accomodation or commuting
11
im a gap year student who's about to go southampton in september. i really can't decide if I want to live in accom or just commute, reason being that i've saved money and have been secure in the sense that i'm getting more money than i spend. my commute would be around an hour and a half. my question isn't about which option i should go for, but rather if the commute is way too long to go to uni? (any commuters wanna answer)
i was considering commuting early in the morning anyway to spend the whole day there
i was considering commuting early in the morning anyway to spend the whole day there
Reply 1
Hi there,
Great to hear you're thinking ahead about how you're going to get to and from uni - it will pay off being organised!
I lived in accom in my first year but commuted after that, similarly to you, an hour and a half there. I personally found it tiring, but doable. You have the right ideas about having to get up quite early in the morning, its certainly a good way to make the most of your time on campus. I'd be careful to first check your uni's policy on student car parking permits (if you're taking a car) as this can often be very difficult to get hold of. If you're taking a bus, then it may be more economical to get a bus ticket which coincides with your uni's semester dates - First Bus have this for Bath, Bath Spa and Bristol and may have it also for Southampton - this might be a good place to look for ways to get ticket discounts.
Personally I enjoyed being able to live in halls in my first year - I made some great memories, it was convenient and gave me the experience of being independent that I was looking for for a year. However, as you said this is the more expensive option and so if this is important to you then commuting would be a good option. I think you could manage it as long as you were organised and made extra effort to get involved with societies and things on campus so you can still make the most of what's on offer.
Its about deciding which option would be right for you and your situation. Have you tried writing a halls vs commuting pros and cons list and seeing if there is a stand-out winner?
Hoping some of this helps and good luck with everything!
Holly
University of Bath
Great to hear you're thinking ahead about how you're going to get to and from uni - it will pay off being organised!
I lived in accom in my first year but commuted after that, similarly to you, an hour and a half there. I personally found it tiring, but doable. You have the right ideas about having to get up quite early in the morning, its certainly a good way to make the most of your time on campus. I'd be careful to first check your uni's policy on student car parking permits (if you're taking a car) as this can often be very difficult to get hold of. If you're taking a bus, then it may be more economical to get a bus ticket which coincides with your uni's semester dates - First Bus have this for Bath, Bath Spa and Bristol and may have it also for Southampton - this might be a good place to look for ways to get ticket discounts.
Personally I enjoyed being able to live in halls in my first year - I made some great memories, it was convenient and gave me the experience of being independent that I was looking for for a year. However, as you said this is the more expensive option and so if this is important to you then commuting would be a good option. I think you could manage it as long as you were organised and made extra effort to get involved with societies and things on campus so you can still make the most of what's on offer.
Its about deciding which option would be right for you and your situation. Have you tried writing a halls vs commuting pros and cons list and seeing if there is a stand-out winner?
Hoping some of this helps and good luck with everything!
Holly
University of Bath
(edited 8 months ago)
Reply 2
Original post
by amel.z0im a gap year student who's about to go southampton in september. i really can't decide if I want to live in accom or just commute, reason being that i've saved money and have been secure in the sense that i'm getting more money than i spend. my commute would be around an hour and a half. my question isn't about which option i should go for, but rather if the commute is way too long to go to uni? (any commuters wanna answer)
i was considering commuting early in the morning anyway to spend the whole day there
i was considering commuting early in the morning anyway to spend the whole day there
Stay in accommodation throughout uni. This is your chance to start your independent journey and not look like a burden on your family by staying at home. Good luck
Reply 3
Original post
by amel.z0im a gap year student who's about to go southampton in september. i really can't decide if I want to live in accom or just commute, reason being that i've saved money and have been secure in the sense that i'm getting more money than i spend. my commute would be around an hour and a half. my question isn't about which option i should go for, but rather if the commute is way too long to go to uni? (any commuters wanna answer)
i was considering commuting early in the morning anyway to spend the whole day there
i was considering commuting early in the morning anyway to spend the whole day there
Hi there,
This is a great question and well done for being organised and thinking ahead! I didn't commute however a lot of my course mates and friends did. Those who commuted via trains but also those who drove in, did complain that it was draining for them,. I'm not sure if you drive but if you don't, you are then relaying on trains being on time which often they aren't. This can also add more stress to your university experience. The course mates who commuted were also often not on time. But as you mentioned you are thinking of going in early and spending the whole day there which is a great mindset. Commuting an hour and a half to be in for a few hours isn't ideal. So it's great that you would maximise your time. I think it's great that you can also do work during your commute unless you are driving.
