Finding a Room to Belong: Rachel’s story
17 December 2025
Loneliness isn’t always loud. Sometimes it looks like a closed bedroom door, a new city, or a flat full of strangers. For Rachel Horrobin, a 20-year-old Psychology undergraduate in her final year, the journey to feeling at home wasn’t simple. As part of our Room to Belong campaign, her experience shows why building truly connected Communities matters.
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Starting out alone
Leaving home for the first time can be overwhelming, especially when you arrive somewhere that’s completely unfamiliar.
“For a lot of people, it's living in a city they have never been in before, completely on their own… it's really, really difficult for People to feel like they've got a support network.”
Rachel felt this sharply in her first year.
“I felt really alone all of the time… they just weren't interested whatsoever. It was terrifying when they started making their own friends and I was left out of everything.”
Returning after Christmas, she questioned whether she could stay.
“I just don't want to live here anymore, but there was nowhere else to go.”
Why loneliness spreads
Many students feel isolated simply because the People physically closest to them never become emotionally close.
“People don't really tend to reach out anymore. A lot of my friends feel alone because they live with a group that don't speak to them.”
What’s hardest, Rachel says, is how common it is.
“I really wish my experiences were part of the minority… they’re just not.”
The role of technology
Phones make it easy to stay connected to home, but sometimes they keep students anchored to the past rather than grounded in the present.
“I was constantly on the phone to my mum… I relied on the friends I already had and didn't realise how hard it would be living so far away from them.”
What might have helped?
Reflecting on her experience, Rachel believes small changes at the start could have reshaped everything.
“Living with people that were slightly more outgoing… or making more of an effort when I first moved in would have helped.”
She recognises now how hard it is to know what to expect before arriving.
The pressure of living costs
Financial strain added extra weight to an already challenging situation.
“The money I get doesn’t even cover half of my rent… I spend all of my time in the library to make sure I get a good degree so that the money's worth it.”
Even simple socialising became difficult.
“Paying for drinks and a club is super expensive. So none of us really tend to go.”
The power of everyday kindness
When Rachel moved into a PfP Students building, something shifted. A sense of Community finally clicked.
“I got on really, really well with the reception staff… and the people I lived with were really nice and friendly. I decorated for Christmas with the maintenance team, and it was so much fun… one lady even offered me a hug and gave me ice cream after I broke up with my boyfriend.”
For Rachel, that day-to-day support made all the difference.
“Having people to speak to every morning was the reason why I came back this year.”