Home sick abroad?

Tips to your rescue

It is very exciting and interesting to leave native country and travel abroad to study. But, sadly this excitement lasts only for a limited time then we start experiencing a lonely feeling and start missing friends and family. This feeling is home sickness and if not handled this is unhealthy. So here are few tips which can help you get over home sickness and concentrate on studies.

Stay connected with family and freinds

An assurance that your loved ones are just a call away is a great way to make you feel at home in a new setting. Use Skype, Whatsapp, or Facetime to keep in regular touch with your loved ones without causing a dent in your pocket.

Connect with people through online mediums

You can spontaneously engage in unplanned chat sessions with your family and friends on G-chat, Skype chat or Facebook.This will take your focus off from constantly thinking about what’s happening back home.Keeping in touch with your loved ones does help but make sure that you don’t overdo it and end up getting completely dependent on them emotionally.

Make a visit to nearby spiritual places

Paying customary visits to ISKCON temples, churches and mosques will make you feel connected to your religious roots and impart a sense of well-being.

Celebrate festivals through peers and community

With a little effort you will always manage to find folks from your home country. Make it a point to regularly visit community centres and actively participate in celebrating festivals with them. This will serve as a fantastic way to build new bonds of friendship and beat the homesickness blues.

Eat at an Indian restaurant

Occasionally sinking your teeth into a familiar cuisine will give you feeling of being at home; even if it is for a short while, it will surely serve its purpose.

Visit Indian grocery store

A random visit to the neighbourhood Indian grocery store and spotting Amul, Rasna and Parle-G is sure to bring a smile on your face.

Be open minded

You are going to a new country and be ready to embrace it with arms wide open. Removing this mental barrier will help you broaden your horizons and help you in welcoming a new set of friends. Be open to the idea of utilising your free time by closely working with student bodies and clubs. If it still doesn’t help, don’t shy away from making the most of university’s student support services. With a little counseling and student-mentoring program, you will settle down quickly.

Join a student group

Becoming a member of Indian Student Association will allow you opportunities to interact with your Indian peers and instantly feel at home.

Be self-sufficient

You will miss your mom more than ever when you are required perform daily chores like washing, cooking, and cleaning.

Learning to single-handedly manage yourself will equip you to stay on your own and stop you from feeling forlorn and secluded.

Get ready for a different climate

One important factor that students fail to anticipate is the difficulty in adapting to an altogether different climate. Researching and preparing yourself for the unique climatic conditions of your host country will enable you to weather initial body shocks and adjustment challenges. There are many like you out there struggling to acclimate themselves to a new setting, but rest assured it will soon start getting better. Reassure yourself that homesickness is a 'transient emotion' and the sooner you get out of it, the better it is.