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Commuting from home to university

Is a 2 hour and a half commute to university and the same amount of time back on the national rail realistic for a science degree? I want a second opinion since I'm stuck on this.

Reply 1

Anonymous #2

no, i’m a 1 hour 30 minute train journey from mine and can’t even imagine having to do that every time i had to go into uni

Reply 2

hallamstudents

Official Rep

Original post by Anonymous

Is a 2 hour and a half commute to university and the same amount of time back on the national rail realistic for a science degree? I want a second opinion since I'm stuck on this.

Hey there!
I'd maybe have a think over this as there's so much more to university than just attending your lectures. There may be group projects and things that require you to do more than just attend university and it will be so much easier for you to get things done when you don't have to worry about catching a train. There will be a lot of practical things to think about, meaning you'll have a lot to carry back and forth on the train. It's a very hands-on degree and it will be a lot easier for you to get the support you need when you're in the area and can easily get in contact with your course leader and lecturers. It may be more difficult to find work experience as well. It's just little things like this overall I can't help but feel like it would be a lot easier if you got accommodation in the city.

Hope this helped!
Lucy - Digital Student Ambassador SHU

Reply 3

Jess_Lomas

If you have a 9am lecture then
say the station is 20 minutes away from the lecture theatre
also it takes you 10 minutes to get to the station
10 minutes to eat breakfast and get ready
That's around 3 hours so you would have to get up at 6am
It isn't impossible to have a 9am everyday on a science course
Would you be able to get up at 6am every day ?
That's assuming the train times work for you and the train isn't every hour and it would get there at 9 so you would need the one an hour earlier so would have to get up at 5

Reply 4

Admit-One

Universities Forum Helper

Even if it was financially impossible to move, I would not consider a 5hr commute. I'd be looking at other unis first.

Reply 5

jonathanemptage

Original post by Anonymous

Is a 2 hour and a half commute to university and the same amount of time back on the national rail realistic for a science degree? I want a second opinion since I'm stuck on this.

No that’s way too far why do you want to do that anyway? it can’t be financially less money than staying I halls I was an hour away from university I worked it out a few weeks ago all the halls I would have saved money on (did save money on) bar 1 in fact in the cheapest hallsI outdoor have saved £900 a year.

(edited 9 months ago)

Reply 6

University of Huddersfield

Official Rep

Anon,

That's long journey! I know people who commute to university and this year has been a real stress with all the strikes and cancelled trains. If you experience any delays or problems with a 2hr and 30 minute commute (one way), it's going to affect you a lot!

University timetables generally mean that you may not be in every day and you may not have a 9am start, but if you do, then you may find yourself exhausted before you even arrive and if you have late lecture, you may find yourself not getting home until late. This may become a nuisance if you want to go to the library, have to do group work or just want to spend time on campus with friends.

Are there other options available to you? Is there a more direct commute?

All the best,

Oluwatosin – 2nd year student – University of Huddersfield

Reply 7

University of Bath

Official Rep

Hi Anon,

Thanks for your post! Whilst I would say that there is nothing at all wrong with commuting to university if this better suits your needs, I am definitely inclined to second the advice so far and say that 2 and a half hours seems very excessive. I commuted to university during my second year (1 hour each way) and still found that occasionally I was delayed by half an hour to 1 hour if my bus got cancelled or there were strikes etc.

Plus, if you have such a long journey home it might limit your options to stay behind after classes to eat out with friends or go to society socials as these often happen after lectures finish. If you chose to go, it could mean you end up getting home very late and consequently might struggle to get enough sleep to feel mentally prepared for the next day. Its really important to look after your health and happiness at university, and allowing yourself to enjoy things like clubs, societies and time with friends as well as getting good rest are definitely part of that.

This is of course your own decision, but on this occasion it seems like either considering accommodation closer to your chosen university, or considering alternative universities if you wish to stay home may be more practical :smile: