The Student Room Group

2 hour commute to uni

I'm just wondering if anyone has lived at home during uni and travelled a 2 hour commute to university from their home?
I'd like to know what it's like as I hate the halls at my uni and getting a house isn't an option. By bus my uni is 2 hours (give or take depending on traffic etc) from my house.
for my course id be in uni 3 days a week during semester one and 3-5 days a week during semesters 2 and 3.
Also I'd rather live at home during my placements and living at home full time would mean my uni would have no choice but to place me at home - so that's a factor into my thinking also.

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Go into private halls then? They're usually cheaper, much nicer and have nice little intys/grads who you never even see. Sounds right up your street.

Seriously, my dad's biggest regret in life was that he stopped at home for uni instead of living away, and that's saying something, the way my little brother's turning out :wink:
Reply 2
Original post by l'insegnante
I'm just wondering if anyone has lived at home during uni and travelled a 2 hour commute to university from their home?
I'd like to know what it's like as I hate the halls at my uni and getting a house isn't an option. By bus my uni is 2 hours (give or take depending on traffic etc) from my house.
for my course id be in uni 3 days a week during semester one and 3-5 days a week during semesters 2 and 3.
Also I'd rather live at home during my placements and living at home full time would mean my uni would have no choice but to place me at home - so that's a factor into my thinking also.


Commuting two hours is horrible. And I was "lucky", I got to do about 75% of my journey by train rather than bus (albeit standing half the time). The only practical reason for getting a house not being an option is not having the money to do so. That is literally the only obstacle. Anything else can be worked around.

My advice; a mentality change is required. If you can afford halls, you can afford to rent privately. My living costs halved as soon as I left Uni accommodation.

Original post by l'insegnante
living at home full time would mean my uni would have no choice but to place me at home - so that's a factor into my thinking also.


This is not true. You are expected to be able to make arrangements to get to wherever your work may be. Forcing yourself into a less favourable position is your prerogative, they have no requirement to take this into account, with exceptions of disability being a factor in the reasoning.
Original post by Stramala
Commuting two hours is horrible. And I was "lucky", I got to do about 75% of my journey by train rather than bus (albeit standing half the time). The only practical reason for getting a house not being an option is not having the money to do so. That is literally the only obstacle. Anything else can be worked around.My advice; a mentality change is required. If you can afford halls, you can afford to rent privately. My living costs halved as soon as I left Uni accommodation.This is not true. You are expected to be able to make arrangements to get to wherever your work may be. Forcing yourself into a less favourable position is your prerogative, they have no requirement to take this into account, with exceptions of disability being a factor in the reasoning.


i don't mind the bus journey.
It's got nothing to do with money, it's the fact that all my friends are home students so therefore I have no one to get a house with. So no money is not 'literally the only obstacle'.
Actually in undergrad ITT you aren't expected to travel an obscene amount for placement because of the rest of the demands of the placement. The university give us the option to have our placement at our home or term time address. However this is usually manipulated by tutors so that they get what is most convenient to them for observations.
How can I be expected to travel somewhere if there is no suitable buses and I do not drive? it's just not logical.
(edited 8 years ago)
Original post by AdamskiUK
Go into private halls then? They're usually cheaper, much nicer and have nice little intys/grads who you never even see. Sounds right up your street.Seriously, my dad's biggest regret in life was that he stopped at home for uni instead of living away, and that's saying something, the way my little brother's turning out :wink:


There is no private halls.
All the halls are under the university or the Church
Try a shared house?

I know dem feels. Halls was a nightmare. :afraid:
Original post by JulietheCat
Try a shared house?I know dem feels. Halls was a nightmare. :afraid:


All my friends are home students who want to continue to live at home and I don't feel comfortable going into a house with strangers
Isn't part of uni making new friends? Doesn't matter that your home friends won't be able to move into a house together.

