Homesick still after one week of lectures

I am really far from home, and just not feeling any connection to my current uni. i am thinking possible going to a different more local uni but im worried that i wont be able to even tho i got good grades, what is the best thing to do in my situation?

Reply 1

mike23mike

16

if you have doubts then leave now whilst you still can. If you stay longer the uni may retain the course fees and hall fees. It will also be harder to get into the local uni if you miss too much more of the semester.

Original post by Anonymous

I am really far from home, and just not feeling any connection to my current uni. i am thinking possible going to a different more local uni but im worried that i wont be able to even tho i got good grades, what is the best thing to do in my situation?

Hi there,

I would suggest speaking to your faculty office or student support services to ask about the potential of transferring unis. They will be able to guide you on what you would need to do, should you decide to move unis, and can help advise you with your decision.

It can be a hard decision to make, as there's uncertainty about what a new uni would be like until you experience it first hand. I would think about the reasons you're considering transferring and whether they would be resolved by moving close to home. You don't want to rush your decision, but like the above comment mentions, it will be easier to transfer earlier into your course than later.

Hope you get something sorted. 🙂
Emily
Student Rep at BCU

Original post by Anonymous

I am really far from home, and just not feeling any connection to my current uni. i am thinking possible going to a different more local uni but im worried that i wont be able to even tho i got good grades, what is the best thing to do in my situation?

Hi

It could be an idea to speak to a family member about how you are feeling, and see if they could support you. For example, it might help you to see your family members in the city that you have moved to for a day as it might help you to feel more comfortable.

In addition, please remember that you are not alone in feeling like this as there will be many others that also feel this way at this time.

I hope this helps,

Matt
Wrexham Uni Reps

Reply 4

Liverpool Hope University

Official Rep

19

Hi there!

Homesickness is normal when you have just moved away from home for the first time. A lot of people around you will be feeling the same.

I would suggest talking to you family members about how you are feeling, you may feel a bit better once you have spoken to them. Going home for the weekend or having your family visit may also help you feel better.

You will also be able to talk to your university's student support team and they will be able to help.

Whether to change university is a hard decision to make. I would suggest thinking about what made you choose your university in the first place and whether transferring university would be the best decision for you.

I hope this helps😀

Lottie, Graduate Advocate

Hi Anon et al,

You've had some great advice already so I won't repeat what's already been said!

Only you can decide whether transferring unis is the right decision for you. Perhaps whilst seeking the support of your family you can unpick exactly what your difficulties are - is it being so physically far from home, or is it fear of the unknown or fear of change? If any of it rings to the latter then perhaps you'd feel the same way even if you were at a different uni.

If your homesickness, despite how normal it is to feel this way, is seriously affecting your wellbeing and ability to engage then perhaps you should seriously consider transferring. However I'd also encourage you to think hard about your decision and whether its something which could get easier over time? Perhaps write a pros and cons list of staying versus transferring - it seems superficial but it might help to visualise your options like this.

I really hope that helps - please try not to worry, and best of luck in what you decide 🙂

Holly
University of Bath

Original post by Anonymous

I am really far from home, and just not feeling any connection to my current uni. i am thinking possible going to a different more local uni but im worried that i wont be able to even tho i got good grades, what is the best thing to do in my situation?

Hi there,

I would suggest speaking to student support to see if there is anything they can do in terms of you transferring or give you any other support. Speaking to family members/friends may also be a good idea. See if they can visit you more or find a middle meeting point that is easier for you all.

Sometimes giving it some more time may be a good idea. Uni is a big change and the first few weeks can be challenging. Time definitely helped me when I started uni. Joining a society will allow you to connect with like minded people too. However, if you feel that moving university is the right thing for you then do it. You can your mental health are the most important. 🙂

Hope this helps!
Zac^

Reply 7

HonestStudent

6

Original post by Anonymous

I am really far from home, and just not feeling any connection to my current uni. i am thinking possible going to a different more local uni but im worried that i wont be able to even tho i got good grades, what is the best thing to do in my situation?

Hi, I'm not sure why other universities posted, seems like a sly attempt to advertise their universities.

Anyway, being homesick for a week is normal. It can last longer. But for most people, as they settle in and get to know people, join in with activities (on-campus events, societies, sports clubs, etc.) they become less homesick and start enjoying university.

That said, I have seen people transfer before. Do speak to someone at your university - different places use different names for their support services but the place for advice is generally something like student support / wellbeing service. If you can't get an appointment soon enough, your personal tutor may also be a good person to speak to.

