Moving out to go to university can be both exciting and frightening. For many students, it's the first time they're living away from home and from their families. For me, that was the exact case. I came from a small town in the West of Ireland and moved to Belfast to start my new chapter.

I am an outgoing, bubbly girl and I thought I would have no bother moving out, but surprisingly, for the first semester of my first year in university I absolutely hated it. I was in a new city, where I knew nobody and I had never felt as lonely and homesick in all my life. Here are some tips I learned along the way.

1. Decorate your room:

If you’re a university student living away from home, it’s more than likely that the only space that is yours is your room. You will spend so much time in your room, from studying to down time, so make it feel like home. I decorated my walls by hanging up pictures of my friends and family, and I also hung-up posters that had positive quotes on them. I got these from Shein, and they were very inexpensive.

I also added a cozy blanket and cushion on my bed, and a salt lamp to turn on for when I wanted to wind down in the evenings and read my book. I kept adding decorations to my room for the first couple of weeks until I was happy and felt at home. This can really make a difference, there is nothing worse than going home to an empty room every evening. 

^{Personalising your bedroom can help you settle in quickly}

2. Make new friends:

Sometimes, this one can be easier said than done. If you're in a new city starting off and know nobody, you really need to be willing to put yourself out there. I have made most of my best friends from my course. I would really recommend joining the society for your course and attending the events. This is how I started to talk to and get to know more people in my course.

Living in student accommodation is also a great way to get to know people. If you are living with students, I would recommend going for a flat night out – when everyone takes time out to go somewhere they make more of an effort to talk and get to know new people.  There are usually communal areas for students to hang out, which can be a great way to get to talk to people. I also really recommend getting a job as this is also how I have met so many people.

^{There are many communal areas for students to hang out}

3. Stay in touch with family and friends:

Just because you no longer live at home, it doesn’t mean everybody forgets about you! At the start of university, it was hard for me to accept that I would no longer hang out with my school friends every day. Unfortunately, that is part of growing up and now I love my uni friends just as much! I regularly FaceTime my mum, dad and puppy to see what they’re up to. 

Friends can sometimes be harder to stay in contact with, as most of my friends are also in university and have very busy schedules. I recommend scheduling FaceTimes, or else meet ups for when both of you are home. Even more exciting, you now live in a new city, so there is no better excuse for your family to come and visit and explore together!

^{My aunts and cousins came to visit me, as well as my mum at Christmas time for a girl's weekend!}

4. Explore your new city:

Belfast is an amazing city with so much to see and do. Instead of spending long evenings in your room, take yourself out for a walk and grab a coffee. I enjoyed trying out different coffee shops and getting to know my new surroundings. On the weekend when I had more time, I would sometimes get the bus into town and have a look around the shops. My boyfriend came up some weekends and we went for drives to explore Belfast.

^{My boyfriend and I having a look around the shops}

5. Get involved on campus:

I always wanted a job when I moved to university, and I heard about QWork, an online platform that has jobs for Queen’s University students. I decided to apply for a job. Since applying through QWork, I have worked in 4 different jobs and loved all of them. Some of them were temporary and lasted one or two days, others were permanent and I had a set shift every week. I made so many new friends working at these jobs, but it also gave me a sense of purpose around campus, especially in the depths of my homesickness.

It's normal to feel homesick when you're away at university. But with a little work, you can establish a new network of friends and acquaintances and make your new accommodation feel like home.

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Student Wellbeing Service

Living in Belfast

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Sarah Geraghty Biomedical Science | Undergraduate Student | Galway, Ireland My name is Sarah Geraghty! I am a first year Biomedical Science student from Galway. I'm 21 and I feel like I have a lot to offer in the line of advice because I realize that a lot of people have a hard time settling in and making friends in university and that the expectations of “university life” don't always meet reality for many students. I live in Queen's Accommodation, in Elms BT9, and I really love it there and never want to leave. I am in the Biomedical Science society, and I really enjoy it. I also work 4 hours a week in Spar in the Student's Union, which really doesn’t feel like work to me as I’ve got to know so many people.