I want to go home! tips for battling homesickness The transition from home to university often involves major changes in a person's life.  It can be filled with excitement, expectation and adventure.  It can also be marked by homesickness, which can sometimes make people quite miserable.  In our conversations with people struggling to overcome homesickness, we often hear about ways they've discovered of making things better for themselves. One student's ideas are presented below, followed by other people's suggestions. We hope you'll find these tips for battling homesickness helpful. Here's what one first-year student told us: Keep in touch with friends and family via regular phone calls. If you feel the need, talk to a counsellor about your feelings -- they will listen objectively and be in your corner. Break up the University year into smaller parts by getting a year planner or calendar so that you can mark off the days until your first weekend home, next holidays, first assignment due date, etc.  This helps the time go faster. Know your options in case the situation doesn't improve.  This includes HECS dates and transfer policies. Don't worry about going home for weekends, even the first weekend.  It's easy to make up stories to tell people if you're uncomfortable about admitting to homesickness.  Bringing laundry home, picking up clothing you forgot, and going to a birthday party are all good examples. Keep busy -- check out the gym program or the clubs market day for activities you might like. Pick