Advice for students feeling lonely or homesick

It is normal to feel lonely and homesick when you leave family and friends to come to university.

Developing new friendships will help. It is less important how many friends you have, and more important to have good quality relationships.  

University is a great place to make friends, as many people are open to developing new relationships.  

Some people form connections faster than others. It can make you feel lonely if you take a little longer. Try not to be too hard on yourself. Here are some tips. 

Give yourself time 

Acknowledge your feelings and allow yourself to be homesick for a while.  

Take some time to look after the basics. Eating well, exercising, being outside, and getting good sleep can all improve your wellbeing and mood. 

Make yourself at home 

Personalising your space can help. Bring some of your favourite things from home if you can. Make your surroundings feel more familiar and relaxing. 

Get out of your room 

Isolating yourself may mean you spend even more time thinking about what you miss from home. Getting out can help.  

You could try exploring St Andrews and the surrounding area. Go for walks or a cycle, take a bus ride or take a trip. 

Find things you enjoy and keep busy 

You can do this by joining societies, sports clubs, student representation, halls groups, classes, and tutorials. It starts by reaching out to others, which is the first step to forming these friendships. 

Keep in touch with home (but not too often) 

Keeping in touch with your friends and family is important and helps you feel involved with what's going on back home. But keeping in touch too much can make you feel the distance more.

One tip is to not let it get to the stage where you’re communicating with people back home more than you are with people at university. 

Use shared study opportunities 

You could try studying in a different space, like one of the library study spaces.  

Make sure you attend all your lectures and tutorials as this can help you connect with others as well as help keep your studies on track. 

How the University can help 

• Your hall wardennial team are always keen to meet new students and help with any concerns.  
• Student Services offer a range of help including specialist support and resources for your wellbeing and mental health.  
• A range of student-led networks and services can help. 
• Student Societies are a great way to find friends with shared interests. 
• Saints Sport is the place to go for student sport, clubs and exercise at St Andrews. 
• Saints Sport Peer Support is a one-to-one meet-up service for students looking to make friends.
• Join Your Union – the University of St Andrews Students’ Association.

Other places to find help 

• Save the Student, a website with advice for UK students, has tips on managing homesickness and self-care at university.
• StudentMinds, a mental health charity for young people, has advice on managing homesickness at university.