<\/p>\n
Starting university is one of the most significant transitions a young person makes. Alongside the excitement comes something far less talked about: homesickness. Studies<\/a><\/a> show that up to 70% of first-year students experience it during their first ten weeks. <\/span><\/p>\n The good news is that homesickness almost always fades as students build routines and connections. In the meantime, one of the most effective things you can do is transform your student flat into a space that genuinely feels like yours.<\/span><\/p>\n Acknowledge How You're Feeling<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n Homesickness is not a weakness. Allowing yourself to feel those emotions, rather than pushing through them, is an important part of adjusting. Missing home simply means you have strong connections to the people and places you've come from.<\/span><\/p>\n If feelings become persistent or start affecting your studies, Fresh's Student Assistance Programme<\/a><\/a>, delivered in partnership with Health Assured, offers free 24\/7 confidential support covering mental health and emotional wellbeing.<\/span><\/p>\n Personalise Your Space<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n A room that reflects your personality is far easier to relax in than a blank, institutional one. The challenge in student accommodation is doing this without causing damage, but there are plenty of deposit-safe ways to make your space feel like home.<\/span><\/p>\n Photographs and memories.<\/b> Printing photos and displaying them on a pinboard, strung along fairy lights, or placed in frames on your desk are among the most effective ways to bring familiarity into a new room.<\/span><\/p>\n Lighting.<\/b> The overhead lighting in most student rooms is rarely flattering. A warm bedside lamp or a string of fairy lights can completely change the atmosphere. <\/span><\/p>\n Soft furnishings.<\/b> A rug, a throw, and a few cushions make a significant difference to how a room feels. Bold bedding is one of the easiest and most affordable ways to inject personality.<\/span><\/p>\n Plants.<\/b> Low-maintenance options such as cacti or snake plants bring life into a room and can actively reduce stress. If you're worried about upkeep, a faux plant works just as well visually.<\/span><\/p>\n Scent.<\/b> Reed diffusers or plug-in fragrance options (open flames are not permitted in student accommodation) can make a room feel familiar and calming. Bringing a scent from home during the early weeks can provide genuine comfort.<\/span><\/p>\n Build New Routines<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n Homesickness often intensifies in unstructured time. Establishing consistent sleep patterns, regular mealtimes, and a set study schedule provides stability that makes an unfamiliar environment feel more manageable. Even small routines, like the route you walk to lectures or the day you do your laundry, can help a new environment start to feel settled.<\/span><\/p>\n Stay Connected<\/span><\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n Regular contact with friends and family at home is important. However, long daily calls can sometimes intensify homesickness rather than ease it. Scheduling shorter, regular check-ins gives you something to look forward to whilst encouraging you to engage with your new surroundings too.<\/span><\/p>\n Invest in the Community Around You<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n Social connection is consistently the fastest route through homesickness. Keeping your door open, joining a society, attending events, or simply making tea for your flatmates are small steps that build meaningful relationships over time.<\/span><\/p>\n Fresh properties are designed with the community in mind. Regular residents' events, shared social spaces, and on-site teams who genuinely know their residents help students feel part of something from day one, making the process of settling in feel far less daunting.<\/span><\/p>\n A Note for Parents<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n If your child is struggling, the most helpful thing you can do is listen and normalise. Encouraging them to engage with their new environment, rather than coming home at the first opportunity, gives them the space to build the connections and routines that will help them settle. Most students find that, given a little time, university accommodation starts to feel like a second home.<\/span><\/p>\n In Summary<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n Homesickness is a natural part of starting university, and it passes. By personalising your space, building routines, staying connected in a balanced way, and investing in the community around you, your student flat can become far more than somewhere to sleep. With the right environment and support, it becomes a genuine home.<\/span><\/p>\n To find out more about Fresh's approach to student wellbeing<\/a><\/a> or explore our student accommodation locations<\/a>.<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Starting university is one of the most significant transitions a young person makes. Alongside the excitement comes something far less talked about: homesickness. Studies show that up to 70% of first-year students experience it during their first ten weeks. The good news is that homesickness almost always fades as students build routines and connections. […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":8186,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[7,10],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-8187","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-health-wellbeing","category-student-living"],"metadata":{"_pingme":["1"],"_thumbnail_id":["8186"],"_yoast_wpseo_title":["Handling Homesickness: Making Your University Flat Feel Like Home | Fresh"],"_yoast_wpseo_metadesc":["Feeling homesick at university is completely normal. Here's how to personalise your student flat and build the routines that help your new space feel like home."],"_yoast_wpseo_metakeywords":[""]},"yoast_head":"\n