How does it feel to live away from your family at UNI?

I know a lot of my friends are excited for UNI because they no longer want to live with their families, but I don't feel the same way and this makes the idea of going to Uni much more difficult. I'm very close to my family and so wonder how this is as an experience, do you ever feel very upset about not being able to see your loved ones everyday?

Reply 1

hypercolius

11

I feel the exact same way, as I get terribly homesick, and entirely understand how you feel.
I call my family regularly, and visit them regularly. Obviously not perfect, but if you call everyday so you can see them on a screen and visit regularly, I'm sure you will feel better.

Reply 2

University of Bradford

Official Rep

18

Original post by Anonymous

I know a lot of my friends are excited for UNI because they no longer want to live with their families, but I don't feel the same way and this makes the idea of going to Uni much more difficult. I'm very close to my family and so wonder how this is as an experience, do you ever feel very upset about not being able to see your loved ones everyday?

Hey! For me personally I felt the same way and decided to live at home when I was a student, it helped that my uni was only a short car journey away. Feelings of homesickness are very normal though, and so many people will be in the same boat as you, so it's a great time to make friends with these people and all make some fun plans to keep yourself busy and keeping the feelings of homesickness at bay. I think it would be nice to have regular facetime calls with your family, you could eat your dinner together on facetime a couple times a week, have quiz nights on zoom, do some fun online activities that you can do over video call too (I once did an online escape room with my friends which was lots of fun!)

It might help if you plan some activities and trips with your family to look forward to. For me, having something scheduled in which makes me feel excited helps when I feel sad and anxious.

I wish you the best of luck with your university journey, and I'm sure you'll settle in faster than you think and keep yourself busy with studies, student life, and then by having regular contact with your loved ones! :smile:

Becky

Original post by Anonymous

I know a lot of my friends are excited for UNI because they no longer want to live with their families, but I don't feel the same way and this makes the idea of going to Uni much more difficult. I'm very close to my family and so wonder how this is as an experience, do you ever feel very upset about not being able to see your loved ones everyday?

Hi there,

I thought I could offer a different perspective, as I felt similar to your friends. I was excited and definitely ready to move out, although I was still nervous!

So many people feel the same way as you and struggle with homesickness, so please know that you are not alone in feeling this way. There are lots of great support networks at university, whether this is your friends, lecturers, or the wellbeing team. It might help to think about what a great new experience university will be, and how happy and excited all of your friends and family are for you!

Remember that you are always able to call, facetime, and text your family, and if you're not too far, you can visit. There are so many things you can do digitally, and the Bradford Rep has listed some great ideas! I also think it would help you to make plans for when you'll next see them. This might be halfway through the term or in December, but making solid and structured plans could give you some peace of mind and be something to look forward to!

Homesickness might come in waves, so remind yourself to be patient and that you can always contact your family. It does get easier, and I'm sure being away and having so many exciting experiences will make coming home to tell them all about it that much better!

Best of luck,

Isabella
Geography with a Year Abroad Student

(edited 4 months ago)

Original post by Anonymous

I know a lot of my friends are excited for UNI because they no longer want to live with their families, but I don't feel the same way and this makes the idea of going to Uni much more difficult. I'm very close to my family and so wonder how this is as an experience, do you ever feel very upset about not being able to see your loved ones everyday?

Hi,
I have always been close to my family (and still am) so was nervous to move to a new city several hours away when I started uni. However, I had such a good time during my undergraduate degree and had no regrets about moving out. I met so many great people really quickly and everyone is in the same boat so there is a shared understanding that everything is unfamiliar and a bit daunting. Also, we are lucky to have technology that makes keeping in touch with family super east. My advice would be to try and be excited about the new experience because if it turns out you aren't enjoying it you don't have to stay! 🙂

How does it feel to live away from your family at UNI?

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