How to Stay In Touch While You're Away at University

For most students, going away to university is their first time to be away from home. You’ll experience homesickness at first, but as the weeks and months go by, that feeling will be replaced by excitement as you get to meet new people, visit new places, and experience new things.

This doesn’t mean you’ll have to say goodbye to the relationships you’ve made at home. As the saying goes, distance will only make the heart grow fonder.

You can use the time away from each other to further strengthen your relationships. Here are some tips on how to stay in touch with people who mean a lot to you.

Set aside time for catching up.

Your schedule can get quickly filled up with classes, work, and study groups. You also have to set aside time for your rest, workouts, and errands. This is why you need to set up time in advance for a quick catch-up with your friends from way back. Make sure to clear your calendar to keep the appointment, or let them know ahead of time if you’re going to cancel.

Spend time virtually.

Get creative and think of ways on how you can spend time together beyond the usual hi-and-hellos. You can host a virtual game night, start a book club discussion, or watch the same movie online with your friends.

Try it the old-fashioned way.

Revive the lost art of letter writing and send a letter to friends every month. It’s a lot more intimate than sending a message on Facebook. You can dress up your letter with pretty stationery and include ephemera to make it more special.

Send a care package.

If a friend back home is feeling down, sending a care package will improve their mood, knowing you went to great lengths just to make them feel better. You can send essential oils, weighted blankets, or a box of baked goodies with a short note from you.

Keep track of important dates.

Use your planner to keep track of your friends and family’s birthdays, and set an alarm so you don’t forget to greet them. You can mail in a postcard or send a bouquet of flowers to make their day even more special.

Arrange for a visit.

There’s nothing like seeing people in real time to rekindle the friendship. You can arrange to visit each other’s universities and go on a tour. Before their visit, make sure to clean up your student rentals. Waterloo is a historic city so you and your friends can go on a walking tour to explore the Mary-Allen neighbourhood and Uptown Waterloo. You can also show them around the beautiful campuses of the University of Waterloo and Wilfrid Laurier University.

Plan for a reunion.

Reunite with friends when you’re back home from university – whether it’s over the holidays, spring break, or summertime. Meet old friends, reminisce, and make new memories that you’ll take with you when you go back to school.