Category Archives: Homesickness

I am HOME SICK! Are you too?

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By Sagarika (Student Blogger: MSc Human Resource Management)

Are you homesick too? I definitely am! C’mon, let’s just admit to the fact that every incoming student has this tiny little feeling at a corner of their heart that keeps pulling them back to their lovely family and friends they’ve left behind. Yeah, that’s the homesickness kicking in!

That street vendor at the end of your lane, that local food stall you loved, that incredibly delicious mom-made food, that hug of your best friend, you are missing them soooo badly right now! I can totally feel you, coz I’m missing them too! All the festivals being celebrated, all that family fun, all those crazy parties, all the trips that your friends are taking, all the fun you left behind is pulling you an inch closer towards your home again. The warmth of your mother, the caringly angry father, the naughty annoying brother/sister, and your insanely mad friends, would you ever have imagined that you would miss them this awfully one day? But you know what? They are missing you too and they are not away from you, nor will they ever be. They are just a phone call away. And mate! you are not alone. Everybody around you is feeling the same. It’s just that some express it, and some don’t. But let me tell you a secret to keep them closer to you. Keep that crazy picture you took with your friends and that homey picture you took with your family on your desk/pin-board/wall or just anywhere else and every time you see that (though you might miss them more) you know they are here with you.

Hey! YOU ARE HERE! The one place that you strived for, the one place where you dreamed of being, the one place that will take you closer to your destination, the one place that will make your dreams come true, the one place that you CHOSE to be at. So, take a leap or should I say you already took a leap! Now all that’s left to do is live this moment you have been dreading for. YOU MADE IT! You made it past COVID, you made it across the borders, you made it through the seas to this beautiful city of Lancaster.

Make new friends, visit exquisite places, try a variety of cuisines, understand different cultures and lifestyles, it’s YOUR time to experience a whole new life! And those people that you are thinking of right now, your friends and your family, are eagerly waiting for you to make loads and loads of memories to share with them. They are wanting to see you happy, to see you having fun, to see you pass this new phase of life, and heartily waiting to see what you take back home for them! So don’t forget their gifts! 😛

Now, let’s just find a home away from home to stop feeling sick and start an exciting journey. Let’s create wonderful memories that we can take back home (the place that you are terribly missing right now :P)!

It’s Okay

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By Becky (Student blogger: BA Hons History)

University is a big step up for everyone, the first time away from home for many and a step up in workload and responsibility. Even going from first into second into third year and even onto postgraduate study can be very overwhelming, especially for the first few weeks back. Everyone’s university experiences are very different, and it is important to know that having a different experience to your friends, housemates, course mates or family is completely normal. Every experience is unique and important.

 

It’s okay to… change course and degree. You may join the university and find the difference between it and your expectations a bit too much, but switching modules or courses is possible and an option taken by many to help shape their degree into what you really want it to be. Seeking help from your lecturers and college is a great start to help you settle into the academic side of university.

It’s okay to… not join societies. They aren’t for everyone! Creating your own society is a great idea if you can’t find your interests in one that already exists, but you can still find people who share the same aspirations and hobbies outside of societies. It is always worth trying out taster sessions on offer as you meet some amazing people and do amazing things, but these are not your only options, so put yourself out there!!

It’s okay to… feel homesick. It’s natural. Even as a third year, I still get homesick, sometimes all I want is to talk to my mum. Fresher’s/Welcome week suddenly disappears and the pressure of work and living independently gets to everyone, but you are certainly not alone in this.

It’s okay to… not get on with everyone. It’s impossible to get on with everyone, that’s just a fact. Bridges can be burnt if people make you uncomfortable. Its worth reaching out to societies and your course and flatmates to find people, chances are you’ll meet some friends for life, but don’t be downhearted if this doesn’t happen straight away. You may not meet some of your closest friends until much later on than fresher’s week. There is still plenty of time.

It’s okay to… take a break!!! University is tough, a huge step up with huge responsibility and it’s overwhelming for the vast majority of people. If this happens, just take a step back and remember how far you’ve come to make it to university and how well you are already doing! Watch that series, go for drinks, have a weekend at home, you deserve it!

 

Your university experience is unique, and can be a difficult way of living to grow into. But just being able to say that you are a student here at Lancaster shows how far you have come, even if the first few weeks are tough.

