University of Manchester - thoughts?

I'm a second year at Manchester. I do like it, yes!

However, I'd question whether or not you are going to be any better off commuting from home, compared to living in halls. Don't forget to factor in

- train fares

- time spent travelling (I'd argue that you should assign a monetary value of £6.19 per hour to this, on the basis that you could spend that time working if you weren't travelling)

- taxi costs, for when you want to go on a night out and go home after public transport has stopped

- the fact that, if you are eligible for a bursary, then in first year £2000 of it can only be used as an accommodation or tuition fee discount (you also get £1000 in cash). An accommodation discount will benefit you in the immediate term, but a tuition fee discount may never benefit you, as many people won't pay off their student loan before it is written off after 30 years. Manchester's cheapest accommodation (Oak House, I stayed there, it's absolutely fine) is £86pw. Factor in the accommodation discount, and it works out at £36.05pw.
You get the whole £3000 as cash in subsequent years, so you could then reassess your decision to live in Manchester, depending on how you feel.
http://www.manchester.ac.uk/undergraduate/studentfinance/home-eu-2013/university-scholarships-and-bursaries/

And then you have to account for the social problems associated with living at home. Unfortunately, you just don't see people often enough to make friends on many courses - an hour a week in a seminar for 10 weeks, and then you could quite easily never see them again. I've come across several people in seminars who are living at home, and they just seem a bit too desperate to make friends, even though we're in second year now, so I can only presume that they have seriously struggled to make friends that are more than mere acquaintances IYSWIM. Societies are a good way to meet people, but they often require a significant time commitment, and at times when it may be too late (or in some cases, too early!) to get home by public transport - for that reason, my society doesn't have any people who live at home in it.

If I were you, I'd do my sums and work out how much more money I would have in my pocket as a result of deciding to live at home. The answer is likely to be not much. Then balance it against the time / social costs of living at home. How about living in halls in first year and then seeing how you feel about moving into a house with friends for second year?

My boyfriend is at the Uni of Manchester and commutes from home, and he seems to be enjoying it. It's a lot of work, he seems to have something new to complete every day he comes home anyway! Depending on where you live, you'll have to factor in train/bus fare to your finances but this is highly likely to work out much cheaper than living in halls.

You won't receive as much money from student loans, but UoM have a very generous bursary system if you're eligible where you can get a tuition fee discount of £2000 in your first year as well as a cash bursary of £1000, paid in three installments. In subsequent years you could be entitled to additional bursaries, even if you stay living at home.

My boyfriend lives at home but hasn't struggled to make friends and settle in, sure it's harder to make lasting friendships because you don't spend as much time together as flatmates in halls would, but if you make the effort and go to societies or nights out you shouldn't have to worry about being left out.

Well according to my mum I'll be eligible for a grant for living at home which we've worked out will cover my travel costs comfortably, plus I have a job which fits in around uni hours, so financially it seems pretty feasible.

I'm hoping that the friendship side of things won't be an issue and I'm definitely willing to join societies and meet people so that sounds encouraging. Thank you so much for the advice, it's really helpful!

Well according to my mum I'll be eligible for a grant for living at home which we've worked out will cover my travel costs comfortably, plus I have a job which fits in around uni hours, so financially it seems pretty feasible.