Homesickness
University should be the best time of your life however at some times students can feel home sick and miss where they are from or just find it hard to adjust to a new environment.
First thing to say is that it is completely natural to feel homesick in the first few weeks of your time at the college in fact the national Union Students say that between 50-70% of students will suffer from homesickness
Some people have never spent much time away from home during their life and the shock of suddenly being away from friends and family and familiar surroundings can prove too much. The effects of this can be both physical and emotional.
Homesickness can lead to people feeling ill, feeling nervous and generally not wanting to mix with other people if things get really serious it can lead to emotional problems such as feelings of depression.
Often Homesickness passes in a short amount of time however with some people it can lead to longer problems with feelings of despair and helplessness. The top tips below are intended to help you through this period but if you still feel bad after a time please do not hesitate to contact The Advice Centre.
· Talk to Someone- Whether this is a warden, a counsellor, a friend or the student adviser it always helps to talk through your concerns and if it is with a professional they can talk through some options to make you feel better.
· Give yourself time- Be realistic and give yourself some time to settle in. Often it can be a big shock and change of scenery but after a couple of weeks you start to get into a routine and find a peer group and start to settle in.
· Get involved!- There are over 350 clubs and societies at Imperial have a look around and see if there is one you’re interested in it is a great way of meeting people with similar interests and also a great way of taking your mind off the stresses of student life.
· Go and see your family- Ok so this may sound silly as you’re probably thinking it might make you worse. After a few weeks and you feel you are settling in there is nothing wrong with visiting your family and friends in fact it could help speaking to the people you love and being reassured that you have made the right decision.
· Its ok to be homesick- The feelings you are feeling are absolutely natural and in fact many students are feeling exactly the same even if they may look like they are just fine
· There is support- Imperial has a whole raft of people who are willing to help and listen to your worries there is our own advice centre but there are also wardens in halls, college tutors, personal tutors and even a chaplain who are willing to listen and help you through this time.
· Everyone has the wobble- Every student has that moment where they ask have they done the right thing? Have they chosen the right course? Am I at the right University? Again these doubts may only last a short while but if they are prolonged it is a good idea to speak to a professional and take through some options.
· Look after yourself- There is nothing like a good night’s sleep to clear your head so ensure you make sometime for yourself to chill out and reflect and get enough sleep. Also ensure you have a healthy diet as this makes you feel good and can encourage more positive thoughts
· Make sure you nest- Make your room feel homely by putting pictures up and get some nice soft furnishings so it’s comfortable for you. This will help you to have your own space and feel comfortable in halls.
· Things will get better- The first weeks at Uni can always be a shock to the system people are throwing information at you and then there is the social side and also the pressure of starting a new course. But generally things get better and if you can get a good work life balance then things can be more routine for you in turn making you more settled.
· If the feelings don’t go- If you are very down or these feelings are starting to affect you socially then please do talk to a professional a good place to start is The Advice Centre the Union is full of people who were students and went through exactly what you are going through. The professional Adviser can talk you through how you are feeling and discuss options. Even if you feel you want to leave they can advise on factors such as funding and communicating this to your department. It may also be that you need to talk through your feelings with a counsellor the college has a free counselling service that we can put you in touch with.
The message here is that you are not alone if you have feelings of homesickness please do talk to someone there are a raft of people who want to help and whose job it is to help you through these times. Below are useful contacts.
The Advice Centre- Tel: 020 7594 8067
E-mail- advice@imperial.ac.uk
The Student Counselling service- Tel: 020- 7594 9637
E-mail- counselling@imperial.ac.uk
Nightline- Tel: 0207 631 0101
Email: listening@nightline.org.uk
