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Moving away from home for uni

I’m wanting to study Graphic Design at uni and I can either go to a top 10 uni or a lesser-known uni. I would prefer to go to the top 10 uni as the course looks way better but it would mean moving far from home which definitely doesn’t seem like the best idea to me. I suppose it matters about the work you produce rather than the uni you go to with arty subjects. I’m just riddled with anxiety and don’t feel I’m ready to move away yet.

Does anyone have any experience with being scared about moving out into a flat with new students. How was it for you? Did you regret it? This is probably the deciding factor.

Reply 1

Lancaster Student Ambassador

Official Rep

Original post by Anonymous

I’m wanting to study Graphic Design at uni and I can either go to a top 10 uni or a lesser-known uni. I would prefer to go to the top 10 uni as the course looks way better but it would mean moving far from home which definitely doesn’t seem like the best idea to me. I suppose it matters about the work you produce rather than the uni you go to with arty subjects. I’m just riddled with anxiety and don’t feel I’m ready to move away yet.
Does anyone have any experience with being scared about moving out into a flat with new students. How was it for you? Did you regret it? This is probably the deciding factor.

Hello!
I do Earth and Environmental Science but was in a similar position to you! I was definitely nervous moving away from home but have found that universities are set up for students and make the transition to independent living very smooth. At Lancaster particularly there are college porters who are always around if you have any problems, there are lots of support sessions for students struggling with academic or emotional issues. The friends I made in my house helped tremendously and I also made friends who are in similar positions mentally so we were in it together! I would definitely recommend joining societies so you can make a wide range of friends and share common interests! Overall, I think it's how comfortable you feel at your university and making friends to help you settle in! But ultimately it's how comfortable you feel moving away from home and if you think you would be able to adapt to living independently.

Hope this helps,
Lucy (Lancaster University Student Ambassador)

Reply 2

Lancaster Student Ambassador

Official Rep

Original post by Lancaster Student Ambassador

Hello!
I do Earth and Environmental Science but was in a similar position to you! I was definitely nervous moving away from home but have found that universities are set up for students and make the transition to independent living very smooth. At Lancaster particularly there are college porters who are always around if you have any problems, there are lots of support sessions for students struggling with academic or emotional issues. The friends I made in my house helped tremendously and I also made friends who are in similar positions mentally so we were in it together! I would definitely recommend joining societies so you can make a wide range of friends and share common interests! Overall, I think it's how comfortable you feel at your university and making friends to help you settle in! But ultimately it's how comfortable you feel moving away from home and if you think you would be able to adapt to living independently.
Hope this helps,
Lucy (Lancaster University Student Ambassador)

Just to add on from this, I would also recommend getting as comfortable with the university as you can before you make a decision. For example, if it's possible to go visit the campus, whether that's for an open day or just so you can imagine yourself living there. If the university offers offer holder open days these can be really useful as the university may give you more insight as to what you will be asked to do on the course and even meet some potential course mates so you would be going to uni already knowing some people on your course which may make you feel less anxious. I appreciate if it is far away then this may not be possible but some universities also do online open days which you may be able to join and ask what support services they have for students.

Hope this helps,
Lucy (Lancaster University Student Ambassador)

Reply 3

Heriot-Watt Uni

Official Rep

Original post by Anonymous

I’m wanting to study Graphic Design at uni and I can either go to a top 10 uni or a lesser-known uni. I would prefer to go to the top 10 uni as the course looks way better but it would mean moving far from home which definitely doesn’t seem like the best idea to me. I suppose it matters about the work you produce rather than the uni you go to with arty subjects. I’m just riddled with anxiety and don’t feel I’m ready to move away yet.
Does anyone have any experience with being scared about moving out into a flat with new students. How was it for you? Did you regret it? This is probably the deciding factor.

Hello there,

Firstly, I understand where you are coming from. It is very hard to leave your nest, and there is no easy way. But you can start by properly evaluating whether the top 10 universities are worth attending. While I agree that your work matters, having all the education, expertise, and required faculty that propel you to produce your best work is arguably equally important. If you feel this top 10 uni is a cut above the rest, then do not hesitate. I am sure you will feel its value for the rest of your career.

