Homesickness is the distress and longing you feel when you are away from home and the people, routines and places that make you feel safe. It is a normal response to change, especially in the first weeks of university.
That is the homesickness meaning most psychologists use, and it applies at any age, not only to students. It usually eases as new routines form, and talking about it speeds that up.
What to look for
Symptoms of homesickness
Missing home constantly
Checking your phone for messages from home, or counting down to the next visit.
Sleep and appetite changes
Lying awake, sleeping through lectures, or not eating properly.
Avoiding people
Staying in your room, skipping social plans, or feeling anxious in groups.
Comparing yourself
Everyone else looks settled online. Most of them are finding it hard too.
How to deal with homesickness
Small, repeatable things work better than big fixes.
✓ Build a simple daily routine, starting with a set wake-up time
✓ Say yes to one social thing a week, however small
✓ Keep in touch with home, but not every hour
✓ Join a society linked to something you already enjoy
✓ Get outside and walk every day, even in bad weather
✓ Make your room feel like yours, with photos and familiar things
✓ Cook one meal you know from home each week
✓ Talk about how you feel instead of holding it in
Popular with students
A weekly chat with someone outside your course
£25 30 minutes
Someone who is not a flatmate, a lecturer or a parent. Many students start with a text-based session on WhatsApp, then move to video when it feels comfortable.