How far is commutable for UNI?
Originally, I would only consider certain Unis if they were max 1 hour away by train. Would two hours of travel be okay, and for those who commute , how is it? Considering for my first degree
Is that 1 hour door to door or one hour train plus commute either side (this will make a huge difference).
In general id say 1hr door to door is really the upper limit, ultimately the longer the journey the more time you have to add in contingency (the more factors like weather/congestion/signalling issues also come into play), also remember the train schedule is unlikely to pair perfectly with your schedule.. you’ll have group projects, things will run late, you might get impromptu opportunities pop up.
Id also say anything more than 45 minutes will probably start to impact your scheduling, and if you plan on traveling ore then 30 minutes it will probably significantly impact your university social life, your ability to integrate into the university social community.
Ultimately it’s all about balance. Less then 30min will give you the best experience, the more over this the more you compromise, id recommend a 1 hour limit on max door to door single leg.
In general id say 1hr door to door is really the upper limit, ultimately the longer the journey the more time you have to add in contingency (the more factors like weather/congestion/signalling issues also come into play), also remember the train schedule is unlikely to pair perfectly with your schedule.. you’ll have group projects, things will run late, you might get impromptu opportunities pop up.
Id also say anything more than 45 minutes will probably start to impact your scheduling, and if you plan on traveling ore then 30 minutes it will probably significantly impact your university social life, your ability to integrate into the university social community.
Ultimately it’s all about balance. Less then 30min will give you the best experience, the more over this the more you compromise, id recommend a 1 hour limit on max door to door single leg.
Hi there,
I would say that an hour train is definitely doable but there are some things you will need to consider as to whether this will be the best fit such as long journeys can be quite draining and if you only have one 1-hour lecture on a day are you willing to take the time to travel to attend it. I would also consider if you are willing to do work on the train while you are travelling because it may be a really good place where you can get a lot of work done but it may also stop you from doing as much as you need to if you don't work on the train.
One of my friends decided to commute in third year and travel the 1hr 30mins on a Monday morning and then travel back home on the Wednesday afternoon and sleep in the guest accommodation available on campus for 2 nights a week. This worked out better for him and his timetable and meant that he didn't have to do lengthy a commute multiple times a week. It is something that you can look into as several universities have guest accommodation, especially campus-based universities.
Commuting long distances may impact your social life at university slightly too. It will make it more difficult for you to be a part of societies as most societies will meet in the evening while lectures aren't on. Other people who commute are also likely to live closer to the university so you may be more difficult to meet up with them outside of term time if you wanted to as well.
Commuting to university is a different experience for everyone because its highly reliant on your personal circumstances. I'd recommend doing some research into train times, costs and ask the university's that you are applying for what the timetables are usually like so you can decide what is best for you.
I hope this helps!
Lottie- Graduate Advocate 😀
I would say that an hour train is definitely doable but there are some things you will need to consider as to whether this will be the best fit such as long journeys can be quite draining and if you only have one 1-hour lecture on a day are you willing to take the time to travel to attend it. I would also consider if you are willing to do work on the train while you are travelling because it may be a really good place where you can get a lot of work done but it may also stop you from doing as much as you need to if you don't work on the train.
One of my friends decided to commute in third year and travel the 1hr 30mins on a Monday morning and then travel back home on the Wednesday afternoon and sleep in the guest accommodation available on campus for 2 nights a week. This worked out better for him and his timetable and meant that he didn't have to do lengthy a commute multiple times a week. It is something that you can look into as several universities have guest accommodation, especially campus-based universities.
Commuting long distances may impact your social life at university slightly too. It will make it more difficult for you to be a part of societies as most societies will meet in the evening while lectures aren't on. Other people who commute are also likely to live closer to the university so you may be more difficult to meet up with them outside of term time if you wanted to as well.
Commuting to university is a different experience for everyone because its highly reliant on your personal circumstances. I'd recommend doing some research into train times, costs and ask the university's that you are applying for what the timetables are usually like so you can decide what is best for you.
I hope this helps!
Lottie- Graduate Advocate 😀
Original post by mitostudent
Originally, I would only consider certain Unis if they were max 1 hour away by train. Would two hours of travel be okay, and for those who commute , how is it? Considering for my first degree
So I actually do a 2 hour door to door commute for uni, and it's basically hell. It's only barely feasible because I am a part-time student so don't need to go in as many days, but it's so incredibly draining and it eats up so much time and costs a ton of money. Also with the frequent delays/cancellations/industrial action, I often end up not being able to get in anyway which is very frustrating.
I think if you're full time it's simply not viable. Even as part time I would not recommend it, from personal experience - I am only doing it because the course I'm doing is extremely specific and the uni I'm at is basically the only option for me to do it part-time. If it were available anywhere else I'd do it somewhere closer and skip the commute, regardless of whether the farther uni was better or not. So if you have literally any other options I'd immediately suggest choosing those first, or planning to move to where the other uni is.
Note also - in order to facilitate this commute I also have to sacrifice the opportunity to have basically any personal life, as my life during term time is basically uni/commute/work with only a tiny bit of time for personal admin and just "chill out" time, much less any time for engaging in social activities (or money as commuting is expensive). Of course for me this actually works due to personal issues anyway, but if you want to actually have friends and do things - that kind of commute is not really conducive to doing so.
I think also from a motivation POV, the temptation to skip a 1hr seminar or lecture for the sake of a 4hr round trip, (or more with delays), is going to be massive.
My commute was about an hour each way and I was timetabled for a couple of days with just 1 or 2 hours of contact time. Even then it was a push to make the trip every week.