Moving out can be daunting, but it can help you figure yourself out in a new environment. Essentially, you get to draw an outline around yourself to clearly define who you are, explore yourself, and learn about your likes and dislikes. You have a chance to stand on your own two feet. From my experience and several other friends, I can say that this will help you grow out of your shell. That being said, it is not without its fair share of challenges. While they might be difficult, I think that it is necessary.

Finally, something I always try to remember that helps me be apart from my family is that while physical proximity is important, it is not the end all be all of the relationships that matter. You can always keep in touch with them; if it is too overwhelming, you can always visit home. I was also scared to move out of my home, but here I am, feeling happy about my decision. You always meet people travelling in the same boat as you and others with different stories.

My advice would be to evaluate what you want, research, and be open to receiving whatever comes your way. Have informed choices. I hope this helps, and please feel free to reach out at any point in your decision-making process.

Cheers,
Shri (MSc International Business Student).

Reply 4

hallamstudents

Official Rep

Original post by Anonymous

I’m wanting to study Graphic Design at uni and I can either go to a top 10 uni or a lesser-known uni. I would prefer to go to the top 10 uni as the course looks way better but it would mean moving far from home which definitely doesn’t seem like the best idea to me. I suppose it matters about the work you produce rather than the uni you go to with arty subjects. I’m just riddled with anxiety and don’t feel I’m ready to move away yet.
Does anyone have any experience with being scared about moving out into a flat with new students. How was it for you? Did you regret it? This is probably the deciding factor.

Hi there,

Moving away from home can be quite daunting so you are not alone in feeling like this!

In my opinion, being happy and comfortable in the uni that you are at is the most important factor as this is when you will produce your best work and it is also a long time to be unhappy.

It seems that you like the sound of the further away uni a lot more so I would encourage you to think about going to this one! If you can, try and visit the uni and the campus as this might help you to decide whether you like the feel of it or not. You can also usually look around some of the halls so this might be a good idea too so that you can see if you like any of them and see if you can imagine yourself living there. It might help you to actually see where you could be living as this helped me when I was moving out to uni!

It is hard to imagine moving away for uni as it is a situation that most people will never have been in before so it is completely new which can be scary. However, I really enjoyed the experience of living in halls and found it fun to live with a group of people my age as we all were into similar things so it was just fun to live with them all.
If you do decide to move further away, I would also recommend joining a society as this is a great way of meeting lots of new people who are all into similar things to you. It's also just a great way of getting out of the house to do something fun and the socials that they have are fun too.

I would also recommend joining some Facebook group chats before you go as this is a good way of talking to some people you might be living with as this made it a lot less scary for me when I was moving in as I already knew some of the people that would be in my flat.

I hope some of this helps,

Lucy - SHU student ambassador :smile:

Reply 5

University of Huddersfield

Official Rep

Original post by Anonymous

I’m wanting to study Graphic Design at uni and I can either go to a top 10 uni or a lesser-known uni. I would prefer to go to the top 10 uni as the course looks way better but it would mean moving far from home which definitely doesn’t seem like the best idea to me. I suppose it matters about the work you produce rather than the uni you go to with arty subjects. I’m just riddled with anxiety and don’t feel I’m ready to move away yet.
Does anyone have any experience with being scared about moving out into a flat with new students. How was it for you? Did you regret it? This is probably the deciding factor.

Anon,

You're right in suggesting that it's about the work that you produce rather than the university you attend, but being around great creative minds will inspire you to do your best work! It is about the intake of students and their working styles, but it sounds like you would have a better chance of meeting more talented individuals if you went to the university which is further away.

Some people get on really well with their housemates and others don't. It is one of those things, but even if you don't get on brilliantly with people in your house, you may may meet some great people on your course or at societies you may join. You would then have the option of living with them in the second and third year.

Living away from home does mean getting out of your comfort zone and learning more about yourself and other people (some of this will be good, some of this won't be so good e.g. unwashed plates) but it is a formative time, that will help you grow as a person. Wherever you choose to go you can get a degree, but what you might not get is the experience that may help you as a person going forward, if you later choose to live with strangers after your degree.

