Maggie Evans 
How To Battle Homesickness
Starting university is a big step. For many students, it’s the first time they’re living away from home. Whether you’re moving from a different neighborhood, state, or even country, adjusting to your new environment is difficult. But, if you’re worried about being the only one who’s feeling homesick, don’t be. Everyone’s in the same boat! It’s completely normal for university students to miss home when starting college. To help prospective university students adapt to their new university life, we’ve compiled a list of tips and tricks on how you can deal with homesickness so you can make the most out of your college experience. Continue reading to find out more!
Enroll in a reputable graduate program singapore.
Let yourself be homesick for a bit
One of the most important things to remember when dealing with homesickness is that it’s perfectly fine to feel that way. Missing home isn’t something to be ashamed about. In fact, it’s a good thing because it means you have something or someone special back home. Whether it is your family, friends, or pets, you’ll have something to look forward to when going back home during the holidays.
People deal with homesickness differently. Some people call their loved ones back home, while others may find it useful to cry it out. Whatever it is, let yourself feel sad for a while, but don’t spend too much time feeling down! Once you’ve let out your emotions, spend time with your new friends in university. Ask them out for a coffee or to do something fun. This way, you’ll have less time to think about home and can transition to university life quickly.
Go out and keep yourself busy
Picking up from the previous point, it may be very tempting to spend your time cooped up in your room thinking of home. But, keeping yourself isolated will only elevate your feelings of homesickness. Get your mind off home by going out and hanging out with friends. Getting a part-time job is another good way to keep yourself busy and earn extra pocket money at the same time. Additionally, all universities have clubs and societies that offer all kinds of recreational activities so it won’t be hard to find something to do in your free time.
Explore your new surroundings
Another reason why you may feel homesick has to do with being in an unfamiliar environment. Once you get to know your surroundings a bit more, you’ll definitely feel more comfortable being away from home. In fact, when asked about their biggest regrets in university, many university graduates say that not exploring their university city is one of them.
Set aside a few hours each week to go sightseeing, take a walk, or even volunteer at local community centers to get to know your surroundings. You’ll only be in university for a few years so make sure to make the most of your time!
Plan one nice thing for yourself a day
Try to plan something you enjoy doing and can look forward to in your daily schedule. Whether it is hanging out with friends, watching Netflix, or having a cheat meal, partaking in such activities not only improves your mood but contributes to your overall well-being as well. Constantly wallowing in sadness can take a toll on your mental health and you’ll find that you’ll be stuck in an endless spiral of unhappiness and loneliness.
However, if you make a conscious and consistent effort to stay positive, you’ll find it much easier to get over feeling homesick. Whatsmore, people want to be around positive people. By staying optimistic and hopeful, you’ll find that it’s easier to make friends.
Exercise
Exercising is another great way to deal with homesickness. Lying on your bed all-day may sound tempting, but you’ll definitely feel much better once you’ve had a good sweat. You can also consider joining sports clubs or fitness groups where you can meet new people and keep fit together. Additionally, having someone to keep you company while exercising is a great way to stay motivated.
Keep in touch with home (but not too much!)
Just because you want to get over your homesickness doesn’t mean you have to cut out your family and friends completely. Keeping in touch with your loved ones back home, be it through phone calls, text messages, or video messages is a great way to stay involved with what’s happening at home.
But, just remember not to spend too much time communicating with your friends and family back home. It shouldn’t come to the point where you’re talking to those back home more than you’re hanging out with your friends in university. The trick is to find a balance between spending time with both your new university friends and loved ones back home. Once you’re able to do this, you’ll be able to get over your homesickness in no time.
Your family and friends will always be there when you go back. As such, you should make the most out of your time away from home to meet new people and make friends.
Don’t compare yourself to other people
Social media is often flooded with videos or photos of people attending parties, drinking, or going out every day in university. However, it’s important not to let what you see on social media shape your expectations of what your university experience should be like. People only post things they want others to see. No one wants to share images of themselves throwing up after partying too much or stressing out over an assignment that’s due soon.
So, even if other students look like they’re having a blast every single day, this is often far from reality. Everyone has their own responsibilities in university and other students spend as much time as you worrying about things like school work and their social life.
Conclusion
University life is different for everyone. The important thing to remember is to not compare your university experience to others. It’s okay to spend time by yourself and you aren’t obliged to spend every night partying or socializing. Homesickness is normal, and there are loads of ways to take your mind off it.
