Moving to a new city is a daunting task, especially if it’s the first time you have ever had to move. While for some, settling into university life is exciting, for others, if not everyone, will experience some sort of homesickness even in their second or third year after moving away from friends and family. We’re here to give some advice on dealing with homesickness for new Sheffield students.
Dealing with homesickness for new Sheffield students.
Firstly don’t feel bad about it.
At some point, everyone will feel homesick in some form or another. Leaving home and moving to a new chapter in your life IS a big deal. It’s only natural for it to feel like it’s a big issue. Acceptance is the first step in self-help.
Make yourself at home.
Making your living space a bit more personal and like it’s your own safe space can help you have some ownership and belonging to your new life. We don’t mean go painting the walls! Putting decorations and objects from home around your personal space can help you reconnect. Not only can it give you a safe space to feel relaxed in, but a sanctuary to help overcome those feelings of missing friends and family.
Fill your time.
Keeping yourself busy can help alleviate some of the symptoms of feeling homesick. Keeping your mind occupied by performing tasks and activities outside of studying can help keep your mind off thoughts about home. This may be extremely difficult for some who are suffering from anxiety and depression from homesickness. Starting with small things like organisation chores can help start to get the ball rolling into moving onto bigger activities.
If you feel more comfortable it’s still not too late to look into joining some of the amazing clubs and societies that your student unions run. Connect with others with similar interests. can help to build support networks.
Why not look into getting some part-time employment as a way of getting out and about to meet new people and earn some extra cash for treats?
Explore Sheffield
Sheffield is a fantastic city with many amazing things to see and do. Going out and exploring and visiting new places will give you something to talk about with those that you are missing. Making new memories now does not only help you occupy your downtime, where you will be thinking about home. It gives you the opportunity to look back at them in the future when you feel homesick.
Take better care of yourself
Homesickness is not just a word, it has physical symptoms such as Nostalgia, Anxiety, Depression and even Abnormal Behaviour. Looking after yourself not just physically, but mentally is important to help. Exercise and healthy eating are linked to decreasing the symptoms around stress from suffering from homesickness.
Talk to others in the same situation.
Undoubtedly the majority of the people you meet in the first year (and even second and third year) of studying at university, are in the same boat. Having this in common is a good way to strike up conversations that can result in helping each other in dealing with homesickness.
Keep the connections open
Homesickness is based on missing the environment and people around you before you started your Journey. Keeping the connections open by having regular contact with them is a great way to bridge the fact that you are not seeing them as regularly. With modern technology such as social media and video calling. Keeping in touch with others doesn’t require you to even be on the same continent as them anymore. Although contact will definitely be less due to other commitments. Make sure you don’t lose touch with those that are important to you.
If you can go home during the holidays to visit it may help, but you may even discover that coming back to Sheffield can make homesickness more prominent. Either way, keeping in touch away from home can help.
Looking for support?
Both Sheffield University and Sheffield Hallam University have specialist support services for those who are struggling with homesickness.
https://www.hallamstudentsunion.com/blogs/blog/Blog/2018/07/19/Homesickness/
Other services that can help include:
- Online – Big White Wall is a fantastic online mental health and wellbeing service. It’s easy to use, totally free and completely anonymous. Access online courses and self-help materials, chat to other users in a safe environment and express your thoughts and feelings through creative outlets. Visit www.bigwhitewall.com to find out more.
- Over The Phone – Nightline is a student-run, confidential and anonymous listening and information service. Their phone lines are open from 8pm to 8am every night during term time, and they run instant messaging, email and text services too. You can call Nightline on 0114 222 8787, or visit their website at www.sheffieldnightline.co.uk for more information. No problem is too small or too silly, so if you find yourself needing a chat don’t be afraid to give them a ring.
Most Importantly try to keep positive
Keep in mind that although you are away from your safe and comfortable surroundings of home and friends. Your here for your education and in the long grand scheme of things it’s not forever.
About Thornsett Properties
Thornsett Properties have been helping students by providing student accommodation in Sheffield since 1985. We supply accommodation to over 650 undergraduates and postgraduate students studying at Sheffield University and Sheffield Hallam University every year. Designed to fit with your budget whilst looking for student accommodation. Thornsett Properties are property owners and not agents, meaning all our properties are managed by ourselves and not reliant on third parties. Our aim is to help you succeed when looking for student accommodation in Sheffield
