10 Things That Will Make You Homesick At University
University… we all long for those days of freedom and independence from our parents, but when the dust settles and we have to fend for ourselves by cooking, cleaning, tidying and having no-one’s shoulder to cry on, it can be a difficult time. University is all good and fun with parties, drinking, more parties and more drinking, until we need that one cuddle from our mum, dad or even dog. Although we try our best to not think about home and what we are missing, there are many things that can trigger those feelings of being homesick at university, and here are 10 of them.
1) Every conventional dorm room… pictures.
Are you even at Uni if you don’t have hundreds of Polaroids, photographs and scrapbook pictures of your friends and family on every proximity of your room? Pictures are a great way to still feel close to your friends and family, and remind yourself what you have at home waiting for you. However, these can also be the biggest trigger of feelings of being homesick at university. Through those dark days or studying and revising, all we really want is a cuddle and moral support from our families, and these pictures can either be our best friend or worst enemy through those times! Don’t feel bad if you feel homesick at university.
2) Seeing other pets
4/10 students admit it is their pets they miss the most about home. Not being able to ring, write or FaceTime (without the help of our parents) means the only time we really get with them is when we are home for season breaks and the summer holidays. So when we pass any dog or cat on the street, see any picture of or even hear the word ‘pet’ can strike a sad pain in our hearts and make us long for a cuddle of our fluffy fur babies.
3) Mum how do I cook this?…
It isn’t a secret that no student prepares ahead of uni when it comes to cooking… and if you have – we applaud you. Something we take for granted before heading off to uni is our parents cooking, and we never really realise how much we actually love their food until we begin living off pot-noodles and dry pasta. If cooking is the way to your heart, and a bad meal can really effect your mood (ditto) it can really make us miss living at home and having slap-up meals freshly prepared for us on cue.
4) They called their mum so I best call my mum too!!
We will find any excuse to call our mum or dad at uni… “Mom thought I would ring to let you know I have just put my washing on”… “Hi dad, just ringing to let you know I went to the shop, bought some milk and walking back home now!” As soon as we see someone else ring their parents it instantly makes us miss ours, and makes us feel totally obliged to ring our parents for no reason at all, just to hear their voice.
5) Paying for things you don’t need but you do need
Nothing will teach you how to save money, make money last or how to utilise money more than being a student. Without having our on-hand financial advisor Aka Mum and Dad with us at all times can be difficult. We actually have to decide whether we actually need washing liquid or we would prefer to keep that £2 for emergencies. It can be quite stressful handling money all by ourselves and can make us really miss the comfort of living at home.
6) Trying to juggle it all
When we have our weekly breakdowns we are used to having our family and friend there for support, but after moving away to uni it can be hard to find people to replace your support system with. Whenever you are having a bad week or hard time, missing home is something we can all relate too. Having to adult and make our own decisions is a great thing, but can be very difficult to do alone.
7) Hearing a sentimental song
Music is one of the most powerful ways of bringing feelings and emotions of nostalgia, happiness, reminiscence and sadness. So when we hear a song that relates back to a certain time, feeling, place or memory it can be difficult to contain our feelings both good or bad. Hearing a song can trigger homesickness and make time at uni quite difficult whenever you hear it.
8) Living with other people
Expectations and reality to living with other people is a real thing. House parties, slumber nights, dinners together and constant company is something that sounds appealing to everyone, and a major factor in wanting to move out to uni. However, besides all the good and fun that comes from it, there can also be some factors we don’t really think about. Tidying up after everyone, loud music, other homesick people, smells, hygiene and people in your personal space. There comes pro’s and con’s to both, but the con’s really make you realise how much you miss your home life.
9) Back to university after half-term
Nothing makes you dread returning back to Uni then spending the best time at home during a half-term. Getting to sleep in your own bed, having food cooked for you and your mum and dad there on call whenever you need them really does feel like a holiday. However, after the most relaxing two weeks, when it comes time to come back to uni it can make us sometimes dread it. The first few days of settling in alone can be very difficult and trigger that awful homesick feeling! (Mum we need you!) It’s completely natural to feel homesick at university.
10) Fear of missing out
FOMO is a real thing. Trust me. Being away from home is fun, you get to explore life independently, learn so much about yourself and meet new people. But when you are leaving your friends and family behind and they are having fun without you, it can trigger homesickness!
