Commuting Student Advice
I'm currently in my second year at uni and am thinking of moving in with my boyfriend for my final year, although this would mean living in our hometown, where he's at uni, and commuting in to uni.
I'm just wondering if commuting students have found it hard making friends in their hometown? I have friends at uni that I'd see during the day and I'd be living near family but I just wondered if anyone struggles with not having friends around to see in evenings/weekends as all of my friends from home are at uni in different cities and I don't know how I'd make friends at home.
Any info about how other people have found it (including how you've found the whole commuting experience)/suggestions would be greatly appreciated!
I'm just wondering if commuting students have found it hard making friends in their hometown? I have friends at uni that I'd see during the day and I'd be living near family but I just wondered if anyone struggles with not having friends around to see in evenings/weekends as all of my friends from home are at uni in different cities and I don't know how I'd make friends at home.
Any info about how other people have found it (including how you've found the whole commuting experience)/suggestions would be greatly appreciated!
Original post by asdfghjklEllie
I'm currently in my second year at uni and am thinking of moving in with my boyfriend for my final year, although this would mean living in our hometown, where he's at uni, and commuting in to uni.
I'm just wondering if commuting students have found it hard making friends in their hometown? I have friends at uni that I'd see during the day and I'd be living near family but I just wondered if anyone struggles with not having friends around to see in evenings/weekends as all of my friends from home are at uni in different cities and I don't know how I'd make friends at home.
Any info about how other people have found it (including how you've found the whole commuting experience)/suggestions would be greatly appreciated!
I'm just wondering if commuting students have found it hard making friends in their hometown? I have friends at uni that I'd see during the day and I'd be living near family but I just wondered if anyone struggles with not having friends around to see in evenings/weekends as all of my friends from home are at uni in different cities and I don't know how I'd make friends at home.
Any info about how other people have found it (including how you've found the whole commuting experience)/suggestions would be greatly appreciated!
Most people who commute will probably have friends living where they are commuting from, or base most of their social life at uni. Why can't you see your uni friends at evenings and weekends?
In third year, you'll probably have a bit less of an active social life anyway, but perhaps you could take up a hobby one evening a week or one day at the weekend?
Commuting experiences will vary a lot depending on how you intend to commute (car vs public transport) and the distances involved. If you're commuting over an hour, especially by public transport, it can become very difficult and there may be days where you have to travel all the way to uni, just to meet your dissertation supervisor for 20 minutes or something.
I commuted to uni in my second and third year, using a mix of public transport and my car. Uni was about 20-30 minutes away, depending on how I got there. Most of my social life was based at uni, to be honest, but I still met up with friends in my home town on the weekend or in the evenings. Commuting helped me keep costs down, and due to the distances involved, it was fairly practical.
I spent my three years of undergraduate living at University. Then for my Master's I decided to commute for financial reasons. It was hard after three years of seeing my friends everyday and then to be suddenly be back home. My home friends were doing mostly 4 year courses at unis throughout the UK, so they were no longer in my home town anyway. This made it a bit lonely to be honest. Also my commute was an hour and half one way, which equates to three hours driving everyday (on a very good day).
If your uni is more than an 1 hour commute one way and you have to be in everyday, it can get really tiring. For example, my friends could stay together till 12am and wake up 8 am for lectures and feel well rested. However, I would only get in a 1.30 am and then leave the house at 7am. If it is a long commute, could you live somewhere halfway between his and your uni? So its only half an hour there for the both of you, instead of an hour for one of you.
If your moving half an hour away or less than I would say that's easy to do. (Often students in city unis etc would have a half an hour walk to uni anyway).
Before you make a decision:
- I recommend trying your route in rush hour (it makes a big difference).
- List the reasons why your doing it: is it financial and dire or just to be nearer the bf?
- See if you can fit lots of social things into your schedule which wont exhaust you
- I know this is annoying but are you sure you're ready to move in with your bf? I know a few of my friends that made that decision, broke up and then still has months left on their contract. It ended messy and they often resented the other for it...
If your uni is more than an 1 hour commute one way and you have to be in everyday, it can get really tiring. For example, my friends could stay together till 12am and wake up 8 am for lectures and feel well rested. However, I would only get in a 1.30 am and then leave the house at 7am. If it is a long commute, could you live somewhere halfway between his and your uni? So its only half an hour there for the both of you, instead of an hour for one of you.
If your moving half an hour away or less than I would say that's easy to do. (Often students in city unis etc would have a half an hour walk to uni anyway).
Before you make a decision:
- I recommend trying your route in rush hour (it makes a big difference).
- List the reasons why your doing it: is it financial and dire or just to be nearer the bf?
- See if you can fit lots of social things into your schedule which wont exhaust you
- I know this is annoying but are you sure you're ready to move in with your bf? I know a few of my friends that made that decision, broke up and then still has months left on their contract. It ended messy and they often resented the other for it...
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