Homesickness

We’ve come to the end of the first week back (unless you’re starting next week instead)! Many people can find themselves feeling homesick at the start of the new term. This isn’t uncommon- in fact, research shows that 70% of students report feeling homesick at some point.

Signs of homesickness include preoccupying thoughts about home, friends and family from your hometown, withdrawal from social activities and work, and symptoms of depression and anxiety. If you are feeling homesick, here’s a few tips that may help:

1.  Get out and keep busy- maybe now could be the time to join a new society or the gym?
2. Bring some home comforts- making your university living space as homely as possible is important!
3. Call home (but not too often)- maintaining some connection with your home support network is important, but maintaining a balance (aka not cancelling plans with friends so that you can call home again) is key
4. Talk to someone- if you’re finding it difficult to cope, speak to someone about it, whether that’s university counselling services, friends, or us!
5. Give yourself time- it may take a bit of time to adjust to being back after the Christmas break, and that’s okay

Homesickness can happen at any point even if you’ve already been at university for a few years, so don’t beat yourself up about it. Also, if you notice that a friend is withdrawing, reach out to them a few times and let them know that you’re there for them.

Warmly,

Anon

Exam stress coping tips

Now that term 2 has started, many of you may be facing exams and assignments. It’s not uncommon to find exams daunting, but here’s a few tips on how to cope with exam stress from Student Minds:

1.  Organisation: Break your revision down into small chunks, and form a plan. Once you've got a plan, you won't have any more dilemmas at the start of the day about what to work on.
2. Schedule in plenty of free time to unwind. If you give yourself plenty of rest you can do the same amount of work in half the time or less.
3. Equally, don't panic if you go slightly off schedule - tomorrow is another day.
4.  Don't set yourself ridiculous goals. Nobody can revise 10 topics in a day! Avoid setting the day up to be a disappointment.
5. Don't cut out all the enjoyment from your life. It's tempting to decide you'll just knuckle down to work and "focus", but this is counterproductive - it's impossible to focus without giving your brain rest by doing other activities.
6. Avoid stimulants. Caffeine, alcohol and drugs impede your energy and concentration in the long term. It'll also make it more difficult to get that much-needed sleep.
7. Don’t compare yourself to others
8. If you can, discuss with your parents what they are expecting you to achieve. Parents with steep or unrealistic expectations will just add unnecessary pressure. It's helpful to let them know what you think you have the capacity to achieve, and to insist that the best way to get there is to have support from your parents, not pressure.
9. If you're feeling really worried or anxious, chat to a good friend, family member, or tutor. It helps to get it out of your system, and they may well be able to help think about practical strategies to deal with exam stress.
10. And lastly, PERSPECTIVE- exam success (or failure) does not define you as a person!

For study tips, here’s an excellent 3-minute video by asapscience on the best study tips according to science: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p60rN9JEapg

Warmly,

Anon

We're Back for Term 2!

We’re Back!

Our lines are open again for term 2! We know that coming back to university after the Christmas break can be wrought with its own challenges, from exam stress to homesickness to financial worries. We will be uploading an article every day this week about some of these challenges and tips for adjusting to being back at university. Stay tuned!

Whatever is on your mind, we’re here to listen. You can contact us via phone, text, Instant Messaging, and email (find our details on Nightline.org.uk) . Follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram (@LondonNightline) to keep up to date with what we’re up to, and any line closures.