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Packing your bags and heading off to study in a foreign country can prove to be the adventure of a lifetime.

However, studying abroad also entails a lot of commitment and dedication.  International students often spend several years in a foreign country to get that much sought after internationally recognised diploma or degree.

If this is also your first time being away from your family and friends for so long, then it’s possible that you will start feeling homesick after a while.   Local students can also feel homesick but unlike International students, they are in a better position to return home for  short visits.

Typically you are bound to get homesick when you’re unoccupied.  You start wishing you were at home with your family and friends, and start thinking about all the things that you’re missing because you’re away.

Today, I would like to share with you some tips that I hope you will find useful if you start missing your life back home.

• Never lose sight of why you’re here.  You came here to get that diploma or degree so you should always put your studies first.   Make sure that you have at least a clear weekly plan of how you’re going to juggle class, research, assignments and tests. Do not let yourself fall behind in your studies without taking remedial action.  This will only lead to frustration and disappointment which may in turn lead to homesickness.


• Give yourself time. You have embarked in a challenging experience and you are allowed to feel a bit disorientated at first.  A different environment, culture, norms and beliefs can all contribute to an increase in longing to be home again. Remember that this is not permanent (not unless you want it to be anyway) and you will get to see your family and friends again.  Plus nowadays you can stay in touch daily if you wish with emails, chat, etc.  So stay positive and make the most of your time in your newly found fascinating “home”.


• Try to maintain the same hobbies you had back home.  While exploring new areas of interest will broaden your perspective on things, keeping your old hobbies will help you  settle down in your new environment more quickly.  So if for example you love playing tennis, find out if there’s a tennis association on campus or nearby and join in.  We’re at our happiest state when we are doing the things that we love. So go for it.


• Socialize and make new friends.   Meeting new people is one of the most interesting and exciting experiences that you can have while studying in a foreign country.  Do not just socialize with people that originate from your home country.  Getting to know about different cultures and norms is half the fun of studying abroad. Don’t let this opportunity pass you by.