12 Ways to Deal with Homesickness

Keep Calm & Carry On: Dealing With Homesickness

Going away from home can be one of the most exciting parts of a summer programme. You get to experience a new place, meet students from around the world, become more independent and spend time studying a subject you genuinely enjoy.

But excitement and homesickness can exist at the same time.

For some students, a residential summer course may be their first significant period away from their family and familiar surroundings. Even students who travel regularly can suddenly miss home once the initial excitement of arriving somewhere new begins to settle.

Homesickness is common, and experiencing it does not mean that studying away from home was the wrong decision. Often, it is simply part of adjusting to a new environment.

The good news is that there are practical ways to make that adjustment easier.

What Is Homesickness?

Homesickness is the feeling of distress or discomfort that can arise when somebody is separated from home and the people, routines and surroundings they know well.

It can look different for different people.

One student might feel sad or unusually quiet. Another might become irritable. Some students find themselves constantly thinking about home, while others notice physical symptoms such as difficulty sleeping or a reduced appetite.

Often, homesickness is strongest during quieter moments — perhaps at bedtime or after speaking to family — rather than when students are busy in lessons and activities.

Understanding what is happening can make the feeling easier to manage.

You are adapting.

New people, new routines, unfamiliar surroundings and greater independence all require mental energy. It can take time before somewhere unfamiliar begins to feel comfortable.

Why Do Students Get Homesick?

Homesickness is not simply about missing your bedroom.

What people often miss is familiarity.

At home, you know how everything works. You know the people around you, what happens at breakfast, where your things are and what your day normally looks like.

Arriving at a residential summer programme changes many of those things at once.

You may be sleeping in a different room, eating different food, following a new timetable and meeting dozens of people whose names you are still trying to remember.

Even positive change can feel overwhelming when there is a lot of it.

That is why somebody can be having an exciting experience and still occasionally wish they were at home.

Is Homesickness Normal at Summer Camp?

Yes. Feeling homesick during a residential summer programme is entirely possible, particularly for students spending time away from their families for the first time.

The intensity varies considerably.

Some students settle almost immediately. Others need a few days before they begin to feel comfortable. Some may have occasional moments of homesickness throughout their stay.

There is no correct reaction to being away from home.

What matters is recognising the feeling and knowing what you can do about it.

1. Give Yourself Time to Settle In

The first day does not predict the rest of your summer.

Arriving somewhere new can feel strange precisely because everything is new at once.

You may not know anybody properly yet. You do not know the routine. Even simple things such as finding the dining hall or knowing what happens after an activity require thought.

A few days later, many of those things may already feel normal.

Give yourself the opportunity to reach that point before deciding how you feel about the experience as a whole.

2. Get Involved From the Beginning

When you miss home, staying in your room can feel tempting.

Unfortunately, having nothing to do can also give you more time to think about how much you miss it.

Joining activities provides a distraction, but more importantly, it helps you begin building a life in your new environment.

Go to the activity.

Join the conversation.

Sit with somebody new at dinner.

Explore the city with your group.

You do not need to become the most outgoing person on the programme. Simply being present creates opportunities for unfamiliar people and routines to gradually become familiar.

3. Talk to Other Students

One of the strange things about homesickness is that you can feel as though everybody else is having an effortless time.

They probably aren't.

Other students may also be missing their families, feeling nervous about making friends or wondering whether they will fit in.

Starting a conversation can be surprisingly reassuring.

Ask somebody where they are from, what subject they are studying or what they thought of the day's activity.

You already have something significant in common: you have both chosen to spend your summer somewhere new.

Friendships often begin with very ordinary conversations.

4. Speak to Someone if You're Struggling

You do not need to manage homesickness entirely by yourself.

Residential staff are there to support students throughout the programme, not only organise activities and timetables.

If you are having a difficult day, tell somebody.

Sometimes simply saying, "I'm really missing home today", makes the situation feel more manageable.

Staff may be able to help you get involved with an activity, introduce you to other students or simply provide somebody to talk to.

Asking for support is not making a fuss. It gives the people responsible for your wellbeing the opportunity to help.

