The Student Room Group
Voting for TSRs Ultimate Study Playlist is NOW OPEN >>
Uni students - Complete our survey >>
Voting for TSRs Ultimate Study Playlist is NOW OPEN >>
Uni students - Complete our survey >>

Stay in hometown or move away for uni?

I’m not sure if i should move away for uni or go in my hometown and live at home. if i moved away i’d probably go to kingston uni which is only a couple hours away from me. i’ve always wanted to live in london and kingston seems like the perfect middle ground. but i’m a really anxious person so i just know that i’d really struggle. i’m also a really homey person and i know that i would be fine if i stayed and studied at home. i really don’t like the town i live in and have worked near the uni for almost a couple years now and i’m so sick of the area but it would be good to be able to keep my job by staying here as i’m nearly 20 so need to think about money. i wouldn’t be lonely by staying here as most of my friends will be finishing uni in a year anyway. i’m just worried i’d be missing out on the full student life by staying home. if anyone’s stayed in their hometown for uni how did you find it?
Original post by lysemily
I’m not sure if i should move away for uni or go in my hometown and live at home. if i moved away i’d probably go to kingston uni which is only a couple hours away from me. i’ve always wanted to live in london and kingston seems like the perfect middle ground. but i’m a really anxious person so i just know that i’d really struggle. i’m also a really homey person and i know that i would be fine if i stayed and studied at home. i really don’t like the town i live in and have worked near the uni for almost a couple years now and i’m so sick of the area but it would be good to be able to keep my job by staying here as i’m nearly 20 so need to think about money. i wouldn’t be lonely by staying here as most of my friends will be finishing uni in a year anyway. i’m just worried i’d be missing out on the full student life by staying home. if anyone’s stayed in their hometown for uni how did you find it?


Hello :smile:

I can understand your dilemma, it is difficult to know what choice to make. There are pros and cons to both scenarios as you mentioned.

The benefits of moving away can seriously outweigh the benefits of staying at home. You'll gain more independence, an understanding of living independently or with others outside your usual household. You'll get a chance to meet people you would never have met before and build some really great and unexpected relationships. These are things i think are so valuable whilst being at university.

Understandably, you may feel anxious and apprehensive about this move and change, do look into the wellbeing support provided by your uni though, i can assure you, you're never left feeling alone and completely helpless. There is a wealth of support you can seek should you need it. There is a common misconception that being at university is like being thrown in the deep end with no support or help, this is simply not true.

I did move away from my hometown, almost 3 hours away. I am enjoying the benefits and of course do go home to visit sometimes. I also know people who have stayed at home, and from their experience they do become frustrated they didn't make the choice to move out of their family home, even just to a university house in their own town/city. But of course this is dependant on individual experience.

I hope this helps

Andrew
University of Portsmouth Student Ambassador
Reply 2
Avatar for lysemily
lysemily
OP
4
Original post by University of Portsmouth Student Rep
Hello :smile:

I can understand your dilemma, it is difficult to know what choice to make. There are pros and cons to both scenarios as you mentioned.

The benefits of moving away can seriously outweigh the benefits of staying at home. You'll gain more independence, an understanding of living independently or with others outside your usual household. You'll get a chance to meet people you would never have met before and build some really great and unexpected relationships. These are things i think are so valuable whilst being at university.

Understandably, you may feel anxious and apprehensive about this move and change, do look into the wellbeing support provided by your uni though, i can assure you, you're never left feeling alone and completely helpless. There is a wealth of support you can seek should you need it. There is a common misconception that being at university is like being thrown in the deep end with no support or help, this is simply not true.

I did move away from my hometown, almost 3 hours away. I am enjoying the benefits and of course do go home to visit sometimes. I also know people who have stayed at home, and from their experience they do become frustrated they didn't make the choice to move out of their family home, even just to a university house in their own town/city. But of course this is dependant on individual experience.

I hope this helps

Andrew
University of Portsmouth Student Ambassador

this is a really helpful perspective, thankyou :smile:
Original post by lysemily
I’m not sure if i should move away for uni or go in my hometown and live at home. if i moved away i’d probably go to kingston uni which is only a couple hours away from me. i’ve always wanted to live in london and kingston seems like the perfect middle ground. but i’m a really anxious person so i just know that i’d really struggle. i’m also a really homey person and i know that i would be fine if i stayed and studied at home. i really don’t like the town i live in and have worked near the uni for almost a couple years now and i’m so sick of the area but it would be good to be able to keep my job by staying here as i’m nearly 20 so need to think about money. i wouldn’t be lonely by staying here as most of my friends will be finishing uni in a year anyway. i’m just worried i’d be missing out on the full student life by staying home. if anyone’s stayed in their hometown for uni how did you find it?

Hiya @lysemily

Moving away from home for university was definitely one of the scariest things I've ever had to do. The sudden realisation that you are your own guardian, your own person and your own responsibility is pretty frightening. On top of that, having anxiety really heightened my fears about living alone and fending for myself. Like everything though, with time, it became my new normality. The freedom that independence brought was actually more of a blessing, allowing me to explore myself more, change up my diet, my routine and take life into my own hands.

While I do love visiting home, and often wish I could stay there longer, when I return to university everything just slips back into place. You learn how to manage everything, in the end. I think you might regret not even giving it a shot, so I would definitely give it some hard consideration since it's actually a great opportunity for you. After all, you might not get another chance to do so.

I hope this helps, and good luck!
-Quinn
Original post by lysemily
I’m not sure if i should move away for uni or go in my hometown and live at home. if i moved away i’d probably go to kingston uni which is only a couple hours away from me. i’ve always wanted to live in london and kingston seems like the perfect middle ground. but i’m a really anxious person so i just know that i’d really struggle. i’m also a really homey person and i know that i would be fine if i stayed and studied at home. i really don’t like the town i live in and have worked near the uni for almost a couple years now and i’m so sick of the area but it would be good to be able to keep my job by staying here as i’m nearly 20 so need to think about money. i wouldn’t be lonely by staying here as most of my friends will be finishing uni in a year anyway. i’m just worried i’d be missing out on the full student life by staying home. if anyone’s stayed in their hometown for uni how did you find it?

Hi @lysemily

This is a big decision to make and can be a hard one. There are lots of pros and cons to both staying at home and moving away. Ultimately I decided to stay at home as I thought this was the best choice for me but it varies from person to person. It seems you have thought about the pros and cons of each choice. You could always try moving away and then if you didn't like it you could always move home or vice versa. Sometimes taking the risk is worth it but it is completely your choice. For me I have found that being at home has not effected my university experience but again this can be different for everyone.

Best of luck in making your decision.

Kasey - University of Law Student Ambassador

Quick Reply

Related discussions

Latest

Trending

Trending

Articles for you