It’s okay to feel like you don’t fit in with everyone’s expectations and feel different, chances are the people around you feel just the same!

 

Stick at it, it’s worth it in the end

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by Caitlin (Student Blogger: BA Hons English Language)

Starting university away from home is tough. Living away from your family and friends you have grown up with, learning to cook and clean, adapting to managing your money carefully, handling the pressure of academia, making new friends and deciding what you want to do in the future if a massive step – but nothing really prepares you.

I struggled in my first term of first year at university, because I was finding balancing everything very challenging and overwhelming. I loved my flatmates, my accommodation, the city and being away from home, because of the sheer independence it brought me. However, I found balancing a part-time job that was difficult to travel to, maintaining a long-distance relationship, spending lots of money on basic essentials (with a tiny loan from student finance) and trying to get my head around my three different courses, challenging.

The primary challenge was the fact my three courses were so diverse, because at Lancaster University you tend to have a major and two minors in first year, to give you a taster of alternative courses. Readings were also a big problem – I found myself with little to no motivation to sit down, read through and make notes on very bland academic readings set by lecturers, which were required to do well in my English course. I also found the independent study very tough – you can choose not to attend lectures and seminars and you can choose to never do a set reading, with support you can choose to reach out to, but is solely up to you to do that.

My advice?

I would recommend organising to see your seminar tutors if you are struggling with aspects of your course, because they go through details you do not understand one to one. This helped me greatly and over Christmas I was still deciding whether or not I should remain at university, whilst attempting to write out three set essays. After receiving brilliant results in my essays in second term, I realised that I could actually ‘do’ university and it was just the overwhelming introduction to so many new things at once that wobbled me. My other advice would be to talk to your flatmates about your worries because they often feel very similar, talk to your course mates to get extra help and support one another, email your tutors for some clarification on parts you are struggling with and be sure to contact your family and friends from home.

I’m now in third year and very glad I decided to stick at it, because I wouldn’t have had all of the opportunities and met all of the great people I have when at university. It gives you the chance to work out what you want to do in the future, find yourself and face challenges you never thought you’d manage to overcome.

Homesickness and how to deal with it

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by Anna (Student Blogger: BA Hons French and Linguistics)

Homesickness is a real thing, and it is in fact completely natural. Although it’s most associated with first term and freshers, second term is when it hits the hardest; those post-Christmas blues rolled together with upcoming deadlines can leave you craving not only your bed at home, but time with your loved ones. The important thing is to not get too bogged down by it, so how can we all deal with it without letting it affect our studies too much?

  1. Keep in contact with home, but not too often. A weekly or fortnightly call (whether via video or not) is reasonable but every day could be just a little too much. You could end up missing out on crucial bonding time with your flatmates, or the chance at making new friends at a society. The difficulty with how often you keep in contact can be down to certain family members, and wanting to please them. But politely, and kindly, remind them that you’re never going to have this experience again. And, you won’t have any stories to tell them if you’re spending all your time in your room on the phone.
  2. Tell people about it. Sometimes we think how we’re feeling is super-obvious to others, and other times we hide our emotions. But it’s as simple as saying “I miss home” to someone you’re close to at university. A problem shared, a problem halved. More than likely, you’re not the only one. If missing home is getting to you enough to affect your studies, seek some advice from your college’s Wellbeing Team. And, don’t forget to let your tutors know.
  3. Societies. Joining in with campus life through societies, whether academic or not, will fill up the time you spend missing home. It’s also a great way to make new friends across university.
  4. Create a comforting personal space. Your bedroom, whether on campus or in town, is entirely your space. Personalising it to your taste will make it feel homely, and perhaps have a few items from home that are nice reminders for when you’re feeling rubbish.
  5. Accept it. Homesickness is part and parcel of moving away from home. It’s simply a side-effect. Accepting this fact is a sure-fire way to start dealing with it better. And remember, everyone experiences homesickness at some time in their life, don’t add to the issue by giving yourself a hard time.
  6. Visit home. Perhaps take a weekend to visit home as this can remind you that everyone is still there for you, and loves you. Sometimes we just need a gentle reminder. If this would make you miss home even more, you could ask for your family or friends from back home to visit you for a weekend, then you’ll still have contact with them but in your new environment.

 

Taking on board these recommendations will help you better deal with your homesickness, and soon enough you’ll be right as rain and feel settled in Lancaster. University seems to fly by, so make the most of it every day!