All the best,

Oluwatosin – 3rd year student – University of Huddersfield

Reply 6

Kingston Reps

Official Rep

Original post by Anonymous

I’m wanting to study Graphic Design at uni and I can either go to a top 10 uni or a lesser-known uni. I would prefer to go to the top 10 uni as the course looks way better but it would mean moving far from home which definitely doesn’t seem like the best idea to me. I suppose it matters about the work you produce rather than the uni you go to with arty subjects. I’m just riddled with anxiety and don’t feel I’m ready to move away yet.
Does anyone have any experience with being scared about moving out into a flat with new students. How was it for you? Did you regret it? This is probably the deciding factor.

Hey,

It's completely normal to feel anxious about moving away from home - after all, it's a big lifestyle change, and there's no definite way to tell if it's the 'right time' for you. When I first came to Kingston to study my course (Fine Art), I didn't feel ready either; however, I was also surprised at how quickly I settled in, and how many people felt the exact same as I did. Lots of students don't feel ready, and it's not uncommon to spend your first term or so just trying to find your bearings - luckily, that's something you'll instantly have in common with others, and it can be a good way to break the ice and start building friendships. It'll likely be the same with your flatmates; they're probably just as nervous about moving in with you as you are about moving in with them! 🙂

As someone who studies an arts-based subject, one advantage of going to a school with a larger art community is that you can nearly act as a source of inspiration for one another - the work you produce might be influenced by the works and styles of those around you, and you might get a better idea of possible career paths and opportunities available to you post-graduation. I love being surrounded by creative people, and a lot of my artistic ideas spring from conversations I've had with other students on arts courses at Kingston, so I don't regret my decision in the slightest. It might have been a bit nerve-wracking at first, but I can't imagine sutdying anywhere else now.

Best of luck with you decision!
Eve (Kingston Rep).

Reply 7

BCU Student Rep

Official Rep

Original post by Anonymous

I’m wanting to study Graphic Design at uni and I can either go to a top 10 uni or a lesser-known uni. I would prefer to go to the top 10 uni as the course looks way better but it would mean moving far from home which definitely doesn’t seem like the best idea to me. I suppose it matters about the work you produce rather than the uni you go to with arty subjects. I’m just riddled with anxiety and don’t feel I’m ready to move away yet.
Does anyone have any experience with being scared about moving out into a flat with new students. How was it for you? Did you regret it? This is probably the deciding factor.

Hi Anon,

I'm an international student from Southeast Asia and moved to Birmingham for university. I would be lying if I told you I wasn't riddled with anxiety prior to moving here and the first couple of months of actually being here. Just like you, my new living conditions was the largest fear I had, how would I manage on my own with a bunch of strangers? I feared there would be conflicts in character, cultural and lifestyle differences that could potentially cause tension within the flat. Not everybody has the same experience and luck with flatmates, but I can tell you that everyone will find a way to manage and cope throughout their time in university.

My flatmates and I weren't close and didn't hang out very often, because we didn't really share any similar interest - but we still got along and managed the flat well. This fortunately pushed me to create and seek for my "circle of friends" in university and to step out of my comfort zone. To answer your question, no I did not regret my decision - I've learnt so much about myself being away from home and by being independent.

Hope this helps,
Danish
BCU Student Rep

Reply 8

UCLan Student

Official Rep

Hello,

I appreciate where you are coming from.When I started university I had to move across the sea and to a different country.

I got accepted into two different universities and one was better ranked, but in a remote location. I ended up going to the university that was closer to my friends and easier to get to from home (flight wise) and it was the best decision I made.

In my first year, I shared a flat with 6 other students, but they weren't really social, but we had a common room downstairs and on one of the events, I met my best friend. You can also make friends with your course mate by meeting up with them after classes.

Something you can do is write down the names of both universities, and try to pick one and see how you feel with the option that you pick.

Let us know if you have any specific questions,
Haya - MBBS