If you do think commuting would work for you then that's great and you can always test it out in your first year then move to accommodation within your second. I decided to move out even thought my commute was shorter than yours, due to wanting to have my own space and be independent. Being on campus and being able to use the library and other facilities was important to me which was another reason why I chose to live in accommodation.
Hope this helps and you make the right decision for you. 🙂
^Zac
Reply 4
Original post
by amel.z0im a gap year student who's about to go southampton in september. i really can't decide if I want to live in accom or just commute, reason being that i've saved money and have been secure in the sense that i'm getting more money than i spend. my commute would be around an hour and a half. my question isn't about which option i should go for, but rather if the commute is way too long to go to uni? (any commuters wanna answer)
i was considering commuting early in the morning anyway to spend the whole day there
i was considering commuting early in the morning anyway to spend the whole day there
Hi!
I currently commute around an hour and ten minutes, but with delays or transport issues, it can stretch to an hour and a half. On good days, the commute isn’t too bad—I can get a seat, catch up on readings, and use the time productively. So during the terms where I’ve only had to go three days a week, I didn’t mind the commute at all. However, during the terms where I’ve had to be in five days a week, it’s been a lot tougher. Dealing with morning rush hour, evening crowds, and delays can be exhausting when you're experiencing it back-to-back. On those days, it’s also harder to use the time productively, especially if you’re squeezed into a crowded carriage.
During my year abroad, my accommodation was just a 5-minute walk from my institute, and I found that the time difference made a huge impact. I was able to get more sleep, have time to make a proper breakfast, and still had plenty of energy to socialize or get involved in extracurriculars after class. It made balancing academics, social life, and self-care so much easier.
So personally, I wouldn’t recommend a 1.5-hour commute. Some days, it might take even longer, and with a round trip, you’re looking at losing at least three hours of your day. Over time, it might become harder to stay motivated to go in, especially if you have early starts or late finishes. But, just to note, my experience is based on commuting in London, so travelling to Southampton might be a bit different and, ultimately, it’s about what works best for your lifestyle and budget.
Hope this helps and good luck with your decision!
Reply 5
Hi there!
You've already had loads of great advice but I thought I'd give you a little bit of my own.
I didn't personally commute but a lot of my friends did. Like has been said before, they all complained about it being very tiring and a few of them said it made it a lot more difficult to go to societies as they often run in the evenings so that may also be something to think about when you're considering your commute.
Public transport can sometimes be unreliable but is also a great opportunity for you to sit down and do some work when you have the chance. If you are wanting to drive to commute, you've got to think about when you are going to do your work outside of classes and whether you can fit it around potentially driving for 3 hours a day.
One of my friends commuted an hour and a half to uni every week and he was only in classes three times a week. He managed to work it so that he could stay in a hotel if he was in two days in a row or on days that he had early classes so the commute would have been more difficult. He said that it cost him a similar amount to commuting each day as the petrol money he saved from not driving was spent on hotel rooms. He still spent less money doing this than he did when he was living in halls and paying rent so it's definitely something to think about to make commuting that little bit easier.
I hope this helps!
Lottie, Graduate Advocate😀
You've already had loads of great advice but I thought I'd give you a little bit of my own.
I didn't personally commute but a lot of my friends did. Like has been said before, they all complained about it being very tiring and a few of them said it made it a lot more difficult to go to societies as they often run in the evenings so that may also be something to think about when you're considering your commute.
Public transport can sometimes be unreliable but is also a great opportunity for you to sit down and do some work when you have the chance. If you are wanting to drive to commute, you've got to think about when you are going to do your work outside of classes and whether you can fit it around potentially driving for 3 hours a day.
One of my friends commuted an hour and a half to uni every week and he was only in classes three times a week. He managed to work it so that he could stay in a hotel if he was in two days in a row or on days that he had early classes so the commute would have been more difficult. He said that it cost him a similar amount to commuting each day as the petrol money he saved from not driving was spent on hotel rooms. He still spent less money doing this than he did when he was living in halls and paying rent so it's definitely something to think about to make commuting that little bit easier.
I hope this helps!
Lottie, Graduate Advocate😀
Reply 6
Original post
by amel.z0im a gap year student who's about to go southampton in september. i really can't decide if I want to live in accom or just commute, reason being that i've saved money and have been secure in the sense that i'm getting more money than i spend. my commute would be around an hour and a half. my question isn't about which option i should go for, but rather if the commute is way too long to go to uni? (any commuters wanna answer)
i was considering commuting early in the morning anyway to spend the whole day there
i was considering commuting early in the morning anyway to spend the whole day there
Hi!
I don't personally commute but many of my friends do! From what they have said many people commute around an hour to uni, so an hour and a half is on the longer side but definitely doable!
Hope this helps! Faye 🙂
Reply 7
An hour and a half is quite a lot when you think about it's 3 hours while you can do a little reading on your journey you cant really do any serious work. Have you worked out how much you'll spend wit the loan as a commuting student you'll have £8,610 available to you instead of £10,227 as a student in halls.
The cheapest rooms at Southampton university are £135 a week your return fair will be £20.50 per day that's around £142.50 a week based on 5 days a week in uni so halls will save you money you can cut down that with a rail card of course which makes it cheaper but it sounds like you have figured that out already.
I recommend you do some dry runs you'll want to find cold rainy overcast days in the week like tomorrow get to the campus at 9am and start your journey back (bus to the station) and ask yourself can I really face that 5 days a week for 30 weeks or so?
The cheapest rooms at Southampton university are £135 a week your return fair will be £20.50 per day that's around £142.50 a week based on 5 days a week in uni so halls will save you money you can cut down that with a rail card of course which makes it cheaper but it sounds like you have figured that out already.
I recommend you do some dry runs you'll want to find cold rainy overcast days in the week like tomorrow get to the campus at 9am and start your journey back (bus to the station) and ask yourself can I really face that 5 days a week for 30 weeks or so?
Reply 8
Original post
by amel.z0im a gap year student who's about to go southampton in september. i really can't decide if I want to live in accom or just commute, reason being that i've saved money and have been secure in the sense that i'm getting more money than i spend. my commute would be around an hour and a half. my question isn't about which option i should go for, but rather if the commute is way too long to go to uni? (any commuters wanna answer)
i was considering commuting early in the morning anyway to spend the whole day there
i was considering commuting early in the morning anyway to spend the whole day there
Hello @amel.z0,
That's great to hear that you will be coming to Southampton in September!
I'm in my second year and have commuted since the start of first year, although my journey into uni is only about half an hour. Since I am able to get to and from uni easily by bus, I haven't found it too tiring and it has been nice to save up money. I have also made lots of friends and don't feel that I have missed out much on the social part of uni, it has just been important for me to make more of an effort to get involved.
However, sometimes it has been more challenging to get involved in things like societies and spontaneous plans (especially in first year) as I didn't live in halls. A lot of societies meet up in the evening, which can be tiring/difficult to get to and from, especially as traffic gets worse in the evenings around rush hour. I've heard that finding parking near the uni can also be hard, and you must meet certain criteria to be able to apply for a student parking permit (which you can read more about here). Depending on your timetable, there may be a few hours in between each lecture if you have multiple in one day. This can mean that you will need to stay on campus all day which can be more tiring, but is good for getting involved socially. There is also lots to do around Southampton and the town centre is only about 15 minutes away on the bus, which is good for killing time when you want a break from work.
Here are a few things to think about when deciding:
•
Are you planning on getting involved in societies and nightlife activities, and would commuting make this harder?
•
How much money would you save from commuting compared to living in halls?
•
Would you be happier living at home with family in a familiar environment, or living away with new people?
•
Would you be willing to live in halls for the first year and then commute in the second and third year?
It can be harder to find time to balance work and free time when you have a long journey, but being organised can help with this. Living in halls can also give you more independence, so its important to think about what you want to get out of uni and weigh up the benefit of saving money versus having the new experience of living with others your age.
Either way, I'm sure you will have a great time at uni and although I commute, I have still been able to be independent and have new experiences. Hopefully this helped and if you have any questions, let me know!
Poppy, 2nd Year Psychology.
Reply 9
Original post
by amel.z0im a gap year student who's about to go southampton in september. i really can't decide if I want to live in accom or just commute, reason being that i've saved money and have been secure in the sense that i'm getting more money than i spend. my commute would be around an hour and a half. my question isn't about which option i should go for, but rather if the commute is way too long to go to uni? (any commuters wanna answer)
i was considering commuting early in the morning anyway to spend the whole day there
i was considering commuting early in the morning anyway to spend the whole day there
Hello,
I’m a commuting student at the university of Chester, and door to door ( I drive to the station, and get the train to Chester and then 10 min walk from station to campus) it takes me around an hour and a half. Personally I don’t find the commute too long or arduous it’s manageable and as I use the train I can read as I’m travelling in so it does allow me to do uni work at the same time.
Some people are concerned that they miss out on the university experience by not living on site but I haven’t found this to be the case at all. There are all the same opportunities available wherever you live and I’m not sure that the people in the clubs that I’m in even know where I live! I think that aspect of uni is up to the individual to join clubs etc and get involved if they want to.
I’ve had experience of being both a commuter and a student living at uni and to be honest, overall, I haven’t found much difference in the two, and as long as you don’t mind travelling, the commute may not be too bad. If you were concerned about it, you could discuss this with the accommodation team at the university to find out if there would be a possibility next year of you having accommodation, if during the first year the commute didn’t work out for you.
I hope this is helpful,
Jess
PhD English
University of Chester
Reply 10
10
Original post
by amel.z0im a gap year student who's about to go southampton in september. i really can't decide if I want to live in accom or just commute, reason being that i've saved money and have been secure in the sense that i'm getting more money than i spend. my commute would be around an hour and a half. my question isn't about which option i should go for, but rather if the commute is way too long to go to uni? (any commuters wanna answer)
i was considering commuting early in the morning anyway to spend the whole day there
i was considering commuting early in the morning anyway to spend the whole day there
accommodation if you can, traveling an hour and half (unless if this is to and back) is very tiring and will affect your social life at uni, not to mention lecture attendance and engagement if transport is bad.
a lot of people underestimate how important friends or just lecture friends are in uni, if you're alone in lectures it becomes so demotivating to go to uni especially as you commute - i felt like this midway through my first year and stopped engaging unless it was for a lab practical.
Reply 11
Original post
by amel.z0im a gap year student who's about to go southampton in september. i really can't decide if I want to live in accom or just commute, reason being that i've saved money and have been secure in the sense that i'm getting more money than i spend. my commute would be around an hour and a half. my question isn't about which option i should go for, but rather if the commute is way too long to go to uni? (any commuters wanna answer)
i was considering commuting early in the morning anyway to spend the whole day there
i was considering commuting early in the morning anyway to spend the whole day there
Hi! I currently commute (half an hour each way) so thought I could give my opinion.
Unfortunately I think it's too far. I struggle with my 30 min commute- mostly because of everything else going on around me. I don't just have to get in the car and drive, I have to get up early to avoid traffic, sit around for an hour before my 9am begins because I avoided traffic, hang around on campus all day till my 3pm and then drive home in evening rush hour at 5pm. I think for me it's the fact that if I'm having a bad day I can't just go home and rest because I have lectures later on, or if I come out of uni at 5pm I have 30 mins still until I can sit down and relax, you know? And then getting home, I was so tired after being on campus all day. I also miss out on study sessions with my friends and social stuff in the evening, including drinking and things like that because I'm so far away.
That being said, I don't regret living at home. I've saved so much money, I get to see my dogs and my parents every day, and my timetable is Monday and Friday 9am - 5pm so I have Tuesday-Wednesday free. Stuff with friends can be planned in advance. However, I am so glad I lived on campus in the first year because it allowed me to make friends and learn life skills like budgeting and living alone.
If you can I would recommend doing the drive maybe three days a week to mimic your uni timetable so you can see what your energy levels will be like and how much fuel you'll be going through. Also, it would be a good idea to check parking availability and costs. At UEA parking is £5 per hour between 6am and 10am, so if I didn't have my parking permit it would certainly add up!
I hope this helps and let me know if you have any more questions!
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