Missing home? Here are four tips to combat homesickness in the Toon

Don’t let Trainline win and take all your money…

9 months ago

From the CEO of homesickness in semester one of first year who is now a survivor and a Jesmond girlie to my core, I don’t think there is anyone more certified to convince you to resist the urge to jump on an LNER train (that let’s face it, it’s probably delayed or cancelled) at the slightest minor inconvenience.

Having successfully survived the trenches that were homesickness in the first year of semester one (my friends still joke about how often I would get a train back to York at the smallest inconvenience), I now consider myself an expert.

Whilst being a silly fresher can be the best blur of shaker toilet pics, jaeger bombs and “I’m just a silly little fresh” bad decisions, there is a point where the sports night trebs wear off and you are sat in your uni room looking at a 2000 word essay, just wanting a meal cooked by your mum and cuddle with your dog to combat the crippling Skint Thursday hangxiety.

1. Keeping yourself busy is key

We will kick things off with something that sounds pretty obvious, keeping yourself busy. Obviously, I know this can be easier said than done but join that society, message your friend, yap shit in the kitchen with your flatmates, go to £2 Tuesdays on Osborne Road.

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The shift from strict timetabled lessons at A-level to as little as seven contact hours a week (sorry stem students), can be a strange adjustment at first. The homesickness creeps up on you when you don’t have any distractions, so the lack of structure can fuel the desire to look on the Trainline app, so you need to keep yourself busy! You can’t wallow in your bed if you are three pints deep at Osbornes, about to hit the mic at Holy Hobo…

You’re not going to like this one but keeping yourself busy also means attending uni (a truly horrifying thought I know). I am in no way saying being an academic weapon is the cure to combat homesickness; I’m not demanding you to attend all your 9ams – because I’d be a hypocrite, but you can’t make any course friends if you don’t step foot in the Henry Daysh…can you tell I’m not a woman in stem?

2. Speak to your friends

For the most part, everyone will experience homesickness at some point during their time in the Toon – you are not alone! Whilst mentioning you feel homesick to your friends might feel embarrassing, you will find homesickness can be a collective bonding experience.

3. Decorate your room

The power of some £2.50 Primark fairy lights, wall posters and a FreePrints photo display is truly revolutionary. Brave the sensory overload that is Northumberland Street Primark and get your bedroom décor, for an instant serotonin boost…

4. Wholesome activities (as well as trebs)

At the end of your time in the Toon, it would be nice to be able to recommend more than simply getting in the cage in Sinners. The Sunday scaries are typically the day homesickness rears itself in full force, so doing wholesome activities like going to Tynemouth on the metro (there’s nothing some chips at the beach can’t fix), or cooking a Sunday roast with your flat are the best remedies to clear the combination of homesickness and Sunday dread, before another week of £2 Tuesdays and Soho Wednesdays begin.

Tynemouth even has a market on a Sunday, where you can pretend you have escaped the city life altogether and cosplay being a yummy mummy…