It's important to get advice quickly as, after a certain point, you have liability for tuition fees at your current university (it differs by university).

If you decide to stay at your current university, throw yourself into things - try to keep a good balance of study and non-study activities, but, for example, join a society (you can usually check them out once first for free at most, if not all, universities), go on trips if a society that you join does them and you can afford them (or if the university does them and you can afford them), and get to know people - and study too, of course. For most people, before they know it, they're busy doing assignments in the library and having fun that the homesickness goes, though of course they still have visits from family.

This info is from a master's graduate, just for your info.

Original post by Anonymous

I am really far from home, and just not feeling any connection to my current uni. i am thinking possible going to a different more local uni but im worried that i wont be able to even tho i got good grades, what is the best thing to do in my situation?

Hi there,

It can be hard when you feel homesick and it can sometimes take a while to settle into uni and being homesick doesn't help with this.

I would agree with what has been said and I would talk to your family about how you are feeling. They know you so well and will want the best for you, so it might be nice to talk to them about this and get their advice on what you should do. You can explain how you feel and look at the options together - I always feel better when I have talked things through with my family so it might help you.

It might be an idea to email the course leader at the uni you would want to transfer to. This way you can ask any questions you have about the course, modules, assessment type etc as this might help you to make up your mind. If you don't like the sound of one of the aspects of the course, it might change your mind on wanting to go there. Or, it might make your realise you do really want to go there. You could also enquire if you could do a campus tour or something similar as seeing the uni properly might also help you to decide. If you do these things now, you still have time to make your decision before you get too far into the year!

Talking to your personal tutor or the help team at your uni might help too. They will have other information about the process of transferring and can explain this to you which again might help you. You can also talk to them about how you feel and get their opinion too.

If you do decide to stay, here are a few things which helped me when I was homesick at uni:

•

Make your room feel like home. Get some pictures printed of family and friends, get some nice lights, cushions etc to make your room feel like it does at home as this really helped me to feel more settled and helped the room actually feel like it was my room.

•

FaceTime friends and family! This really helped me and I still do this now as I like talking to them and it helps me to feel more connected to them which is nice. It can give you a bit of a boost if you are feeling down so I think it is always worth doing this.

•

I always liked to know when I was next going home. Even if it was 4/5 weeks away, I like to know when I am going as this gives you a date to look forward to and then you know when you are going and don't spend your time wondering when you are going to see your friends/family next.

I hope some of this helps and things get better for you,

Lucy -SHU student ambassador.

Original post by Anonymous

I am really far from home, and just not feeling any connection to my current uni. i am thinking possible going to a different more local uni but im worried that i wont be able to even tho i got good grades, what is the best thing to do in my situation?

Hi!
I'm really sorry you're feeling this way. If you really feel like your university is not where you want to be the of course you always have the option to change that. With that being said, being only a few weeks into university life it is completely normal to feel homesick. You have moved and changed so much when coming to uni, it's impossible to settle in in two weeks. I am currently in my third year and still feel homesick sometimes, but I have loved studying my course and being at university.
Only you know what the right decision is for you. But I want to reassure you that it is completely normal to feel homesick and you are not alone in feeling this way.

Hope this helps! Faye 🙂

Original post by Anonymous

I am really far from home, and just not feeling any connection to my current uni. i am thinking possible going to a different more local uni but im worried that i wont be able to even tho i got good grades, what is the best thing to do in my situation?

Hi Anon,

Feeling homesick is entirely normal at university and making the decision that feels right for you can feel hard. At the end of the day, it's simply about your happiness. I personally felt extremely homesick when starting university, even now I still miss home. However I'm very happy that I decided to stick it out as I began to form some great friendships and really enjoy my time as a student.

If you decide to stick it out, I recommend joining a society as that's an excellent way to feel more connected on campus and meet some amazing people. Whether its a brand new interest or something you already enjoy, there is bound to be a society you will feel comfortable in! I also recommend getting a part-time job. This can help fill empty space in your day while also getting to know more people. You can even use the extra funds to visit home more often.

If you haven't already, I recommend planning regular trips home. Trains are a great way to travel all over the country and their railcard deal is an excellent money saver.

If you are determined to be more local, there is absolutely no problem with that. I recommend speaking to your student support and they can send you in the right direction to get assistance with trying to transfer universities.

I hope this helped, good luck with your university journey, 😊
-Sophia (Business and Management)

(edited 1 month ago)

Homesick still after one week of lectures

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