Life as a university student is always a bit of an adjustment struggle for me, like many students. We have to pack up our life, unpack it, then pack it up again when the terms end, then unpack it, and this goes on and on … and on. But of course the worst thing for me is the goodbyes, and sadly the end of my second year approaching my third year abroad included some of the biggest and most emotional goodbyes yet. All this moving around made me think that the majority of us university students are kind of like nomads locked within the education system, living within the education system, and moving in and out of the education system. But do we actually belong in this environment?
I remember moving to university and having to pack up my life into boxes and suitcases and squeezing them all in the car for a two hour drive to my new 'home'. The first year of university involved me going home for a few weekends to see friends, family and boyfriend. I didn't go home every weekend as I knew I needed to settle into university life, but I definitely went home a lot more during first year than second year. Gradually, as I began to adjust to university life I wanted to stay at my university rather than leave it. Holidays like Christmas and Easter seemed a little forced as if us students have to go home as some sort of duty to our families and universities. But the truth is, home really doesn't feel like home anymore.
I have my independent life at university, and I have the life I grew up in to become who I am today. Being an Erasmus student makes this adjustment even more difficult. My life that was originally in a house, then packed into a huge number of boxes, has now been packed into just two suitcases and I am no longer at home, or my university home. I'm creating another home. A third home. Which in 6 months time I will soon be leaving to return back to university. To be honest, the whole situation is not only frustrating but emotionally draining, but I suppose it all comes with the struggles of growing up and making a permanent life for ourselves.
What do you think students can do to make the move between homes easier?
