Does Location Matter?

Short answer, it does!

1. Find your Home Away from Home.

You will spend at least 3 years at university, so make sure that you like the place that you are going to be studying at. The best way to do this and to get a feel for the place is to go to open days. Ask yourself questions like, am I comfortable here? Can I see myself living here? What’s the vibe like? Does the vibe suit me?

Try and take loved ones with you if possible. Having their perspective about whether you will fit in is so important, as they may spot things that you might not. For me, it was just as important that my Mum and Dad liked Swansea as well as the fact that I feel so comfortable here that helped me choose it.

Also make sure that you like the city that the university is based in. At Swansea, this is easy, as we have such beautiful surroundings with the Gower Peninsula and the Mumbles, as well as the rest of Wales on our doorstep. You won’t be studying 24/7, so find a place that suits you and a place that you want to explore.

2. Proximity to Home.

I’m such a home person, so for me the distance between university and home was important to consider. I am around an hour away from home, which gives me the perfect balance of independence but also being able to just pop home if I want to. Think about whether you want to be close to home. Whether you want to be around the corner, or a million miles away, either is fine.

3. Cost of Living

In terms of many other cities, Swansea is incredibly affordable, and the Student’s Union is also working hard to help us as students out during the Cost-of-Living Crisis that we are currently in. Check out our ‘How to Save Pennies at University’ post for more information.

In short, make sure that the location is right for you before committing to studying there. Swansea is the perfect fit for me, and I hope that it will be for you too. I really do study in my home away from home and couldn’t see myself studying anywhere else. It must be doing something right for me to be in my 6th year here!

Hope Henry – Swansea Student Ambassador – Second Year Graduate Entry Medicine.