LEAVING HOME AND GOING TO UNIVERSITY

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It is a new experience for everyone at a time in each ones life

Leaving home is going to be a new experience for all. When you move away from you will get to experience new things you might not go got when you were living at home.
You will be living with new people and in a new environment, so being able to cope with adjustment and change is going to help. It will be hard being away from familiar faces and environment but getting familiar and comfortable with what sort of environment you are in now will be good.
Making new friends and being open with different people is something that you want to consider. Making new friends might be hard but ways to make them easier is join sports groups, new committee’s, and even living in the halls at university.
These are all ways to get involved in the university life as well as creating life long friends. Get involved with different groups like sport, art etc and you will find other people who share the similar interest with you.
It is important to still communicate with your family and friends from back home, if this means calling them, FaceTiming them, going back home for a visit and even just going out for food with them. It’s also important to have fun, and embrace new challenges that leaving home will bring.

It will not be an easy transition

On the side of leaving home and going to uni it is all very exciting and a happy time but there will be an emotional side to leaving your home. For some, leaving home and going to uni will be a different and emotional experience if you have been supported by your family up until that time, you will have to adjust to being on your own and sorting out your dinner, washing, tidying etc. For some they may have had the experience of boarding at school where you have more independence with support always there if you need it, when going into boarding it is the same, you have to adjust to not having you dinner and washing done by someone and then delivered to you.
In the first few weeks of leaving home and either going to uni or boarding you will be fine for the first 2 weeks as it just seems like a big sleepover but as time goes on you will then be into uni or school and reality will hit that you are not around your family who support you endlessly with everything, they make you happy and you continuously are able to have a laugh to them, vent to them and everything else that comes with living at home.
You may feel upset about not being around home and that is normal, you may feel lost and wonder why are you here and all you want to do is just be at home and be in the comfort of your home where you feel safe and comfortable to be your individual self. The emotions of leaving home are normal and it does happen, you just have to keep in contact with your family regularly, whether it be a phone call, a text or a facetime.
It may take some time to get over the feeling of being ‘homesick’ but you will have your new friends that are around you that are dealing with the same feeling will be there for you and you will be there to support them.

This video has lots of other helpful tips!!

5 TIPS TO MAKE THE TRANSITION EASIER:

Take a few homely things from home

When leaving home and moving out it is nice to take a few of your things from home into your new area or place to make it an easier transition. With objects or items that a familiar to you from home will make the space feel the same and you will feel more comfortable in it. Things to come in with could be a teddy, photos, pillow or anything that reminds you hot your home.

2. Keep busy

Keeping busy will help you get distracted from the fact you are not in the comfort of your home with your family. To keep busy you could join different committees, going a club or join a sports team.

3. Make new friends

Making new friend will make you feel more comfortable in a new city and place whether it be if you are going into a hall at uni you will need to make new friends as you may not know anyone in your hall. To make new friends you should join a club or group and a sports team or few!

4. Have fun

When leaving to go to university you need to remember to not drown yourself in your study and to socialise with your new friends and have fun! Make sure you balance out your study and social life or other hobbies as you will be able to enjoy yourself and these special years of your life.

5. Download messaging and calling apps to keep in contact with friends and family from home

Keeping in contact with family and friends back home is made easier with texting and calling these days but now there are lots of different apps available on most phones. There are 3 apps that I would recommend to stay in contact with family is Snapchat where you can send photos with captions to people, Facebook and Facebook Messenger where you can message people and WhatsApp is another messaging app that is quick and easy to contact anyone across the world.

Snapchat

Facebook and Facebook Messenger