does anyone else commute to uni? opinions on commuting vs living at uni x

just wondering if anyone else drives/takes public transport to uni and what's your opinion on it :h:

i would much prefer to live at uni or near uni because i feel like i miss a lot of events and socials which is annoying ://

Reply 1

username3941996

I would love to stay at halls. Can’t be bothered to commute. But even if you commute, there’s still plenty of events you can do.

(edited 5 years ago)

Reply 2

jameswhughes

Original post by kiki213

just wondering if anyone else drives/takes public transport to uni and what's your opinion on it :h:

i would much prefer to live at uni or near uni because i feel like i miss a lot of events and socials which is annoying ://

It depends a lot on how much you want to get involved with things, I know some people who lived at home, some who stayed in halls but went home pretty much every weekend, and some who enjoyed moving out.

I'd say if you're going to a university that's not far away it's worth experiencing moving out for at least the first year, then you can decide later where you want to live afterwards.

Reply 3

cheesecakelove

Original post by kiki213

just wondering if anyone else drives/takes public transport to uni and what's your opinion on it :h:

i would much prefer to live at uni or near uni because i feel like i miss a lot of events and socials which is annoying ://

When I was applying to university, I was considering commuting by train, but in the end, I applied to stay in halls. I think this was the best choice as it allowed me to get more out of the university experience, attend events and use the facilities, live more independently and not worry about missing early lectures or catching the last train.

If you are living very close to university, then commuting could a good choice. If you live further away, it msy not be. You should take everything into consideration before you decide to commute or move away.

Reply 4

1secondsofvamps

If you can then live in halls!!!
It makes everything so much easier- you dont have to rely on anyone to drive you there/back, can stay in the library overnight, no need to rush home in time for dinner, go to more events and societies etc.

I live at home and hate it. Constantly feel like im just rushing everywhere, can never stay in uni late, can't just access the library anytime i want, home is distracting me from focusing on work etc.

Reply 5

Liverpool Hope University

Official Rep

Original post by kiki213

just wondering if anyone else drives/takes public transport to uni and what's your opinion on it :h:

i would much prefer to live at uni or near uni because i feel like i miss a lot of events and socials which is annoying ://

Hey Kiki213,

Throughout my time at University I commuted each day becasue I did live fairly local. I did not really see the need in the extra expense of living in accommodation when I lived so close. I found I was still able to get involved in loads and hang out with friends who lived both on and off campus :smile:

I think a lot of this comes down to how outgoing you are and how much you want to get involved.

There are obviously loads of positives to staying on campus, I do know friends who lived just as close as I did who still moved on to the campus and they gained alot of skills like cooking at an earlier stage than I did living at home.

I think the best advice is to look into the universities you are interested in - look at what social opportunities there are for all students, regardless of where they live. Also look at their accommodation, see how much it is for what you get and see if you can factor that into your financial plans.

Also, speaking to students who have both lived on and off campus (as you are here), to get their real life experiences is always a good indicator!

Ste :hat:

Reply 6

username2657095

I commute about an hour to uni each day (40 minutes on the train and 15 minutes on the bus) honestly I don't find it that bad at all. At the beginning it was difficult getting to know people because you're not seeing them regularly but it's still very easy to make friends with people on your course/through societies. Train tickets are expensive but they're a lot cheaper than accommodation and living costs if I moved out. Overall, it works well for me, but if you want more of a social life I'd say move out or commute to a very close university.

Reply 7

Notoriety

Can't be done with commuting.

Had to commute an hour every day for master's, for my first week I had to leave for 5am. So I attended the first week, and then didn't attend another lecture -- and they weren't even recorded.

Just a pain in the bollox.

Reply 8

gjd800

An hour every day for me, or thereabouts. Unless I can bum a lift in off someone, which isn't very often. I don't mind it so much.

Reply 9

hallamstudents

Official Rep

(Original post by Liverpool Hope University)Hey Kiki213,

Throughout my time at University I commuted each day becasue I did live fairly local. I did not really see the need in the extra expense of living in accommodation when I lived so close. I found I was still able to get involved in loads and hang out with friends who lived both on and off campus :smile:

Hey @kiki213,

I'm a final year Business and Enterprise Management student from Sheffield Hallam University and I've commuted via public transport for around 30 minutes each way, everyday, since I started my course. Like Ste at Liverpool Hope University, I chose to stay at home and commute to save on living costs, and, at first, I wasn't sure if I'd made the right descision. Now, when I look back, I'm so glad I have stayed at home because I don't feel it's hindered my university experience at all. There's still loads for you to get involved in, and, I didn't find it anymore difficult to make friends.

Lots of the friends I've made at university live on campus but go home most weekends, so you've got to weigh up which option is better for you. There are perks to staying in the city centre or on campus but there's also many conveniences to staying at home too! Many students on my course commute in, so, whilst it might seem like it's the norm to live in halls, I'd say there's a pretty equal spread of students that both live on campus and commute in.

Make sure you do what's right for you and don't be pressured into making a decision by anyone else! What university are you applying to?

Thanks!

Harvey

Reply 10

Joe2Jonas

Hey there I mean there are loads of reason why people stay at Halls or commute and you probably know the pros and cons of each therefore I would say my experience. I am on a 4 year course and now in my final year. Each month it would cost me £80ish with the rail card saving as it was a 30 minute journey each way to the university and then 30 minutes back home. I have strict asian parents so I wasn't allowed to enjoy majority of what my friends were doing which was partying but this overall did allow me to focus on work and the spare time I had would allow me to see my friends for lunch and go to the cinema etc. The reason why I stayed at home and applied locally to University is because I knew I was going to do Graduate Entry Medicine and needed to save money for my medicine degree as you got to pay upfront in your first year. While those who worked and studied but lived far saved up. I did have the luxury of mum food, laundry and saved up so far £20,000 which yes is loans but is to invest in a degree I am passionate about. This is my story and I hope you take the time to think about yours :smile: