University of Aberdeen

Never lived away from home and now I'm worrying

I've applied for my dream uni but its 6 hours from home and I'm worried about being alone in a new city. It's my dream course so I don't want the distance be what holds me back... any advice?

Reply 1

RebeccaKN

I am in a similar situation to you at the moment (although 5 hours away instead of 6!). I want to emphasise that what you are feeling is completely normal for any Uni student moving away from home :]
I would recommend that you prioritise three things: Social Life, Life Skills and Familiarity.

Social Life: What I am doing is a lot of research on the city and Uni I will be moving to, such as: Popular (and safe) Social Hubs, Uni Societies, any mentoring schemes that the university offers to help with transition etc. I don't know if your dream Uni has this, but sometimes on Uni websites there will be student ambassadors that you can message and ask for any student life questions!

Life Skills: Learning how to budget, cook, do the laundry (Although very tempting, don't leave all of it for your parents to do when you come home for Christmas hehehe), establishing a routine, gaining confidence in your skills and independence. These are insanely important and help you ensure that you don't come across any unneeded stress away from home!

Familiarity: This is one that I have been practicing for a while now since I depend on familiarity. In your new city, try to spot things that remind you of home, whether it's a similar cafe, or a park, or even the layout of your Uni bedroom (one bedroom layout in my dream uni accommodation reminds me of my home bedroom so I'll be trying to go for that one!) Let these give you a sense of peace and calm in what will be a time of transition.

As you said, this is your dream university, so most of all, remember that 24/7! When you move there, remember how hard you worked both to get in and to get there physically. You will eventually love your new city and will make some amazing friends. I wish you the very best in your university endeavors, good luck!!