Where to live on placement

Hi all, I’m having a debate about where to live when I’m on my placement next year. I have got a placement in London which is a 1 1/4 hour commute from my home. This would clearly save me lots of money and stress of not having to do laundry, cook, deal with house dramas… but I’m worried I will feel more isolated than if I was living with people from my placement, and be tired from the long commute. I am in contact with some people from my placement who have offered for me to live with them and having thought I was happy living at home I’m now questioning my decision. Any advice from people who have done placements would be amazing. Thanks!

Reply 1

aspalax

Universities Forum Helper

13

Hi! I did a placement year and then I stayed on and carried on working for my placement company while finishing my degree remotely (a pretty uncommon arrangement, but hey, it worked for me) .

i lived at home and commuted about an hour and a half each way during my internship year, and then I made the jump the following year to move to my work's city. (for a year, and then I moved back home again for another 6 months-ish...)

Some key things impacted those decisions:

•

I was always hybrid, so I was only ever required to be in 2 days a week. This made a massive difference as it cut down my commuting time a lot. I'd suggest if you are hybrid that you stay at home.

•

I was quite lonely. All my friends were still at Uni, and near where my dad lived I didn't really know anyone well. I struggled to really make close friends at work for the first year and a half I was there... I had friends, but no-one I really was hanging out with much - partly because everyone was hybrid. That was ultimately what incentivised me to move nearer my work, but I still struggled for a while after moving before I found my feet.

•

I saved a lot of money living at home. Like thousands of pounds money. Granted - I was living rent free (my dad was very kind) and my living costs were barely anything (I had no social life and was only commuting twice a week) but that money's been pretty damn useful further down the line.

•

I lived in a houseshare near my work the second year, but with randoms. I didn't really get on with them and they were messy and disruptive as they were mostly students and seemed to not understand I was working 9-5. Would be careful who you choose to live with. I couldn't afford to live alone in the city on my salary at the time, though.

I'd say I struggled with both, for different reasons, but they also both had their advantages, for various reasons. I think possibly I would've stuck it out at my dad's longer in hindsight. I struggled living away again and felt pretty disincentivised to look after myself when I had no friends and basically all I did was go to the office twice a week, so I think I was worse at cooking and looking after myself than when I was at uni.... Ultimately that was part of the reason I went home again after my tenancy there ended.... That and not being able to afford to live there without housemates, which my experience with had been really bad. Equally, it meant I could attend events and things that I had previously not been able to and (eventually) formed closer friendships with people as a direct result of being around more.

Since then, I got promoted and can actually afford to live here alone now, lol! I'm really loving being back as I spent the 6 months where I went back home constantly going backwards and forwards, now that I actually had a social life in my work's city and people I wanted to see. I love where I live now and have plans most weeks and feel very thankful that I have friends locally and it all worked itself out.

I really did find my feet in the end, but it took me quite a while, and it was partly because I ended up staying there longer than a typical placement year. I think had I gone back to my uni city in the middle (as is typical) I probably would've figured it out eventually too, but it might've taken me a lot longer.

Best of luck on your placement year, I hope you figure out what's right for you. 🙂

(edited 2 months ago)

Reply 2

UCLan Student

Official Rep

16

Original post by Anonymous187389

Hi all, I’m having a debate about where to live when I’m on my placement next year. I have got a placement in London which is a 1 1/4 hour commute from my home. This would clearly save me lots of money and stress of not having to do laundry, cook, deal with house dramas… but I’m worried I will feel more isolated than if I was living with people from my placement, and be tired from the long commute. I am in contact with some people from my placement who have offered for me to live with them and having thought I was happy living at home I’m now questioning my decision. Any advice from people who have done placements would be amazing. Thanks!

Hi there,

I lived out during my placement year as I was already living in another city and it had great transport links so I still had to commute but a lot less compared to if I lived at home. I did commute three days in and had one working from home day so that is something to take into account. Commuting did start catching up to me towards the end of my placement as commuting an hour to get there and back does take up quite some time. Doing a pros and cons list really helped me picking the university to study at and often helps me when making decisions, so that may be worth a try.

I understand wanting to live with people from your placement as that is the route I went down. I also understand that living at home does save people a lot of money but I wanted to live with people in the some boat as me so I lived with two other students who also did a placement. It was great as we were all able to support each other and even commute together sometimes.

