From hobbies to day trips: Here’s how to tackle homesickness whilst at Birmingham Uni

Homesickness as a fresher, or any year for that matter, is a difficult feeling to shake off. Even as a Master’s student, I cannot count one time where I’ve said goodbye to my mum for university without crying. So stop crying and stressing yourself out, or you’ll be looking thirty in your grad photos x

Don’t spend too long at home during semester breaks

The biggest mistake I ever made during my first year was spending too long at home during the semester breaks. Yes, those two months at home seem like a dream come true, besides the assignments that will be crippling, but when it comes to returning to uni, you’ll be a mess. 

As someone who decided to spend two months at home, that final goodbye is one of the worst things you can experience, especially if you live on the opposite side of the UK. While it’s great to spend time with your family, set yourself a fixed date for when you will definitely be going back to uni. I suggest going back to university around four to five days before you return; this way it gives you time to readjust to the uni lifestyle again and get the crying out of the way.

Make sure your room feels like a home

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Making sure your room feels like a safe space at uni is one of the biggest pieces of advice every student should take on. Through soft fairy lights, a Jelly Cat, and multiple FreePrints orders stuck onto your walls, you will feel at peace in no time. If you live in the equivalent of a prison cell, we’ve all been there with the accom prices; it’s essential to make sure you look forward to going back into your expensive, dingy room.

Invest in new hobbies

Taking time for yourself is essential, and a great way to do this is to try new things. Many different degree societies hold non-competitive sports teams you could definitely get involved in! If you aren’t an aspiring David Beckham, trying out new societies such as Cocktail Society, Hookers and Stitchers Society, Hide and Seek Society, and many more are a great way to make new friends and have something to look forward to.

Make yourself busy

One of the easiest ways to do this is doing your uni work; I know, not the most fun. Whilst you may have tears streaming down your face on how much you miss your mum, at least you’ll be on target for a first. In all seriousness, making yourself busy, whether that be making plans with friends or doing your university assignments, stops you thinking how much you miss home.

One thing I like to do is give myself rewards for certain milestones I hit at university, allowing me to visit different parts of the UK from New Street station.

Talk to your housemates

You truly won’t be the only person going through homesickness. It is normal to find it difficult to adjust to a new way of life away from home. The best way to tackle this is to speak to your housemates about your struggles and plan activities to distract yourself. A few ideas may be going to the gym, having a movie night, going out for a meal, or simply going for a hot girl walk. Just to remind everyone, it’s not normal to go home and cry by yourself every night and not tell anyone about it.

If you are struggling, there are various services the University of Birmingham does offer on its welfare website.