Staying away from home can be challenging regardless of whether home is half way across the world or just a couple of hours down the road. Homesickness is the result of a big change. And it is indeed very common to feel homesick as a university student every once in a while. Here’s a few tips to help you beat the blues and get over that feeling.
1. Stay connected with friends and family
Whatever mode of communication you prefer – phone calls, WhatsApp messages, video chats, use it to stay in touch with your loved ones back home. Stay involved with whatever is going on back home and update your dear ones with what you’ve been up to at university. Regular communication is quite effective when dealing with homesickness.
2. Bring along your home comforts with you
Personal belongings, gifts you’ve received from loved ones, and memorabilia that cheer you up when you’re feeling low – whether it’s a bunch of photographs, a sweater, or letters exchanged with friends; bring these with you to university and use them to decorate your room. These can serve as reminders of fun memories and also provide comfort required for getting over the feeling of missing home.
3. Explore your surroundings
London is a vibrant city with many interesting and fun things to do. Getting out to explore the city takes out the feeling of unfamiliarity and helps you get oriented to the place. The added bonus is that London is extremely diverse and chances are no matter where you’re from in the world, a part of your culture and home is represented somewhere in the large landscape of restaurants, cafés, food halls and markets in the city. It may take a little digging but you’ll surely find places that have a little bit of your home in them.
4. Get some exercise and eat healthy
While student life can get busy very quickly, keeping fit is important to help you remain healthy. Getting some exercise everyday can help you stay fit and also leave you feeling energetic and positive. Regularly cooking your meals at home ensures that you’re eating healthy, you can make your comfort food that reminds you of home, and it can be easy on your pocket too.
5. Connect with friends and socialise
Ensure that you go out and make new friends. LSE has a very diverse student body and you’ll find that it’s very easy to make friends with people that come from different parts of the world. Having an active social life keeps you busy and leaves you with less time to feel homesick.
6. Find ways to keep yourself busy
Whether it’s working a part-time job, joining a club or volunteering, pick an activity to do to fill-up your free time and keep yourself busy. This will ensure that you’re not isolating yourself and provide you with some excellent experience that can go onto your CV while helping you build some skills. Reach out to LSE Careers and the LSE Volunteer Centre to find out about opportunities that are suitable for you.
7. Ask for help
If you find that you’re struggling to manage student life, feeling excessively homesick, ask for help. LSE Student Wellbeing is a great place to start that offers many services including mental health support, disability services, and academic support. There are trained peer supporters who you can connect with and talk to. There’s also a 24/7 support helpline you can call if you want to speak to someone at any time.
Dealing with homesickness can be tough. It’s understandable to feel overwhelmed but there’s always help you can reach out to if you’re ever in need of it.