5. Keep Busy, But Don't Exhaust Yourself

A full programme of lessons, activities and excursions can make the first few days pass surprisingly quickly.

Being occupied can help because your attention is focused on what is happening around you rather than constantly thinking about home.

But there is a difference between staying engaged and trying to avoid every quiet moment.

Sleep and downtime matter too.

If you become exhausted, small problems can begin to feel much bigger.

The goal is to establish a healthy routine: learn, participate, socialise and give yourself enough time to rest.

6. Create a New Routine

Part of what makes home comforting is routine.

You can create some of that familiarity while you are away.

Perhaps you read for 20 minutes before bed, meet the same group of friends at breakfast or take a few minutes each evening to write about what happened that day.

Small habits can provide a sense of stability when everything else feels unfamiliar.

After several days, the summer programme itself begins developing its own rhythm.

You know where you are going.

You recognise people.

You know what happens next.

The unfamiliar gradually becomes ordinary.

7. Stay in Touch With Home — Without Spending All Day There

Speaking to family can be reassuring.

But constantly messaging, calling or checking what everybody at home is doing can sometimes make it harder to become involved in what is happening around you.

Finding a balance can help.

Rather than reaching for your phone every time you feel uncomfortable, you might agree to speak with your family at a particular time.

Then you have something to look forward to while still giving yourself the opportunity to engage with the programme.

You have not stopped being part of life at home.

You are simply creating another experience alongside it.

8. Bring Something Familiar

A small reminder of home can make an unfamiliar room feel more comfortable.

It might be a photograph, favourite book, small object or something you normally have beside your bed.

The objective is not to recreate your bedroom exactly.

It is simply to have something familiar nearby while you adjust to everything else that has changed.

For younger students attending their first residential programme, this can be particularly reassuring.

9. Remember Why You Came

When you are homesick, it can be easy to forget why you were excited about attending in the first place.

Think back to the reasons you decided to come.

Perhaps you wanted to explore Medicine, Law, Engineering, Business or another subject beyond what you study at school.

Maybe you wanted to experience greater independence.

Perhaps you hoped to meet students from different countries or discover what living away from home might feel like.

Those reasons still exist, even if you are having a difficult evening.

Homesickness is a feeling in the present. It does not have to determine how you remember the entire experience.

10. Set Yourself Small Goals

Two weeks can sound like a long time when you are missing home.

So don't think about two weeks.

Think about today.

Your goal might simply be to introduce yourself to one new person, contribute once during an academic discussion or attend an evening activity.

Tomorrow, choose another.

Small goals give you something manageable to focus on and create a sense of progress.

Eventually, you may realise that you have stopped counting how many days remain until you go home.

11. Try Something New

One of the reasons to attend a summer programme is to experience things you would not necessarily do at home.

That could mean participating in a debate, trying a new sport, visiting somewhere unfamiliar or speaking to somebody from a country you know little about.

New experiences give your attention somewhere to go.

They can also create the moments that ultimately define your summer.

The activity you initially considered skipping might be where you meet one of your closest friends on the programme.

12. Don't Compare Your Experience With Everyone Else's

Some students appear immediately confident.

They walk into a room and begin conversations with strangers as though they have known them for years.

If that is not you, there is nothing wrong with taking longer to settle.

People adapt differently.

Comparing your internal feelings with somebody else's outward confidence is rarely useful because you do not know how they actually feel.

Focus instead on your own progress.

Did something feel easier today than yesterday?

Did you remember more names?

Did you ask a question in class?

Did you enjoy an activity?

Those small changes matter.

How Long Does Homesickness Last?

There is no fixed timetable.

For some students, homesickness may disappear once they have made friends and become familiar with their surroundings. For others, it comes and goes.

A student can have an excellent morning, feel homesick in the evening and wake up excited about the next day's plans.

That does not mean they are going backwards.

Adjustment is not always linear.

The important thing is whether the student is gradually becoming more comfortable and able to participate in everyday life.

