Studying in Germany: Homesickness Signs and Symptoms

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The catatonic running around like a headless chicken to the university and back, the thrills and chills of living in the new strange environment you were obsessing about the last couple of months, the idea of being completely alone and free for once in your life doesn't really leave room for complaining. Well, not really…

Once things fall into place and the rush hour is gone, you look around and realize it’s been ages since your last interaction with a human being. All the new responsibilities that come with changing states have kept yourself busy, new apartment, new school, new rules however what about new friends?

Saying goodbye to everything you have loved and cherished backatyour home ain'teasy howeverthe excitement of this radical change you've signed up forkeepsyou overwhelmed with joy. Facing it, on the other hand might not be as cheerful as one might think.

Moving to Germany for instance means moving to a rather peculiar and demanding surrounding that requests adjusting. New people, newrules thereforethe great challenge ahead of you sometimes gets so irritating you just want to go back to how thingwere, easyand familiar. Staying inside for the rest of the day stalking your best friends do what they do, what you used to dotoo justbefore this crazy idea of moving to the middle of nowhere breaks your heart. Days go by yet you are still in your bed, helplessly watching out the window trying to figure out what next.

Research prior to your departure will help you a lot with getting familiar with the surrounding. Great new restaurants you might want to try, art museums, historical sites and botanical gardens, everything that is there to see is advertised meticulously in travel guides which you will find online. Information never ceases just like Germany never stops surprising you for good. Movies, Theater plays, Ballet and Opera all seem so fascinating and yet you are still going through your own 50 shades ofgrey.

Homesickness isn't about missing the house or the people; here tooyou are surrounded by millions of students, settled in an awesome condo yet the routine has changed, and no matter how boring it might have seemed while you still had it it’s this routine you’re longing for. One doesn't have to be a genius to recon several symptoms that if not noticed, may lead to a serious issue in no time.


• Constant feeling of loneliness
• Sadness for no reason
• The lack of motivation and confidence
• Mood swings and isolation
• Staying in touch with your old friends and family 24/7
• Lack of interest in social activities
• Yearning to go back, out of the blue
• Fear and the feeling of insecurity
• White lies
• Refusing to let go, defensive mode


The aforementioned are some among many other signs of home deprivation. Choosing to ignore all the above because you are too grown up to deal with this childishcapricciocan lead to repression of stress manifested later on with physical disturbances such as headaches, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, muscular cramps and tension and even suicidal thoughts.

If things go this far, it’s obligatory to visit a counselor. If your health insurance doesn't cover the expenses, and unfortunately most probably they won’t (health insurance for internationals in Germany is written like this: Auslandskrankenversicherung) you can always turn to the University and ask for advice or check GermanyHis.com for more information about health insurance system in Germany .

Underestimating the potential of the problem and forcing it to go away might just get you completely out of track feeling lost and angry therefore the sooner you admit to having trouble coping the sooner the resolution might pop out.

I'm a Psychology & Counselling major so I'm quite familiar with these symptoms and things can get very serious if you don't treat yourself in time. So be sure to take care of yourself and enjoy your time in Germany, because that's why you went there in the first place: To have fun!

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