Homesick

Do any of you feel really homesick at uni, despite having been there for ages? I'm in my second term of second year and as soon as I arrive back after the holidays I start missing my family and friends from home. It's not as if I dread going back, or that I don't like uni. I'm really happy here, have an active social life and I always look forward to coming back every term. Throughout term I'm absolutely fine, and I keep in contact regularly with my family and friends. It's just the first couple of days back at uni, even if I'm having fun, when I go to bed and wake up I just feel really depressed and want to go home. I know loads of people who are constantly homesick, and/or really unhappy at uni, and I'm neither of these, so I know I haven't got much to moan about. It's the same if I go home for the weekend and come back to uni. It's like I'm starting term all over again and I feel really sad. Then a few days in I'm completely fine.

It's just confusing I guess...I have no reason to feel like this as I love being at uni. It happens every term and I thought I'd be over it by second year, but it seems to get worse every term. I do love being at home, and I am really close to my family, but you'd think I'd be homesick constantly then, and not just for a few days. Rather than the constant feeling of homesickness lots of people get, I just seem to get it really intensely for a few days.

So yeah, anyone else get this?

Reply 1

PasserBy9

I'm going to go all Freudian and ask how you know you are happy.
Of course there is always fun activities and opportunities that you can get from being at University which keep you busy and are entertaining, but the strength of the relationships that you have with your family may be the reason as to why you can't feel completely 'comfortable' at University.

I would probably say that that is the source of your homesickness. Every time you come back to Uni you take time to adjust to not having such close, trusting relationships.
You can have a thousand friends, but if they are simply friends then you will long for a stronger relationship.

Reply 2

la fille danse

Yesterday I was homesick for the first time, and I'm at the end of my third year. I miss my puppy. :frown:

Reply 3

randdom

I am in my forth year and I still find it hard when I first come back to uni after spending a long time with my family. I think it is just he change over from some where that I feel completely comfortable and somewhere that I don't feel as comfortable. Unfortunately it is just one of those things that you have to get used to. The best thing that you can do is to make your home at uni as homely as possible so that you feel more comfortable when you are there.

Reply 4

Anonymous #2

I get like this pretty badly aswell and I really sympathise. After Easter I just didn't want to do anything for a few days and on one day I walked out of my lecture and just went straight to the station and got the train home for the night. But now its well inot the term I am happy to be here. I have fun and like my friends but the problem is that my friends back home are all just like me and we click so well. I think its just the transition between being somewhere that I totally belong and where I am sort of... wanted? to sort of just existing alongside many other people but never being truly appreciated.

Reply 5

Anonymous #1

Thanks guys, I think you're right. I like being at uni but because I'm so close to my family it just takes me a while to re-adjust. I'm feeling a bit better about it all already. I think what has made it worse this term is that because exams are coming up I can tell people are more reluctant to go out, and seem to have loads of work on. Part of me just thinks if all I'm going to do is work and sit around in my room, as no-one wants to do anything, I might as well do that at home. At least I'd have my family around me! Normally I know at least one person who is going out, so I always have something to do. Now, even the most outgoing people seem to have too much work to go out very much. At least going out took my mind off my homesickness every other term.

I just know that unlike usually, when I get over this feeling after a day or so, it's going to linger until I feel like I have to really start knuckling down to my exams. When it gets to a week before my exams I'm so preoccupied with revision I don't want to go out as much. I'd just like to enjoy these first couple of weeks though, and treat them as I would during any other term!

Reply 6

kooliemami

Hi ive been with my boyfriend for 1 year and ive moved to Nottingham for Uni whilst he stays in london. I am very homesick and miss him lots, we dont see each other alot during term time. Hes my rock and i feel so down without him, i have friends and do sport everyday but i just cant shift this feeling in my stomach. I always feel depressed, ive seaked advice from counsellers but that doesnt start for a while but what do i do for now? i need help!