If homesickness remains intense or is making it difficult to eat, sleep, attend lessons, join activities or function normally, students should speak to a member of staff rather than trying to manage it alone.

What Should Parents Do if Their Child Is Homesick?

Homesickness can be difficult for parents too.

When your child calls and says they want to come home, the instinct may be to solve the problem immediately.

But the way parents respond can influence how students interpret what they are experiencing.

Listen and acknowledge that they are finding things difficult. Ask what has happened that day and whether they have spoken to a member of staff.

It can also help to shift the conversation towards what comes next:

What lesson do you have tomorrow? Who have you met? Is there an activity you're looking forward to?

The aim is not to dismiss their feelings. It is to help them remember that a difficult moment is only one part of the experience.

If you are genuinely concerned about your child's wellbeing, contact the programme team so they can understand what is happening and provide appropriate support.

Should Parents Call Every Day?

Every family is different, but more contact is not automatically better.

For some students, a regular conversation with home is reassuring. For others, frequent calls can interrupt the process of settling in and repeatedly bring their attention back to what they are missing.

Before the programme, families can discuss how they expect to communicate.

Knowing that there will be an opportunity to talk can be comforting without requiring students to remain continuously connected to home.

Parents can also encourage students to tell them about what they are doing, rather than allowing every conversation to focus entirely on whether they feel homesick.

Preparing for Homesickness Before a Summer Course

The best time to talk about homesickness is often before it happens.

Parents can explain that missing home is possible and that it does not mean anything has gone wrong.

Students should know who they can speak to during the programme and understand that asking for help is encouraged.

Practical preparation helps too.

Packing familiar items, understanding the programme timetable and knowing what to expect on arrival can reduce some of the uncertainty associated with a new environment.

Students who have never spent much time away from home might also benefit from shorter experiences beforehand, such as staying with relatives, attending a school trip or spending a weekend away.

The objective is not to eliminate homesickness completely.

It is to make the experience of independence feel manageable rather than completely unfamiliar.

Homesickness and Becoming More Independent

There is another side to homesickness that is easy to overlook.

Learning to manage it can become part of developing independence.

Students discover that they can miss home and still have a good day.

They can encounter an unfamiliar problem and work out what to do.

They can introduce themselves to somebody they do not know, navigate a new routine and gradually become comfortable somewhere that initially felt strange.

These may seem like small achievements, but together they build confidence.

For students considering university away from home in the future, a residential summer programme can also provide an early experience of what greater independence feels like.

Supporting Students at Atlas Summer Courses

A residential summer course involves much more than academic teaching.

Students also need an environment in which they can settle in, make friends and know where to turn if they need support.

At Atlas Summer Courses, residential and pastoral staff support students throughout their stay, alongside the academic and activity programme.

For some students, settling in happens almost immediately. Others may need encouragement during the first few days.

That is why communication matters.

Students should feel able to tell a member of staff when something is worrying them, whether they are missing home, struggling socially or simply having a difficult day.

The aim is to help students participate in the experience while providing the structure, supervision and support appropriate to their age.

What if Homesickness Doesn't Get Better?

Most homesickness can be managed through time, support and becoming more involved in the new environment.

But students should never feel that they simply have to "carry on" regardless of how they are feeling.

If homesickness is persistent, severe or affecting everyday functioning, it is important to speak to a responsible adult.

Parents and programme staff can then work together to understand what the student needs.

The goal is not to force somebody to appear happy.

It is to make sure they are supported appropriately.

Keep Calm, Get Involved and Give Yourself Time

Going away from home asks you to do something unfamiliar.

You are leaving behind people and routines that make you feel comfortable and entering an environment where you may initially know nobody.

Feeling homesick during that transition is understandable.

But the first difficult evening does not tell you what the rest of the summer will be like.

Give yourself time.

Talk to somebody.

Join the activity even when staying in your room feels easier. Meet the person sitting next to you. Ask questions. Create a new routine. Stay connected with home without missing the experience happening in front of you.

Because one of the most rewarding parts of spending time away from home can be discovering that somewhere unfamiliar can gradually become somewhere you feel you belong.