Commuting to uni

Hello everyone,

I’m currently in year 13 this year and I’m applying for Nottingham, Southampton, queen Mary, reading and Birmingham do any of these universities have a maximum commute distance/ time? I’ve checked and Nottingham said it was negotiable but usually no more than an hour but that was last dated 2018? Any ideas if that’s changed? Also what about the other universities?

Reply 1

Anonymous #1

I don't know about any kind of commute distance/time limit for unis - but I knew quite a lot of students who commuted at my uni. Their commutes were often around 20-30 mins (by car or train) and even then I noticed they tended to miss more classes than non-commuting students and didn't engage with many social activities. Of course, commuting is great for some but just something to consider if some of your possible commutes are quite long.

Reply 2

University of Bath

Official Rep

Original post by userXi

Hello everyone,
I’m currently in year 13 this year and I’m applying for Nottingham, Southampton, queen Mary, reading and Birmingham do any of these universities have a maximum commute distance/ time? I’ve checked and Nottingham said it was negotiable but usually no more than an hour but that was last dated 2018? Any ideas if that’s changed? Also what about the other universities?

Hi there!

There are many advantages to commuting rather than staying in halls. You can save money on rent and food, you can stay with your family, it might be helpful in encouraging you to separate your uni/work and social time, and there is absolutely nothing stopping you from being independent in your time-management, cooking, uni routine etc even if you aren't living away. When I commuted in year 2-3 I also found it encouraged me to make more effort to join societies and spend time with friends on campus to make sure I wouldn't miss out (I commuted an hour twenty). I would however say that living in halls has its advantages too - I met some great people living in halls and it was great to be given the chance to live independently for the first time.

Here at Bath as far as I am aware there is no upper limit on commute time - I had a lecturer who commuted two hours and worked whilst on the train. As long as you are organised, manage to attend your classes and it does not significantly impact your welfare. If you want to know about the universities on your list and it isn't clear from their websites then I would contact the universities to check.

I hope this helps, best of luck

Holly
University of Bath

(edited 1 month ago)

Reply 3

userXi

Original post by University of Bath

Hi there!
There are many advantages to commuting rather than staying in halls. You can save money on rent and food, you can stay with your family, it might be helpful in encouraging you to separate your uni/work and social time, and there is absolutely nothing stopping you from being independent in your time-management, cooking, uni routine etc even if you aren't living away. When I commuted in year 2-3 I also found it encouraged me to make more effort to join societies and spend time with friends on campus to make sure I wouldn't miss out (I commuted an hour twenty). I would however say that living in halls has its advantages too - I met some great people living in halls and it was great to be given the chance to live independently for the first time.
Here at Bath as far as I am aware there is no upper limit on commute time - I had a lecturer who commuted two hours and worked whilst on the train. As long as you are organised, manage to attend your classes and it does not significantly impact your welfare. If you want to know about the universities on your list and it isn't clear from their websites then I would contact the universities to check.
I hope this helps, best of luck
Holly
University of Bath

Thank you very much

Reply 4

userXi

Original post by Anonymous

Thank you

Reply 5

WrexhamUniReps

Official Rep

Original post by userXi

Hello everyone,
I’m currently in year 13 this year and I’m applying for Nottingham, Southampton, queen Mary, reading and Birmingham do any of these universities have a maximum commute distance/ time? I’ve checked and Nottingham said it was negotiable but usually no more than an hour but that was last dated 2018? Any ideas if that’s changed? Also what about the other universities?

Hi

I think that when commuting with Uni, you need to consider the time it is going to take you to get there and back and whether this is something that you are prepared to do. As in some cases, it can add considerable amounts of time to your working week.

I hope this helps,

Matt
Wrexham Uni Reps

Reply 6

University of Salford Student Rep

Official Rep

Original post by userXi

Hello everyone,
I’m currently in year 13 this year and I’m applying for Nottingham, Southampton, queen Mary, reading and Birmingham do any of these universities have a maximum commute distance/ time? I’ve checked and Nottingham said it was negotiable but usually no more than an hour but that was last dated 2018? Any ideas if that’s changed? Also what about the other universities?