Spareroom.co.uk has loads of listings for shared housing.
Original post by l'insegnante
There is no private halls.
All the halls are under the university or the Church


Sorry, which archaic university are you looking to go to? You can't be telling me there are no private hall complexes? It'd have to be a garden campus university with 0 access to any form of town at all.

You can find private accom. in form or another, sugar, you just don't want to. I agree with 3P, a mentality change is required. Get yourself into halls and get the nice ones. They aren't bad and you don't need to be scared.
Reply 9
Original post by l'insegnante
All my friends are home students who want to continue to live at home and I don't feel comfortable going into a house with strangers

This is what I meant when I said the issue was a mentality one. Either you pluck up the courage to live with people you've never met before (done this, it's hit and miss just like most things in life are, but generally better than halls if you exclude the social aspect), or you are consigned to spending 4 hours a day on public transport.

This is your call to make and nobody is going to give you a magic solution that ticks all the boxes. You'll either have to get out of your comfort zone or be consigned to a dreary commute every day. Having done both, I am glad I picked the living away from home option. It's difficult at first, but if you give it 100% you will be just fine after a while. Everything is scary when it's new.
Original post by AdamskiUK
Sorry, which archaic university are you looking to go to? You can't be telling me there are no private hall complexes? It'd have to be a garden campus university with 0 access to any form of town at all.You can find private accom. in form or another, sugar, you just don't want to. I agree with 3P, a mentality change is required. Get yourself into halls and get the nice ones. They aren't bad and you don't need to be scared.


i go to Stranmillis Univeristy College in Belfast which is a small specialist ITT institution.
The main Queens halls or other are not open to me as I am not considered a main QUB student (I have looked into this throughly)
So my only options are Stanmillis Halls, Church of Ireland Halls or Presbyterian halls. A house is also an option however because i cannot get one which is held by the Univeristy I would need to be part of a group to rent one.
Original post by Stramala
This is what I meant when I said the issue was a mentality one. Either you pluck up the courage to live with people you've never met before (done this, it's hit and miss just like most things in life are, but generally better than halls if you exclude the social aspect), or you are consigned to spending 4 hours a day on public transport.This is your call to make and nobody is going to give you a magic solution that ticks all the boxes. You'll either have to get out of your comfort zone or be consigned to a dreary commute every day. Having done both, I am glad I picked the living away from home option. It's difficult at first, but if you give it 100% you will be just fine after a while. Everything is scary when it's new.


i have GAD so I'm not good in situations away from my comfort zone or in situations where I do not feel safe.
Hence why I went into halls in the first place as I thought it would be a more comfortable and safe environment. However it is not. I do not get along with my flatmates and won't even go into the kitchen when they are in there.
I have had numerous anxiety attacks and panic attacks this year with no one there to help me.
I asked for advice on commuting - I didnt come here to be picked at and judged by people who have no idea on my personal circumstances
You don't seem to actaully be taking anyones advice. Is it 2 hours in total or 2 hour there 2 hours back (totalling 4 hours). If its the first option its do-able if its the second then it'll be really ****. Also It'll be harder to have much of a social life living so far away as it may be difficult to come home late so it depends how important that is to you. Getting shared housing is exactly the same idea as halls but with more freedom. My friend stayed with strangers now they're all good friends. You get locks on your bedroom doors so It not just like you need loads of trust in them to start with.
Original post by CocoBandicoot
You don't seem to actaully be taking anyones advice. Is it 2 hours in total or 2 hour there 2 hours back (totalling 4 hours). If its the first option its do-able if its the second then it'll be really ****. Also It'll be harder to have much of a social life living so far away as it may be difficult to come home late so it depends how important that is to you. Getting shared housing is exactly the same idea as halls but with more freedom. My friend stayed with strangers now they're all good friends. You get locks on your bedroom doors so It not just like you need loads of trust in them to start with.


