask for help from the right people. Whether it’s a family member, a friend, or you speak to someone at your uni, it’s so important you reach out and get the help that you need. Your university will have systems in place to help you out, so make sure you do use these if you really need help and it becomes unmanageable.

?

Hopefully you have more of an idea of how to deal with homesickness now. Keeping on top of

is so important, especially because it’s so common to miss home when you move away. Just rest easy in the idea that as time goes on, you’ll find things more manageable. Just remember, if it does get really bad, make sure that you reach out and get the support you need!

There's a lot to think about during Freshers Week, click here to check out our

for everything you need to know to get you through your first few weeks at university. Want to figure out everything else there is to know about surviving freshers, head on over to our

hub to learn more.