Hi @userXi

What a great set of choices. I am not aware of commuting limits, however, you may wish to check this directly with your universities, some courses may have stipulations on commuter distance. The other responders on this thread have made great points. Whether you can easily commute may depend on the course you are doing, whether you are in a lot or need to be on placement. There are pros and cons to commuting or moving to university.

On the one hand, commuting can be a great way to save money as you aren't necessarily spending it on rent, bills, and food, but you may need to be organised if you want to join coursemates for social get-togethers after university, and you will need to factor in the commute time. Is a long commute feasible if you need to be in e.g., 9 am four days a week? Lots of universities (like mine) have commuter hubs and study spaces for you to go and make yourself a hot drink or use a microwave so you aren't spending more money on refreshments and study whilst waiting for public transport home.

On the other hand, living in student accommodation can be a great stepping stone to moving out for the first time, in this instance you get to do it with plenty of other students in the same boat as you can help each other out. It can be easier if you want to stay out in the evening as it can be easier to travel home, but it is usually more expensive, and it can be a lot to juggle with household duties, paying bills, and cooking on top of a new course in an unfamiliar place whilst making uni friends.

Many universities have a section on their website dedicated to commuters, so it is worth checking this out, you could also ask about commuting if you attend an open day and even try out some of the commuter routes to see how viable it is.

You need to do whatever is best for you.

I hope this helps a little bit. Good luck with your studies!

Lucy 😊
Official Uni of Salford Student Rep

(edited 1 month ago)

Reply 7

UniofReading

Official Rep

Original post by userXi

Hello everyone,
I’m currently in year 13 this year and I’m applying for Nottingham, Southampton, queen Mary, reading and Birmingham do any of these universities have a maximum commute distance/ time? I’ve checked and Nottingham said it was negotiable but usually no more than an hour but that was last dated 2018? Any ideas if that’s changed? Also what about the other universities?

Good evening @userXi,

It's great to hear you are thinking of studying at university!

I am a second-year student and have completed my entire university degree. I currently commute for an hour by car. However, this would be a 2 - 3 hour commute via public transport. I've never heard about a commuting distance except for Oxford and Cambridge, where students must stay in dorms.

I have written a blog about the Pros and Cons of commuting to Reading University; you can read this blog here. It will hopefully give you an overview of what to expect. Similarly, there is another blog here written by Alice, which provides an overview of the average day of a computer student.

If you have any questions about the University of Reading, please let us know, and we will be happy to help. You can speak to one of our Unibuddy ambassadors here.

All the best,
Ella 😀
BSc Ecology

Reply 8

jonathanemptage

I don't know too much about limits but you need to consider an number of things when deciding whether to commute or not.

Commute time How long is the commute door to door? if it's like half an hour or so that's probably ok but if your looking at an hour it can become very tiring particularly if you have changes. While on way may not seem like a long time you'll need to double the time because your going there and back so 2 hours can quickly turn into 4 hours that's not to mention train delays strikes and the like.

Cost How much does it cost 5 days a week? (Always assume 5 days a week) it's easy to say "oh I'll save money on bill rent etc" the problem with this is it's not true in university halls all bills internet water electricity is included if we take my university it costs £128.75 a day on the train alone add £8 pounds for the bus to the station that's £168.75 when you think the most expensive halls at my uni are £159.25 a week so you could actually save money by living in halls.

Social life how social do you want to be anything over a 30 minute commute (in the local area) and you will miss out. a night out will require a hotel or a taxi home if you commute and tour parents won't want you coming in on Thursday morning (why Thursday? you'll see) at 3am blind drunk no if you want a social life halls are a far better option.

I'd always recommend a few dry runs in bad weather (thas from 9-8pm because lectures can and do run that late.( before you make the decision and really think could I do this five days a week see if you can walk around the campus in some of the buildings have lunch in the cafeteria and jus see if it works if not maybe consider halls.