Living at home or away for a masters? Advice?

So I planning to do a masters at the University of Birmingham starting in September (I'm one of those people who likes to plan ahead so I'm already worrying/sorting things haha). I am having a HUGE dilemma about whether or not to live at home during my masters.

Cut a long story short: my course is apparently only taught on 2 days a week and I live about 45 minutes from the uni. So, living at home means very little rent or bills, money on food, and being in considerable less debt.

Living away: quite frankly, I hate it at home. We've moved house since I've been at uni and I have a tiny room with hardly any furniture which doesn't really feel like mine. Combination of this lack of belonging (I know this sounds silly) with homesickness for Aberystwyth and the transition from being independent to living with parents causes tension every time I visit. I'd also be further from uni resources like the library (where I do my most productive work currently).

So, anyone lived at home during a masters or just any advice or experiences to share?

Thanks for any responses :smile:

Reply 1

Thriwien15

Original post by purple_fox27

So I planning to do a masters at the University of Birmingham starting in September (I'm one of those people who likes to plan ahead so I'm already worrying/sorting things haha). I am having a HUGE dilemma about whether or not to live at home during my masters.

Cut a long story short: my course is apparently only taught on 2 days a week and I live about 45 minutes from the uni. So, living at home means very little rent or bills, money on food, and being in considerable less debt.

Living away: quite frankly, I hate it at home. We've moved house since I've been at uni and I have a tiny room with hardly any furniture which doesn't really feel like mine. Combination of this lack of belonging (I know this sounds silly) with homesickness for Aberystwyth and the transition from being independent to living with parents causes tension every time I visit. I'd also be further from uni resources like the library (where I do my most productive work currently).

So, anyone lived at home during a masters or just any advice or experiences to share?

Thanks for any responses :smile:

My Masters starts this October and I am going to live away from home. Although I live in another country, I could have chosen the 'Distance Learning' option. Frankly, I feel the same way you do. Living away from home will make me more independent and self-reliant.

Also, my first degree was harsh. I had to travel 1.5-2 hours there and back (at 6.30 am!) and those four hours every day were really tiring.

I think about it like this; sure I am going to spend a lot of money but I am 22 and if I don't live now, when will I?

I weighed all the pros and cons and almost did not go through with it but I am young and I want to follow my dreams.

Ultimately, it is your choice. But I think what is more important is your happiness. So go for it if it makes you happy!

Reply 2

Klix88

17

45 minutes is a manageable commute. My commute was 1.5 hours each way (car journey, train journey, bus journey then a ten minute walk) and it was certainly do-able. However it sounds like you're looking for a reason to move away from home as you're not happy there and I can see your point from your description. The costs of accommodation will be much higher than the cost of a 45 minute commute though. I think it's really down to your personal circumstances. The debt might actually be worth it.

Beware that although you might only have teaching timetabled for two days a week, your Masters will involve a lot more independent learning and research. Teaching will be the smallest part of your Masters experience. You'll probably find yourself needing to be on campus in the library, at guest lectures/seminars etc., much more than two days a week.

In your shoes I'd think living away might be more productive. If you have your own space and feel relaxed, then you're much more likely to be able to concentrate and get the (very heavy) workload sorted. Although you do have to be careful not to end up in a shared house or flat with noisy tenants, which would just be "out of the frying pan into the fire".

Reply 3

Baconesque

Original post by purple_fox27

So I planning to do a masters at the University of Birmingham starting in September (I'm one of those people who likes to plan ahead so I'm already worrying/sorting things haha). I am having a HUGE dilemma about whether or not to live at home during my masters.

Cut a long story short: my course is apparently only taught on 2 days a week and I live about 45 minutes from the uni. So, living at home means very little rent or bills, money on food, and being in considerable less debt.

Living away: quite frankly, I hate it at home. We've moved house since I've been at uni and I have a tiny room with hardly any furniture which doesn't really feel like mine. Combination of this lack of belonging (I know this sounds silly) with homesickness for Aberystwyth and the transition from being independent to living with parents causes tension every time I visit. I'd also be further from uni resources like the library (where I do my most productive work currently).

So, anyone lived at home during a masters or just any advice or experiences to share?

Thanks for any responses :smile:

I have always lived independently thrugh my undergrad and MA studies- even prior to my undergrad during my A-Levels. All of this is costly, and ive always worked rubbish hours in mundane jobs to suport myself through it, but you can't put a price on your happiness. Although im skint most of the time, im happy which if you are unhappy at home not having much cash may not bother you so much.

Also during my MA which i am currently studying, I am in the library or working from home whenever im not in my seminars and therefore do not have the chance to spend money on thngs other than the necessities. My wage from my job covers those and only just! e.g. rent and bills. So if you are a productive worker in the library and are close to the resources, you would probably spend a lot of time in there hence not spending much money.

As others have said here, if you are happier and have your own space you will be more productive as you will be able to relax. Dreading going home is the worst feeling and im sure you wouldnt want that after a hard day studying.

Reply 4

evantej

18

Original post by purple_fox27

So I planning to do a masters at the University of Birmingham starting in September (I'm one of those people who likes to plan ahead so I'm already worrying/sorting things haha). I am having a HUGE dilemma about whether or not to live at home during my masters.

Cut a long story short: my course is apparently only taught on 2 days a week and I live about 45 minutes from the uni. So, living at home means very little rent or bills, money on food, and being in considerable less debt.

Living away: quite frankly, I hate it at home. We've moved house since I've been at uni and I have a tiny room with hardly any furniture which doesn't really feel like mine. Combination of this lack of belonging (I know this sounds silly) with homesickness for Aberystwyth and the transition from being independent to living with parents causes tension every time I visit. I'd also be further from uni resources like the library (where I do my most productive work currently). [...]

The travel time is largely irrelevant. It is the travel costs that are important. For example, it takes me an hour and a half to get to my nearest city but I could buy a weekly bus ticket cheaply, which would make staying at home extremely cost effective. But if you travel by train then travel costs can be huge even for short journeys. This is when it can be cost effective to live closer to university and just walk.

You say living at home means being away from university resources. But I find that hard to believe. Being close to resources just makes you impulsive and lazy. When I did my master's at Bristol I lived there only during the taught part of the course then moved in with my girlfriend's parents in Yorkshire to do my dissertation (I simply ran out of money and could not afford to live there any longer). This meant I took a suitcase full of books away from Bristol, and I had other university libraries close by to consult if necessary. It is all about organisation and proper planning (i.e. knowing how much you can read and what you are realistically going to be able to achieve in a certain amount of time). I am now an external member of university libraries in the north east. In fact, I went to Durham and Newcastle yesterday and took six or seven books out and returned a similar number. That will do me for a couple of months before I visit again. I research what to take out in advance then check the books to double-check their relevance when I get there.

I can understand that you might not want to work at home. I find it hard to work at home because I have a young child who does not understand why you might not want to play with her all the time! But a university library is hardly the opposite environment. You have lots of undergraduates using their phones, eating and making noise, especially at assessment times. I personally find working in the library in my local town most effective. The only time it is even remotely busy is when A level students revise. Do you not have anywhere similar you could work?

Unless you have money to burn, there are far better ways to use money than wasting it on crappy student accommodation for a year. If you are at home you are far more likely to keep more social working hours too, which means you use your time more effectively (e.g. you are not tempted to visit the library at stupid o clock then sleep in the next day).

Living at home or away for a masters? Advice?

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