Homesickness
The University of Bedfordshire provides support for the individuals suffering from homesickness.
Homesickness is an emotional state of mind caused by separation from people and places that you know. It can affect anybody, whether you’re a home or international student.
Some of the signs of homesickness are:
- A disturbed sleeping pattern
- Feeling sad, anxious and lonely
- Loss of appetite and fatigue
- Lack of confidence
- Feeling isolated and low self-esteem
- Headaches
- Panic attacks
Top Tips for Homesickness
- You’re not alone – Your feelings are normal, according to the National Union of Students (NUS) as many as 70% of students living away from home feel homesick within the first few days of joining University.
- Give yourself time to adjust – Remember talk to other people about how you're feeling, the chances are that people around you are feeling exactly the same way.
- Pack some of your favourite things – having a reminder of home or a few home comforts will definitely help.
- Explore your surroundings – go for walks and visit local attractions that may become a new routine or familiarity to you in your new environment.
- Establish a routine – it is important to have regular structure in your life, especially in a new environment. It might be helpful to create a weekly diary of routines each week, even if it includes doing chores like washing, cooking and cleaning. These all help with a sense of purpose and belonging.
- Put yourself out there – you will most likely feel at your worst when alone in your room with only your thoughts and feelings. Try to keep your door wedged open when you are relaxing, leaving the option open to your flat mates to come and talk to you.
- Make new memories – join a society or student network with the Student Union (SU) and spend time with others who have similar interests. Find out what societies you can join by visiting bedssu.co.uk/societies
- Take care of your health – Eating a nutritious diet, exercising and sleeping well are important elements of self-care.
- Mindfulness and meditation – these exercises can be effective in practicing self-acceptance, keeping your brain active and focused can be really supportive.
- Stay in touch with your family and friends – keep in contact with home through texts and short phone calls, long phone call every day can often make feeling worse. Remember this is a start of a new journey for you, make the most of it and enjoy your surroundings.
- Family and Friends Visits – it is important to ensure you set a date to visit home and stick to it, or even better, invite your friends and family to visit you in your new place. Introducing you’re friends and family to your new environment can really help.
- Plan one nice thing for yourself a day – it is important to practice self-care and set aside time for you to do something you enjoy.
- Gratitude Journal – creating a journal or diary noting your thoughts can help with your feelings of homesickness.
Finally, Remember that things will get better – the first few weeks might feel like a real struggle, but once you settle down and get used to living away, build relationships with your peers, you'll probably look back and wonder why you felt this way.
- Beat Homesickness Video – Watch this video on top tips for homesickness
- Studentastic – online resources of articles on the subject of Coping Away from Home, including adjusting to new location, homesickness, keeping in touch with home and learning to be independent. For access to articles visit Coping Away From Home on Studentastic
- Student Minds – provides resources and tips for students starting or returning back to university to help you with the transition to university. Visit Student Minds to access resources and advice
The Treehouse and SeedBeds are considered a Home away from Home and provides a safe and engaging environment. You'll also find tea and coffee and a relaxing environment in which to chat to friends.
If you haven’t made friends yet, that’s okay as they can listen and help you confidentially.
Treehouse Luton
The Treehouse hosts a series of special events throughout the year including film nights, discussions on a range of topics, and popular get-togethers where you can sample food from different parts of the world. You can even book a room to hold a private event with friends for any type of celebrations.
The Treehouse is open for range of spiritual and social activities every Monday to Friday (10:00 to 16:00).
Treehouse Activities:
Mondays – join the “Brunch Bake and Break” from 12pm, where you can enjoy baking and chatting with peers.
Tuesday Evening – 7pm join the treehouse where they run a Global Café, you can bring your own food and sit with peers and nenjoy the relaxed atmosphere.
Wednesdays – join the team for “Wellbeing Wednesdays”, where you can get support from the University’s Health and Wellbeing Team.
Friday – express yourself, visit the treehouse and get involved in expressing yourself activities.
SeedBeds Bedford
SeedBeds is a place in which to grow and change, it's also a place to chill out, to meet friends, to drop in for a chat and a drink, and to explore issues of faith and belief. SeedBeds are non-judgemental and open to those of any or no religion. SeedBeds is a safe space in which students and staff are able to relax and socialise.
They offer a chaplain service in the chaplain office, multi faith prayer rooms and quiet rooms for students to access along with a social space for students to meet and relax.
SeedBeds Activities:
Wednesdays – join the team for “Wellbeing Wednesdays”, where you can get support from the University’s Health and Wellbeing Team.
For more information on online Activities and events visit What's on at SeedBeds
Want to find out more?
Just drop in to meet the team and discover the fun and creativity they offer. Contact the teams by emailing treehouse@beds.ac.uk or seedbeds@beds.ac.uk
The University’s Get Active Programme offers fitness classes, swimming, yoga and range of other activities. Staying healthy and active can make you feel positive about life and can help in dealing with stress and anxiety.
The Student Engagement team provides general advice and support to students on a wide range of issues that might be impacting on their attendance, ability to submit work and progression on their course, including homesickness.
The team provides advice and guidance relating to interruption of studies and withdrawal queries. We liaise with other support teams, academic staff and external partners to review the support in place to support you to succeed and thrive.
To book an appointment with an engagement advisor, email the team directly on: student.engagement@beds.ac.uk
The Health and Wellbeing team have a range of trained staff who can provides specialist advise and support around disability including sensory and physical impairments, mental health difficulties, dyslexia, and medical conditions such as epilepsy, diabetes, sickle cell anaemia and arthritis.
The team also have designated mental health and wellbeing staff who can talk you someone specifically about mental health and how it is affecting them at the University, this can include homesickness. The team can provide 1:1 appointments and provide the appropriate advice and guidance to support students to achieve and thrive with their studies.
The team also provided a Counselling Service, here to help students gain as much as possible from your time at university. The team aim to offer access to counselling if you are experiencing any problems of a personal or emotional nature that may be interfering with your academic work and your life.
Email the Team:
Beds SU provides support and offer a wide range of fun activities and events student can sign up to and engage with. Join a society or network with the Student Union (SU) and spend time with others who have similar interests or even consider volunteering. Find out what communities you can join by visiting bedssu.co.uk/societies
Want to know more?
Pop down to your campus SU and meet the team, find out what initiative and activities are taking place and what is happening in your local community. Or contact the team via email to find out more: beds.su@beds.ac.uk
Don't forget that you are never alone, there will always be someone at the end of the phone waiting to talk to you, no matter the time or day.
Here are some main helplines where you can access further support, advice and guidance, including outside of 9-5pm working hours:
- Samaritans – Their support line is open 24 hours a day, seven days a week on 116 123. If you prefer to write down your feelings, or you're worried about being overheard, you can send an email to jo@samaritans.org
- SHOUT – If you'd prefer to communicate with someone with text messages, you can text 'SHOUT' to 85258. This is a free and confidential support service that's available 24/7.
- PAPYRUS – This suicide prevention charity runs HOPELINEUK from 9am – midnight every day of the year. The helpline is for anyone under the age of 35. You can call them on 0800 068 4141, text 07860039967 or email pat@papyrus-uk.org
- Mind – Find info about the mental health support in your local area, you can call Mind's Infoline on 0300 123 3393 from 9am – 6pm every weekday (except bank holidays).
- NHS Self Help Guides – Explore a range of Self-Help Booklets provided by the NHS on a range of topics including loneliness and anxiety.
- Mental Health Foundation – provides access to a range of Wellbeing Podcasts and Videos on variety of topics including loneliness and friendships and mental wellbeing.
- Young Minds – Supporting young people with their mental health and wellbeing, how to deal with feeling homesick or lonely at university including blogs from students on their experiences and tips that helped manage these feelings.
address
Luton campus & other campuses
Level 2, Campus Centre
Luton campus
LU1 3JU
Student Information Desk
sid@beds.ac.uk
telephone
Student Information Desk (SiD)
0300 300 0042
Our phone lines are open:
- Monday - Thursday
9:00 – 17:00 - Friday
9:00 – 16.30