[MrsKrood]

I will be travelling from birmingham to staffordshire university (stoke campus) to read law and I want to know is there a cheap way for me to commute? I can not move into accomodation due to family obligations and i really do not want anything to come in my way of reading law at staffordshire, can anyone help me??????

[MrsKrood]

P.S

sorry forget to mention the purpose of this thread.....I want to know what kind of help is out there for commuters and is it really worth me travelling from b'ham to stoke everyday

[edjunkie]

Do you have a car? If so, you could consider car pooling or sharing. To make this work you need to know your timetable and be prepared to leave earlier than you might otherwise need to and similarly stay a bit longer on occasion. Even if you don't have a car, there are a number of websites which allow you to post your journey requirements and see if you can find a match. Think about where you can get to easily, which might make picking you up or dropping you off more viable.

If you don't have a car, then check to see what student discounts are available on the coach or train. A full time student regardless of age with an nus isic card should be eligible for a student rail card. A student rail card can reduce the fare by up to 1/3.

Have a primary and secondary way of getting to Staffordshire, in case of bad weather or illness (in the case of car pooling).

If Staffordshire is where you have secured your place and you want to study law, then it is worth it. Obviously it would be easier if the place was closer to home, but if that option is not available to you, then go for it.

[ChapelTom]

(Original post by MrsKrood)
I will be travelling from birmingham to staffordshire university (stoke campus) to read law and I want to know is there a cheap way for me to commute? I can not move into accomodation due to family obligations and i really do not want anything to come in my way of reading law at staffordshire, can anyone help me??????

I commute by train between North Derbyshire and Liverpool. 50 miles ish, but with multiple trains required (2 or 3) and slow trains, it takes me 2hr 30 to 3 hours door to door EACH WAY. That's a commute, I coped with that 4 days a week, did work and reading on the train, easy. £10.90 up to £14.25 I paid depending on when I travelled. I had a 1 or 2 mile walk to the station, usually between 1hr 40 and 2 hours on trains with connections, then a 1.3 mile walk.

I'm commuting 2nd and 3rd year to Uni for definite. Cost me under £50 a week x 26 weeks, spent about £1100 on train fares in the end.

Birmingham to Stoke is a quick journey, £13.75 return before 0930 with a railcard. It'll be an easy commute by train, its about an hour from BHM to Stoke on Trent http://brfares.com/#fares?orig=BHM&dest=SOT&rlc=YNG - all fare info on there.

You'll be fine.

[EssexDan86]

I could understand if it was a half hour commute, but anything lengthier and I'd suggest finding a closer uni or moving closer to where you study - you'll get far more out of the experience!

[edjunkie]

(Original post by EssexDan86)
I could understand if it was a half hour commute, but anything lengthier and I'd suggest finding a closer uni or moving closer to where you study - you'll get far more out of the experience!

Places for Law are competitive. If the OP has secured a place to study at Staffordshire and as stated for family reasons cannot move closer, then minimising the impact of commuting is the best thing to do.

The main reason for going to university is to successfully complete the degree you signed up for. The social side of university is secondary and commuting does not preclude that, with a bit of planning. I've had the short commute and the long commute and once you get into the routine of it, it makes no difference. It always made me laugh when the campus based people failed to make it to class on time with zero commute and ended up scrabbling around for lecture details.

[MrsKrood]

Thank you for your advice...I feel a little better knowing that there are alot of others who commute further than i have to and they don't regret it (: I'm going to apply for the student railcard (:

Thanks guys really has calmed by nerves (: x