New student Homesickness at NTU

Posted on by healthyntu8

Written by John Chambers, Student Support Officer – Halls of Residence

Moving away from home is a change that can be upsetting, but it is a change that affects everyone at some point in their life. According to the National Union of Students more than half of all students suffer from some sort of homesickness. On the lower end of the scale students might find themselves a little upset, on the higher end of the scale students may feel that they cannot go on living in a new place and ask their parents to bring them home, before giving themselves time to sit with these new feelings and give them a chance to settle down. Even the most prevalent and persistent feelings of homesickness normally last for only a few weeks.   

Here are a few tips around dealing with change:

Ask for help from loved ones – talk to your friends and family from back home, they know you and should be able to give advice that is best for you.   

Do something familiar – read a favourite book or re-watch an old TV series.

Look after yourself – eat good food, get lots of sleep and wander outside to get some fresh air. Join a club or society – this might seem frightening at first, but by learning something new, and by meeting a different group of people you will find yourself less alone and more connected to university life.

Spend some time turning your room into a cozy space that you’ll enjoy spending time in. Hang up posters, blankets & cushions, put up lots and lots of photos!

Carry a self-help reminder – keep a small card on you with reminders about what makes you feel happy, these could be listening to music, going on a walk, cooking, watching a TV program. When you feel down take a look to remind yourself what you need to do.

Avoid self-medicating with alcohol or drugs – If you are living in a student halls of residence you can reach out to get support from a Student Accommodation Support Officer by emailing support4halls@ac.uk or calling 0115 848 2323 there is lots they can support you with, such as going out for a walk, answering questions, organising counselling, helping with individual needs and much, much more. 

If you are feeling suicidal or are self-harming, contact your GP and Student Support Services (student.support@ntu.ac.uk or call 0115 848 6060). If at any point you are in immediate danger ring 999.

Give yourself some time – it’s never easy to live in a new place but by giving yourself time to come to terms with your feelings, make new friends and get into a new routine you will be giving yourself the opportunity to see if this life is for you.    

Remember to pace yourself, its OK to feel down some of the time, but remember, you have done really well to make it this far.

If you have been at university for a few weeks and you still feel unsettled, it’s okay. Going to university marks a huge change that can take a while to get used to. For some people, visiting home initially and slowly reducing the frequency can be really useful to help adjust.

You will find that at NTU there’s a strong supportive community in place, with many staff there to help support you and other students going through a similar feelings.        

Other blogs on settling in at NTU:

For help, advice and resources whilst studying at NTU, take a look at the following for sources of support

                                     

 

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