The first night in a new dorm or new city is lonely for a lot of people. It’s not a sign you chose wrong.

First nights are lonely almost universally, and almost nobody mentions it afterwards, which is exactly why yours feels like a personal verdict. There is no routine yet, nobody knows you, and every small familiar thing is missing at once in the dark. That is an accurate description of a first night rather than a report on the decision that got you there.

If you are in that spot, give it three weeks before you conclude anything, and do one ordinary thing in the morning: a shop, a walk, a class you arrive early for. Message someone from home without pretending it is going brilliantly.