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How to Cope with Homesickness in Uni

Living away from home and on your own for the first time in a new environment can be a challenging experience, especially if you are from a foreign country! From my experience as an international student, here are a few tips on coping with homesickness at uni.

Good Foooood from Home
In my experience, whenever I feel homesick or overwhelmed, one of the best solutions is to eat a dish from home (in my case some Asian food) !! Whether it is going out to share a meal with friends or cooking something on my own, food has a powerful way of invoking feelings of nostalgia and comfort during difficult situations. I usually save some curry paste or flavour packets from home for such emergencies. :wink:

Calling Back Home
Thanks to technology today, home is always just a text or video phone call away! Having scheduled calls with family and friends back home help to alleviate feelings of isolation and homesickness. In my first few months of university, I often called back home to update my family on how uni was and my experiences in London :smile:

Building New Connections
Being in an entirely unfamiliar environment and not knowing anyone can be pretty isolating. It’s important to step out of your comfort zone, meet new people and make new friends to build a support system around yourself with people you can trust :smile:

Join a Social / Cultural Society
Here at Kingston university, there are many societies to pick from! Joining a cultural or social society (eg. abacus) allows you to make new connections and friendships with people from a similar background and situation as you! It’s a great way to find a sense of belonging :smile: