Homesickness

What is it?

Going to university is for most people a source of excitement but also of anxiety. You get to move away from home, meet a lot of new people and perform new types of academic work. For some people, the apprehension quickly passes, while for others the transition may take longer, and sometimes they may feel homesick.

Homesickness is often a yearning for and grieving over the loss of what is familiar and secure. Most often it is about the loss of people, family and friends, but it is also about the loss of places and routines, and the realisation that family life continues without you. Most people will have felt homesick at some point in their life, and it is easy to forget how overwhelming it can be.

Is homesickness different from depression?

While homesickness may cause an increase in depressed feelings, anxiety, obsessive thoughts and minor physical ailments, it can be distinguished from depression in the following way; depression sufferers find both university and home awful, whereas homesickness sufferers can feel awful at university but while at home may be seen in rose–tinted hues.

Is there a “timeline”?

Students may feel homesick at very different stages of their time away from home. Some students will start by being mildly depressed and anxious several weeks before leaving home, in anticipation of the impending change. Others will be fine initially, and then to their surprise find themselves feeling homesick later in the academic year, perhaps after the Christmas break, or even at the start of their second academic year.

In general, it is the first few days or weeks after arriving at university which are the most difficult.

What are the factors contributing to homesickness?

Students are not immune just because they have successfully experienced leaving home before. Vulnerability to feeling homesick is affected by:

The distance from home,
A sense of anticlimax at finally arriving at university after working towards it for so long,
Whether the student was responsible for the decision to come to university,
Unhappiness due to expectations of university not being met,
Work overload and low control over it,
Whether family members at home are well and happy,
Contrast in lifestyle.

Those who are homesick often feel they have no control over their environment, and that they are not identified with it or committed to the university or their place in it.

What can I do about it?

1. Talk to someone. If you haven’t yet made friends here, then try a tutor, supervisor, chaplain, nurse or counsellor or one of your lovely welfare officers- that’s what they’re here for!

2. Keep in good contact with the people you have left behind; arrange a time to go back to see them, perhaps after a few weeks. But also give yourself time within the university to begin to get involved here. Don’t let looking back actually hinder moving forward.

3. Encourage friends and family to come and see you in your new setting.

4. Remember that many other people will be sharing similar feelings, although you may assume that they are doing fine! (You can’t read their minds – just as they can’t read yours!)

5. You are allowed to feel sad and homesick! You are also allowed to enjoy yourself – it isn’t being disloyal to those you miss!
Be realistic about what to expect from student life and from yourself. Establish a balance between work and leisure: you are NOT expected to work ALL the time – you would soon burn out. On the other hand, if you don’t put in enough time on work, you can very quickly get behind, which only adds to the stresses!

6. If work is proving too difficult, can you improve your study skills or your organisation of time and work so that you gain satisfaction from what you do? There are people in your College or Department who can help in this area, such as your Tutor, Supervisor or Director of Studies.

7. Remember to get enough food and sleep! These affect us emotionally as well as physically.

8. Make contacts and friends through shared activities such as sport or other interests. There are so many clubs and societies within the university and city, that you are very likely to find something that suits your particular interests. At the start of the academic year many new people will be joining – you are unlikely to be the only new person.

9. Give yourself time to adjust: you don’t have to get everything right straight away. Nor do you have to rush into making major decisions about staying or leaving.

10. Check out that you do really want to be at this university, in this college, studying this subject, at this time. Most people come through times of homesickness and go on to do well and enjoy their time at university. But for some it can be right to leave and take another direction. Those who do leave mostly find another course or university with which they are happy, perhaps after taking a year out. But if you are thinking along these lines, you need to take expert advice about the academic, career and financial implications. Your tutor is the first port of call for these issues.

11. If you stop being able to do normal social and academic things, seek professional help either from your doctor or the counselling service. Don’t wait until the problems have grown impossibly large!