5 Ways To Stay Connected To Your Family (And Pets) While At Uni
Going to uni is a fun and exciting time, but it can also be really easy to forget to check in with what’s going on at home. Similarly, it’s normal to feel really homesick especially within the first few months of uni while trying to adapt to living somewhere new and with new people, so it’s especially important to stay connected to your family (and pets!) at home.
Thanks to our EE student discount, you can get 20% off on a range of phones and plans as well as benefiting from free extras such as Apple Music and Xbox Game Pass Ultimate, so staying in touch really couldn’t be easier.
Here are some easy ways to make sure that you stay connected.
1. Schedule a weekly FaceTime or video call
If you’re guilty of forgetting to call your parents, agree on a set time weekly when you’ll have a nice long catchup. It could be a Sunday night before a fresh week of uni or a mid-week call before you head on your night out. Video calls are the best way to feel like you’re right in the room with your family, plus, you’ll be able to see and talk to your pets too and give them all the virtual hugs and kisses throughout the camera.
2. Watch TV shows together
Luckily, it’s 2022 and if there’s one thing the pandemic taught us it’s that you don’t have to be physically with someone in order to do things with them. New websites or features such as TeleParty allow you to watch Netflix, Disney+ or Amazon Prime shows at the same time as your friends and family so you can easily discuss exactly what’s happening and you don’t have to miss out on your regular TV-watching sessions.
This way, you won’t have to feel left out if all of your family normally get together to binge-watch a TV show weekly and you’ll feel like you’re right there with them!
3. Invite them to visit
While some families might be the type to invite themselves over asap and immediately involve themselves in your personal life, others might want to respect your personal space and leave you to enjoy uni life uninterrupted. The reality is, if your parents haven’t come to visit you at uni during your first term, they’re probably waiting for an invitation!
Invite your family and your pets to come and visit so you can show them your new university city, your favourite hang-out spots and how you’ve chosen to decorate your uni room. Sure, university is all about independence but that doesn’t mean your family can’t visit to see how you’ve settled into your new home.
4. Let them see your social media
Ok, so there are some things you probably don’t want your family members to see or know about. However, they’re probably sitting at home wondering what you’re up to and hoping that you’ve settled in alright. You definitely don’t need to give your family your Twitter or TikTok accounts but let them follow you on Instagram or have you as a Facebook friend so they can see all of the fun things that you’re getting up to (remember, private stories exist for the things you’d rather not share with them).
It will help your family to feel more connected to you if they can see that you’re having fun and making new friends, so definitely don’t shy away from having your mum as a follower you can always control what she actually sees!
5. Take lots of photos
Uni is all about making memories and you might not remember all of them the morning after, so you’ll want to make sure you’re capturing as many memories as possible. Smart phones in 2022 have impressive cameras meaning you’ll be able to take some great photos to remember your time in uni, whether it’s photos of your pre-drinks or picturesque shots of your uni campus.
Remember, your time in uni will fly by and one day all you’ll have is photos to remember it by so make sure you’re snapping pics whenever you can to share with your family and keep to help you remember the best times.
6. Hang up photos in your new uni room
Another pro of smartphone cameras? The photos will be of great quality if you choose to print them out! You won’t need to spend a fortune printing out your photos to decorate your uni room and hanging up photos of your pets and family means they’ll always be with you, even if they’re really far away.
Don’t forget to check out our EE student discount to save money on a brand new phone for uni to help you easily stay in touch with your family and capture all the best memories.
