How to overcome anxiety when leaving home for university

As September quickly approaches, we know that you may be feeling excited for your next steps but anxious about the prospect of leaving home for the very first time. While packing your bags and heading off to a brand-new destination is the start of your thrilling new journey, it is okay to be feeling unsure about leaving your family, friends and familiar settings behind. These feelings are all completely natural and felt by everyone, so to help you settle these nerves and feel a bit more prepared for your new adventure, we’ve put together some top tips for you.

Research where you are going

Once the nerve-wracking results day has passed and your university place is confirmed, start researching your new home city or town - don’t leave it until you arrive to begin getting to know your new surroundings. Use the internet, social media or even visit the area for a day trip to explore and seek out places of interest. This will make your move feel far less daunting when moving day comes around

Speak to your parents

You won’t be the only one feeling unsure about your new move, its very likely that your parents or guardians will be looking to overcome the anxiety they feel about their child spreading their wings and leaving home too. Make time to speak with your parents to reassure them and to teach them about what you have found about your new home. Speaking together and getting any anxieties from both sides out in the open will help ease fears about leaving home for university for the first time.

Remember why you are going

Everyone will have a different reason for deciding to make the move to university, some will be solely focusing on a career path while others may have a passion for studying or want to live in a new city or country altogether. Whatever your personal reason for deciding to move away to university, remember your reasons for going and how this experience can stand to benefit your own personal journey.

Seek out support

A great way to overcome anxiety is to seek out support from others in the same boat. Speak to friends who are also about to embark on their journey to university and discuss mutual feelings, fears or excitements. Likewise, there are lots of great resources online, such as The Student Room, where students can reach out to other young adults to discuss their feelings on leaving home for the first time. Forums like this are a great way of communicating with others if you’re unsure on how to approach the topic.

If you are anticipating that you may struggle with homesickness and anxieties once at university, it’s a good idea to look into the support available before you arrive so you know where to turn if you need help or even just a chat. For example, Scape has resident managers on site 24 hours a day at each of its properties to provide support and assistance to anyone who may need it. Likewise, the Scape app features a wellbeing feature that will put residents in touch with a mental health trained professional no matter the time or situation. Knowing that resources like this are available at your university or student accommodation can help ease anxiety around moving away from home for the first time and help students focus on the exciting new chapter of their life.