Written by Charlotte Penhall
University has just begun and emotions are at an all-time high, especially if you’ve just moved out of home and onto campus for the first time.
Feeling homesick is a very common feeling during this time and you are not alone!
You can feel homesick straightaway or even after a couple of weeks, everyone is different and will experience these things differently.
Charles Sturt has lots of services in place to help you with feeling homesick.
There is even a 24/7 Student Wellbeing Support Line, for when those feelings keep you up at night.
Remember you are going through a major change in your life.
Give yourself some time to adjust and keep yourself busy.
I know one of the first things I did was get my university room in order.
I didn’t get it done in a day, but it kept me busy when there was downtime between my lectures and tutorials which helped me feel like I was in control.
The next thing I found handy to do was to make a routine.
This could be for anything. Getting up at the same time, having some brekkie, and looking at the readings for the day or week.
I don’t think I realised at the time, but I got into a routine of calling my mum a couple of times a week for the first couple of months.
Not only did I get to see my mum and siblings regularly, but I also got to see our pets as well.
I don’t know if keeping in touch helped my mum or me more!
These are only a couple of things that helped me with homesickness.
Sometimes the best thing to help with homesickness is to look after yourself.
Make sure you eat and sleep regularly, and exercise. This can be something as simple as walking around campus.
I recommend keeping an eye out for other people who may look lost as well. Lots of people can feel homesick when making a huge change in their lives, and it’s a great way to meet and make new friends.
Finally, remember Charles Sturt has services in place to help you if you feel homesick. Reach out. These services are here to help and never judge.
Useful link
To hear more about the Charles Sturt 24/7 wellbeing line, click here.
