University is sold to you as being the most exciting time of your life. You meet friends for life, make memories you’ll remember forever and, at the end of your three years, you get a degree you’ll use to kickstart your career. Moving out and beginning the next chapter of your life at university sounds thrilling but, for some, it’s a daunting experience that can leave you feeling lonely, isolated, and missing home comforts.

It’s important to remember that you’re not on your own in feeling this way. Almost every student at university feels homesick at some point, and here at Student Housing Lancaster, we understand. Your student accommodation should be a safe place where you feel comfortable; the perfect home away from home. That is why, in this blog, we’re providing our top tips on dealing with homesickness while at university.

Getting into a Routine

One of the best things you can do to tackle homesickness is to get into a routine. Once you have some healthy habits in place and you’re sticking to the same day-to-day tasks, you’ll find that you become much more accustomed to university life and find settling in easier.

Often some of the negative thoughts and wishes of being at home come from being stuck in your room with nothing to do, which is why it’s a great idea to stay busy and get yourself into a routine. If you have the same lectures or seminars each week, this is really easy to do. We recommend getting a calendar and noting down when you have lessons, when you plan on working, and any shifts you have if you work part-time too. The important thing is to schedule some fun non-university related plans as well. For example, you and your flatmates may have a weekly games night, or you may go on a date with your partner once per week. Whatever it is, make sure you have both work and play factored into your routine.

Distracting Yourself with Productivity

Don’t forget why you’re at university. It can be easy to become swept up in the social aspects of student life, but it’s vital to remind yourself why you’re there – to earn your degree. So, if you feel down due to missing home and there’s nothing you can do about it at that time, why not distract yourself with some work?

Get some reading done, watch an online lecture, or do some additional research – whatever it is, it’s a much better and more productive way of spending your time than feeling down about something you can’t control.

Making Your Room Feel Homely

This is one of the critical steps to curing homesickness. Our student accommodation in Lancaster is your home away from home, and we encourage you to make it your own. Of course, we don’t encourage you to get out the paintbrushes or start ripping walls down, but we do want you to make your room your own, so making minor changes is essential.

Think about your room at home; can you do anything in your student accommodation to mirror the spaces? For example, just bringing a few knick-knacks from home can make your room feel comfortable and familiar. Similarly, putting pictures of family, friends, and pets around the room is guaranteed to give you a smile whenever you look at them.

However, to really get comfortable in your student house or flat, we recommend using the same washing powder and fabric softener used at home. Something so simple can comfort you immediately after a bad day. Climbing into fresh bed sheets after a stressful day at university is sure to make you feel better when they feel and smell like home.

Joining a Club or Society

You have probably heard this advice a thousand times before, but there’s a good reason for that – it’s brilliant advice! Starting university can be a daunting experience as you’re suddenly surrounded by thousands of new people your age in a brand-new city.

Whilst some thrive off meeting new people, others shy away at the thought, which can often leave them feeling isolated and lonely when everyone seems to be friends with everyone else. Although you’ll probably make friends on your course and in your accommodation, if you have a niche interest or play sports, you may find that a club or society is where you make the most friends.

This is because you’re instantly surrounded by people interested in the same topic as you, and they can offer a fun space for you to socialise and meet new people outside of your university course.

Talking to Friends in Your Accommodation

Being comfortable with the people you live with in your undergraduate or postgraduate accommodation is essential for enjoying yourself while at university. If you find that you’re having a bad day, or you’re missing home more than usual and it’s getting you down, talking to friends in your accommodation is sure to lift a weight from your shoulders.

You’ll be surprised to hear that most people have felt this way at some point, and they might have some advice or tips to help you feel better about it. If anything, a problem shared is a problem halved, so you’re almost guaranteed to find your mood improves once you’ve spoken to someone else.

Staying in Touch with Home

Just remember that home is only on the other end of the phone. Staying in touch with home and calling or texting regularly is an excellent way of coping with the transition of moving to university. Your family will be more than happy to hear about your day and share stories of what they’ve been up to as well.

Additionally, if you have friends from home who have also recently started university, staying in touch with them is sure to help. You can hear about how they’ve been coping and organise visits to see each other. Planning the next catch-up will give you something to look forward to on the days you don’t feel your best.

Here at Student Housing Lancaster, we aim to ensure all our tenants feel comfortable, safe, and happy. So, if you would like to enquire about our incredible Lancaster University postgraduate accommodation or undergraduate student accommodation, please don’t hesitate to get in touch with our team.