Don't be a stranger

It goes without saying that the first few weeks of uni will be full of meeting new people, getting to grips with your course, and finding your way around town. Keeping in touch with family and friends back home could be near the bottom of the list of things to do. Equally, there can be times when being away from home can feel lonely. Either way, keeping up with family and friends is important for your wellbeing and fostering those relationships.

New city! New friends! New experiences!

It’s easy to get caught up in student life, from attending lectures and studying, to nights out and exploring your new home for the next three years.

We're lucky now that we have the power of technology and social media quite literally at our fingertips, so staying in touch is easier than ever. It's a short post this week, but we want to remind you how you can stay in contact with your family while you're away from home. This could be anything from an easy check-in to old fashioned conversations, or even keeping connected through online gaming sessions.

Say it with words

Probably the quickest way to stay in touch is by messaging. Set up WhatsApp or Messenger groups, or Snapchat for each set of friends or family you want to keep in touch with. This means you can easily plan stuff in for when you come home and keep up with all the gossip at the same time! Maybe drop a voice-note when you have something to share, for a personal touch.

Video call

The next best thing to seeing someone in the flesh is to video call. Whether it’s FaceTime, Messenger, or WhatsApp, you’ll be having a face-to-face conversation with someone from home. You could have a chat while cooking your dinner or making your way to the bus - it’s a great way to catch up on the go. It’s also an easy way to give your friends and family a tour of your room without them being there (and means you don’t have to tidy up so much beforehand!).

Going retro

Fed up of texting? Send a letter instead. Sending ‘real’ mail gives a personal touch that digital messaging lacks. You can doodle on your letters, add in some glitter as a messy surprise, or add some photos. Cards are also a great way to stay in contact, so make sure you don't miss a birthday, valentines, Christmas or celebration of good news! And who doesn't love receiving something in the post that isn't a pizza menu or a bill?

Social posts

Love creating content? What better way to stay connected with your loved ones than by sharing posts about your life at uni. Whether its Tiktok or Instagram, you could show your new city using your unique photography style, make videos about what you get up to on your course, or just share your random thoughts - its another way to express yourself and keep connected. Yes, parents like TikTok too!

Get gaming

You probably have one set up already, but one great way to stay in contact is by constantly beating your friends at FIFA or Call of Duty or joining forces in games like Gears of War or Borderlands. You can even hold regular games nights, so every Sunday night, whack a pizza in the oven, put your headset on and get ready for a night in with all your friends wherever they are.

Put a date in the diary to catch up irl

There's no better way to see each other than face to face! Its always great to make a date to look forward to, so you can meet up with who you care about and make the effort to see each other. If you have friends that are also at uni, maybe you can visit them where they are, or invite them to your uni. It’s a great way to bring home to your new home, share your experiences and is also a great way to see the country.