Hi all, returned to University for my second year and I've been hit pretty hard with homesickness this time around. Leaving my parents, my girlfriend and my favourite surroundings behind after a great summer has really hit...well home (pardon the pun). Just wondered what other forumer's make of homesickness, coping methods, whether you've experienced similar things with work/uni/college/travelling and to generally open up a dialogue about this issue that gets us all at some point in life whether temporarily or for a big event such as uni or work.

I recommend Skype for keeping in contact.
It's free and you can use it to text chat, voice chat, or video chat. It even works with multiple people at once.
Pretty great tool to hear and see the faces you're missing.

Its better to focus on the reasons why you're away. Your friends and family will love you no matter what but also make them proud, do best you can. You'll be home soon enough and you will appreciate everything more when you get back.

Well, I don't know where you're at or how different it is, but being in Hawaii, the best thing I can do is fanatically seek out the kind of food I would eat at home. Fried chicken, hush puppies, chicken-fried steak, Old Bay! There was a really, really good southern place around but it closed. I still have Indian and Peruvian.

But yeah, other than that, Skype is good. Another solution is to just accept it. You are where you are, there's nothing you can do about it, so open yourself up to it. It's very existential and everything, but in short: enjoy it, and enjoy your independence. You are, after all, going to be independent for the majority of the rest of your life.

Video chatting (skype and Google Hangouts being two popular options) is a good way to talk to your family and see them. Beyond that making new friends and staying busy with your school work and social life are the best things to do.

I couldn't believe how much dust and grit there was in the city. You couldn't walk down the street without it stinging your eyes. Turns out that was because it was the capital of culture year and there was massive building work going on, but at the time I just figured all cities were like that.

Parks with a few wilted daffodils and some embattled stunted trees failed to alleviate the oppressive greyness of that urban environment. I had a freaking lake at home, so little else compared.

It was on the coast too, so it was [censored] cold, and the economic crisis had just started, so there were marxist posters everywhere and occasional demonstrations. My chief memories of that first year were trying to stay warm amidst the bleak grey buildings smeared with slogans and posters like I'd traveled back to 1917 Moscow.

I've never had homesickness so I know nothing of how it feels, but I think Skype and Google hangouts are good suggestions if you wanna keep in touch. There has gotta be some kind of phone app to let you get in touch as well....I can't remember the name, though. I think it's called Tango or something.

I've just moved into second year at a new university. The people in my building seem to already know each other and (Southern accent) don't take too kindly to new folk round 'ere. Luckily I'm only forty minute's drive from home so won't get the homesickness hard, but when I did last year I just called people from home a lot and invited them up to visit a lot. Also, clubs and societies. Basically friendship machines. Join as many as you can, even if you're not that interested in whatever it is they're about.

Hey cheers for all the responses! Yeah I always use Skype and that and keep in touch, the hard bits the re-adjustment after the big vacations its crazy! My issue is I'm completely in love with my town and part of the UK. Just keeping focused on the goal of getting a degree really as the partying student life isn't quite my thing. Plenty of pub trips and excellent movie nights though!

Sleep with as many women as possible this semester. You'll feel better, I promise. Forget the gf, she'll leave you later this year anyway. Nothing but the truth baby.

This is pretty much the best way to approach it. Dive into studies and work as hard as you can. After a time the homesickness will lessen. I went to college (university) 1700 miles from home and it was pretty rough at first. I'm from California and went to school in Iowa. Totally different topography and climate (freezing cold in the winter!). Plus I was so far away I could only fly back for winter break (at least in the UK you're a short train ride from anywhere).