My commute was about an hour each way and I was timetabled for a couple of days with just 1 or 2 hours of contact time. Even then it was a push to make the trip every week.
Original post by mitostudent
Originally, I would only consider certain Unis if they were max 1 hour away by train. Would two hours of travel be okay, and for those who commute , how is it? Considering for my first degree
Hi!
I have friends who commuted to university for 1hr each way, but I would agree with other comments in that it becomes a temptation to miss out on lectures - as you would miss days in the week sometimes.
Personally, I commuted 1hr 30mins, sometimes stretching over to 2hrs each way, 4 days a week for my placement year. Whilst I did make it into work every day, it was very tiring, and I was pretty burnt out by the summer. I think doing that sustainably for 3 or so years for university is definitely something to take into consideration. Its also quite important to be disciplined with yourself, to be able to commit yourself to doing work when you are on campus.
Hope that helps!
~ Fatiha, Cardiff University Student Rep
Original post by Liverpool Hope University
Hi there,
I would say that an hour train is definitely doable but there are some things you will need to consider as to whether this will be the best fit such as long journeys can be quite draining and if you only have one 1-hour lecture on a day are you willing to take the time to travel to attend it. I would also consider if you are willing to do work on the train while you are travelling because it may be a really good place where you can get a lot of work done but it may also stop you from doing as much as you need to if you don't work on the train.
One of my friends decided to commute in third year and travel the 1hr 30mins on a Monday morning and then travel back home on the Wednesday afternoon and sleep in the guest accommodation available on campus for 2 nights a week. This worked out better for him and his timetable and meant that he didn't have to do lengthy a commute multiple times a week. It is something that you can look into as several universities have guest accommodation, especially campus-based universities.
Commuting long distances may impact your social life at university slightly too. It will make it more difficult for you to be a part of societies as most societies will meet in the evening while lectures aren't on. Other people who commute are also likely to live closer to the university so you may be more difficult to meet up with them outside of term time if you wanted to as well.
Commuting to university is a different experience for everyone because its highly reliant on your personal circumstances. I'd recommend doing some research into train times, costs and ask the university's that you are applying for what the timetables are usually like so you can decide what is best for you.
I hope this helps!
Lottie- Graduate Advocate 😀
I would say that an hour train is definitely doable but there are some things you will need to consider as to whether this will be the best fit such as long journeys can be quite draining and if you only have one 1-hour lecture on a day are you willing to take the time to travel to attend it. I would also consider if you are willing to do work on the train while you are travelling because it may be a really good place where you can get a lot of work done but it may also stop you from doing as much as you need to if you don't work on the train.
One of my friends decided to commute in third year and travel the 1hr 30mins on a Monday morning and then travel back home on the Wednesday afternoon and sleep in the guest accommodation available on campus for 2 nights a week. This worked out better for him and his timetable and meant that he didn't have to do lengthy a commute multiple times a week. It is something that you can look into as several universities have guest accommodation, especially campus-based universities.
Commuting long distances may impact your social life at university slightly too. It will make it more difficult for you to be a part of societies as most societies will meet in the evening while lectures aren't on. Other people who commute are also likely to live closer to the university so you may be more difficult to meet up with them outside of term time if you wanted to as well.
Commuting to university is a different experience for everyone because its highly reliant on your personal circumstances. I'd recommend doing some research into train times, costs and ask the university's that you are applying for what the timetables are usually like so you can decide what is best for you.
I hope this helps!
Lottie- Graduate Advocate 😀
Hi there,
For me, it would be totally personal preference as it might be alright to commute in the first few weeks but as time goes on it might make it more difficult to take part in socials and societies as these would be taking place during your commute.
In addition to this, I also find that sometimes public transport can be delayed or late which can cause excess stress, especially at the start of your course.
I would recommend anyone who has commuted to university personally, to drop a comment below to give us an insight into your personal experiences...
I hope this helps,
Matthew
Wrexham Uni Reps
Original post by mitostudent
Originally, I would only consider certain Unis if they were max 1 hour away by train. Would two hours of travel be okay, and for those who commute , how is it? Considering for my first degree
Hi there,
I know people who have commuted up to 2 hours (but they only went in 2-3 days a week and did the rest online). You can never determine you're lecture/ seminar timetable so I would recommend maximum 1.5 hours door to door.
All the best,
Jaz - Cardiff student rep
Original post by mitostudent
Originally, I would only consider certain Unis if they were max 1 hour away by train. Would two hours of travel be okay, and for those who commute , how is it? Considering for my first degree
Hey @mitostudent!
During my time at uni, I commuted and lived on campus at different points. For me personally I preferred living on campus as you have access to facilities whenever you need them, for example you can go to the library late if you need to before deadlines which is great and if you are only in for one tutorial or a short lecture in a day, then you are avoiding travelling for a long time for just one hour.
I think if it is an hour max one way commute then it is definitely doable and obviously in the long-term commuting may save you money on living costs etc.
Everyone is different so what didn’t work for me might work so you – I recommend you ask for lots of opinions like on here and take any advice with a pinch of salt as no one knows what’s best for you more than yourself!
Commuting and living on campus also makes for a very different experience of uni life. For example, you might have personal or other work commitments that make commuting more of a viable choice than living in or vice versa, you might really want to meet new people and live elsewhere than home, making staying in accommodation a good choice.
I’m sure you will make the right choice for yourself and wish you all the best with the decision! Hope this helps 😊
Jakub - Fashion promotion and marketing student
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