4 hours in total.
I can't go into shared housing because my uni doesn't offer it. Although my college is part of QUB the Univeristy housing isn't open to us.
Which would mean I would have to have a group to rent a house which is why it isn't an option
What would your total travel costs be?
Have you considered the possibility of looking into a studio or something?
Travelling so much might not be good for your health or studies, i can appreciate the anxiety of sharing but if public transport ends up being unreliable on day then that could mean being late to uni/placement which presumably would be stressful too.
Original post by l'insegnante
4 hours in total.
I can't go into shared housing because my uni doesn't offer it. Although my college is part of QUB the Univeristy housing isn't open to us.
Which would mean I would have to have a group to rent a house which is why it isn't an option


Unis dont usually offer it. You should do some researcyh. there are housing fares where landlords rend out individual rooms of houses so sort that for you.
Also private sector accomodation, not all completely write off renting to students. We re students and convinced the estate agents we were mature enough not to reck the place and so didnt have to rent from a student company
Do you actually want people's advice? Or do you just want people to tell you that commuting will be fine because it's what you want to hear?

Commuting for 4 hours a day will destroy you, honestly. Your degree will suffer, your social life will suffer and you'll suffer both mentally and physically.
Original post by l'insegnante
i have GAD so I'm not good in situations away from my comfort zone or in situations where I do not feel safe.
Hence why I went into halls in the first place as I thought it would be a more comfortable and safe environment. However it is not. I do not get along with my flatmates and won't even go into the kitchen when they are in there.

No-one here can help you if you are unwilling to help yourself. These conditions are tough (I have Asperger's, SAD and clinical depression), but it is up to you to combat these. We do not have the solution for you. You are the solution.

Your choice is simple; admit defeat to your condition, or work through it. Universities these days have dedicated mental health staff to help people in such situations. You are not cast away on your own little metaphorical island like the picture you are painting. The possibilities and assistance are there - you just need to be the one to reach out and take it, rather than waiting for it to come to you.
Original post by Conzy210
Do you actually want people's advice? Or do you just want people to tell you that commuting will be fine because it's what you want to hear?Commuting for 4 hours a day will destroy you, honestly. Your degree will suffer, your social life will suffer and you'll suffer both mentally and physically.


id like people to honestly tell me what the commute would be like from experience.
I don't want people just telling me to get a house because that's what they did, when that option is pretty much closed to me as it stands.

Original post by claireestelle
Also private sector accomodation, not all completely write off renting to students. We re students and convinced the estate agents we were mature enough not to reck the place and so didnt have to rent from a student company


I have no group to go to an estate agents with the rent a house privately like that. Or else renting with a group of friends would be my top option.
That option would mean me getting a one bed flat which would be way too expensive.

Original post by claireestelle
What would your total travel costs be?Have you considered the possibility of looking into a studio or something?Travelling so much might not be good for your health or studies, i can appreciate the anxiety of sharing but if public transport ends up being unreliable on day then that could mean being late to uni/placement which presumably would be stressful too.


travel costs would be £60 a week which is a lot less than an apartment.
The specific bus that I would get runs every 15 minutes at peak times and every half hour at non peak times and is usually very reliable unless there is snow on the mountain or a bomb scare.
And travel for placement near my home would cost nothing as my mum or boyfriend would take me and pick me up. And there's 15 -17 schools near my house that I could do placement in.

Original post by CocoBandicoot
Unis dont usually offer it. You should do some researcyh. there are housing fares where landlords rend out individual rooms of houses so sort that for you.


ive never heard of a housing fare or the room thing being done in my uni city
Original post by l'insegnante
id like people to honestly tell me what the commute would be like from experience.
I don't want people just telling me to get a house because that's what they did, when that option is pretty much closed to me as it stands.


If you're only option is to commute then what is the point of this thread?

Also the option of privately renting a flat/house is not closed for you, however as you clearly don't want to go that avenue I won't explain why.

Everybody I know who commutes (which is very few people because nobody sensible does it) hates it. Commuting is horrible, and a 4 hour commute per day isn't even doable in my opinion.

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