As the holiday season approaches, for some international students it means the pang of homesickness starts to strike again. Seen Mun Chung is our Waterford Institute of Technology Ambassador and in this blog she shares five ways to cope..

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Make your room feel like home

After a hard day, it can be a little disheartening to unlock your room and feel like it’s not home. You can’t just bring your entire room abroad with you but you can always transform that empty little square into a warm and cosy room that you enjoy! Spend a little time and effort to make your room into a place where you are excited to come back every day. You can cover your walls with photos from home and pack some home comforts like your favourite throw, duvet cover and even teddies! It is also nice to light a scented candle to get rid of the ‘new-room’ smell.

Make the most of Skype and other social media

Today’s technology has made it easier for us to keep in touch with our friends and family no matter where we are in the world. You can spend some time to talk to your family every week and catch up on what is happening back in your home. You can also keep track of what everyone is doing from updates and photos. Staying in touch with your family and friends although you are not around is not as difficult as you think!

Make a bucket list for exploring Ireland

You should find a few must-go-places in Ireland and plan some trips with your friends when you are free. They are many places in Ireland that you absolutely have to visit. You can make a list of those places or things to do and complete them one by one. It can definitely help you to relieve stress and cope with homesickness.

Learn to cook your home favourites

Food is always one of the biggest causes of homesickness for almost everyone living abroad. Even if you love everything else about your new country, you probably still miss some of your favourite meals. You can always go online and look for recipes of your favourite cuisine and learn to cook them. Most of the ingredients are attainable in Ireland and if they are not available here, just bring them along when you are back to your country for holidays!

Make new friends

It is time for you to step out of your comfort zone and start to make new friends from all around the world. You can first start with knowing new friends from your own country and then expand to people from other countries. You can have your meals or go to movies with others. You can learn the culture and belief of your friends and you will realise that your knowledge is growing from day to day.

Interested in studying abroad? Visit the Education in Ireland website for more information.