University Accomodation - commute?

Hi, Im applying to university next year and have no clue about finance or accommodation. Is it possible to live at home and commute to university, or is it compulsory to stay on campus? Ideally I'd like to do this to lessen the financial blow!

Hi, Im applying to university next year and have no clue about finance or accommodation. Is it possible to live at home and commute to university, or is it compulsory to stay on campus? Ideally I'd like to do this to lessen the financial blow!

It's absolutely not compulsory to stay in accom. I'm in first year and I chose to commute this year too. I guess it just depends on how far away you live and whether you think you could make that journey every day.

Hi there,
It's entirely up to you whether you live on campus or commute to university. If you're concerned about the finance side of things then I'd recommending researching accommodation options at the university you're going to attend. It may also be worth looking at private accommodation. For example, check if the accommodation has all bills included and what facilities it includes, as this would be good value for money. You can then compare this against the cost of travelling to university.

That being said, it's worth also considering how long it will take you to get to university from home, your contact hours and whether or not this is something you'd be happy to do.

Hope this helps!

- Sophie

Hi there,
It's up to you! There are definitely pros and cons of commuting and uni and staying in halls. It depends what will work for you. In some cases it can be easier to stay in accommodation if you have fewer lectures as it means you aren't having to pay to commute for only an hours lecture but staying in halls means having to be prepared to pay bills etc. I stayed in halls for my first year and found it a good experience.

I do hope this helps,

Eleanor F
Student Ambassador

Hi, Im applying to university next year and have no clue about finance or accommodation. Is it possible to live at home and commute to university, or is it compulsory to stay on campus? Ideally I'd like to do this to lessen the financial blow!

Hi, Im applying to university next year and have no clue about finance or accommodation. Is it possible to live at home and commute to university, or is it compulsory to stay on campus? Ideally I'd like to do this to lessen the financial blow!

Hey!
It is not compulsory at all!
for my first year before moving into accommodation in second year as the commute cost a lot of money and I found that I enjoyed the time away from home and have more freedom which accommodation created.
If commuting will be more beneficial to you then I say go for it. In terms of finance, I'd recommend doing some research as well as possibly speaking with the universities designated finance team.

Kind regards,
Courtney H

Hey there @woozal !
You definitely don't have to stay on campus. You can if you want to but it's not compulsory. Depending on your household income, you can still apply for a maintenance loan as well. I have friends who commute who have still received the top amount of student finance and choose to spend it on their travel fees in and out of university. It's smart to commute where you can as most of the time student finance will not cover weekly rent fully. However, it is wise to think about the impacts it will have socially. A lot of people who commute find it harder to socialise and keep up with friends who actually live in the city, but if you want to make it work then I'm sure you will. That might not even be something that bothers you.

Hope this helped!
Lucy - Digital Student Ambassador SHU

Hi, Im applying to university next year and have no clue about finance or accommodation. Is it possible to live at home and commute to university, or is it compulsory to stay on campus? Ideally I'd like to do this to lessen the financial blow!
it ain't a must you stay

Hi, Im applying to university next year and have no clue about finance or accommodation. Is it possible to live at home and commute to university, or is it compulsory to stay on campus? Ideally I'd like to do this to lessen the financial blow!

I am commuting to University this year because I live close to the University, so I don't see the point of me paying 7K a year to stay in accommodation when I could just drive there and save those rooms for people who live far away and can't get home. It does depend on how close you live to the university. But personally its a personal choice. People say "you can't grow up if you come back home each day" but I tend to disagree.

You drive yourself to University/ or get on a train each day, you have a part time job to pay for fuel, your parents aren't coming to collect you, and I am being made to cook myself when I get home in the evening. You learn independence in many different ways, you don't have to travel half way across the world for independence that's a load of rubbish.

At university you are also incredibly independent as you will have lots of studying time to yourself, that's independence, you don't need to travel away for that anyone could get that. Independence is different to different people! If you want to commute commute. I start uni this year, so if you have any more questions let me know and I might be able to help!