There is a lot to think about however don't put too much pressure on yourself. I think adding up rent compared to how much it would cost to commute and doing a pros and cons list would be a good start. I did know people who commuted to university as well as placements, some people did complain about it but everyone is different and what worked for me might not work for you and vice versa. I'm sure you will make the best decision for yourself.

Hope this helps and best of luck in your placement! 🙂
^Zac

Reply 3

hallamstudents

Official Rep

18

Original post by Anonymous187389

Hi all, I’m having a debate about where to live when I’m on my placement next year. I have got a placement in London which is a 1 1/4 hour commute from my home. This would clearly save me lots of money and stress of not having to do laundry, cook, deal with house dramas… but I’m worried I will feel more isolated than if I was living with people from my placement, and be tired from the long commute. I am in contact with some people from my placement who have offered for me to live with them and having thought I was happy living at home I’m now questioning my decision. Any advice from people who have done placements would be amazing. Thanks!

Hi there,

I haven't done a placement year, however one of my housemates is currently doing one so I thought I could still give some good insight into this.

I would say that you will save a lot of money on rent, especially if you would be living in London. If you are hybrid working, you will also not be spending lots on your commute so money wise it would definitely be a smart decision to live at home.
However, if you want to still feel like you are living at uni and living with friends, I would say it might be worth living with your friends who have offered for you to live with them! This way you will be able to go out more easily, and also just live in a new place!

I would say overall it depends on what you want to prioritise most, but both have pros and cons so it isn't a straight forward answer.

I hope some of this helps!

Lucy -SHU student ambassador.

Reply 4

UEA Rep Grace

Official Rep

6

Original post by Anonymous187389

Hi all, I’m having a debate about where to live when I’m on my placement next year. I have got a placement in London which is a 1 1/4 hour commute from my home. This would clearly save me lots of money and stress of not having to do laundry, cook, deal with house dramas… but I’m worried I will feel more isolated than if I was living with people from my placement, and be tired from the long commute. I am in contact with some people from my placement who have offered for me to live with them and having thought I was happy living at home I’m now questioning my decision. Any advice from people who have done placements would be amazing. Thanks!

Hi,

I did a placement year. I think there are a few things to consider.

A 1 1/4 commute is tough. Is this both ways? Are you in Monday to Friday? I think that's going to be really tough to do even without factoring in any delays and wake-up times. I agree you'll save lots of money but I think you should weigh up the pros and cons. Say you do a 9-5... That might be waking up at 6:30ish to get ready, and getting home around 19:00. If you drive there will be traffic and if you take the train they'll likely be packed. I would be worried you'd be very tired and have no time for your family, social life or hobbies.

I will say from my placement they can be quite draining when you transition to the 9-5 schedule. It's great some people from youre placement have offered for you to live with them, especfially as they'll be able to relate to your placement. I would definitely weigh up the pros and cons and how badly you want to save money.

Hope this helps!

Reply 5

De Montfort University

Official Rep

17

Original post by Anonymous187389

Hi all, I’m having a debate about where to live when I’m on my placement next year. I have got a placement in London which is a 1 1/4 hour commute from my home. This would clearly save me lots of money and stress of not having to do laundry, cook, deal with house dramas… but I’m worried I will feel more isolated than if I was living with people from my placement, and be tired from the long commute. I am in contact with some people from my placement who have offered for me to live with them and having thought I was happy living at home I’m now questioning my decision. Any advice from people who have done placements would be amazing. Thanks!

Hey there 😃

When I did my student exchange, I faced the same dilemma about accommodation 🤔🏡

My top advice? Consider your preferences and financial situation first! 💡💰 If social connections matter to you and you can afford renting a room, I’d highly recommend it. Moving out adds so much to the experience. It’s a great chance to learn independence and fully immerse yourself in the placement life ✨

However, if you’d rather stay at home, save money, and avoid extra responsibilities, that’s totally valid too! The key is to listen to yourself and choose what will make you feel the most comfortable and satisfied 💛 Once you make a decision that truly aligns with you, any challenges that come your way will feel much easier to handle! 🚀

I hope it will be helpful 💪 Feel free to reach out if you have any questions 😉 You can also chat with me or other students directly through The Ambassador Platform.

Take care,

Julia
Psychology student
De Montfort University

Where to live on placement

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