I’m not sure if I should apply to student accommodation
Reply 1
Hi GOHAN91,
That’s a great question, there are definitely pros and cons either way. Staying in student accommodation is a great way to make friends in the early weeks of uni and it’s really convenient for when you have 2-3 hour breaks in your timetable and want to go home. On the other hand, you’ll obviously be saving money staying at home (though the cost of the commute may cancel this out) and you can still have your meals cooked and laundry done for you!
I’d say that if you’re willing to pay for it, it’s a good idea to live in halls for first year. For me, I gained so much independence and learned a lot about myself living away from home. Navigating things like kitchen squabbles is a key part of the university experience in my opinion! I also know a few commuters who mentioned that it’s harder to get involved in clubs and societies as you have to worry about things like getting home late the night before a 9am and things like that.
Ultimately it’s your decision, maybe have a look at your uni’s accommodation and see if it’s somewhere you can see yourself living. That could help too. Good luck!
Reply 2
Have you checked how much public transport would cost compared to university accommodation?
Are you doing a course or going to a university with high contact hours or a high workload for example?
If I was in your position, I wouldn’t do a 1 hour commute (I didn’t want to repeat what I did before).
Reply 3
Hey there 👋
My name is Siobhan and I’m a third year student at the University of Central Lancashire! 👩*🎓
I personally lived around 1hr and 20 mins from uni and decided to stay in accommodations due to a couple factors. Here are some things that I considered that I would recommend looking into:
•
Accommodation cost: See how much your accommodation will cost and weigh up if this is soemthing that you can manage or will struggle with as some places can be very expensive. I thankfully had fairly priced options where my uni is so that is why I lived away.
•
Independence: Living away can be an amazing opportunity to be able to build self reliance and independence. This had always been a goal of mine which is why I was quite keen on living away even though living at home was a feasible option.
•
Travel time: Even though 1hr and 20 mins is manageable, when exam seasons came around this would have been too much to do twice a day when I had so much to do. Travelling for so long can also be very draining and if you finish lectures late then the travel home can be difficult. (It was also a bonus waking up at 8:45 before my 9am lecture 👀🤫)
•
Transport reliability: Sometimes when the weather is harsh, trains can cancel services and this will impact you being able to go into lessons. Most of the time lectures are also recorded or put on a livestream so it’s not the ends of the world!! But transport reliability is definitely a consideration I would reflect on before making a decision.
•
Contact time: A big factor for me moving out was how many days a week I was in uni for. I honestly don’t mind the travel between home and uni, but because I had to be in 4 days a week I thought it would be too much having to wake up early all the time, especially when I have a big workload, and therefore I moved away!!
These are just some things I would think about if travelling in for 1hr and 10mins, but at the end of the day it is completely up to you and it’s a big decision so I would take some time to really think about it!!
Hope this helps and please let me know if you have any questions at all
Siobhan (Student Ambassador for the University of Central Lancashire)
Reply 4
Do you mean 1h 10m door-to-door including the train ride, or 1h 10m on the train plus the time to get from home to the station and from the station to your lectures?
Reply 5
Hey there!
That's a really important question to ask, and I understand your concern about the long-term commute, even if you're used to getting up early.
There's no single right or wrong answer here. I commute too and can tell you for sure that it's not necessary to move to have a social life! The best choice really depends on what you personally prefer and what your priorities are.
Here are a few things to consider:
•
Cost: The biggest factor is usually money. Living at home will almost always be significantly cheaper and help you avoid big loans for accommodation. 💰
•
Time and Convenience: Living on campus saves a lot of time on travel. This can be great for late-night study sessions, Freshers' events, or early-morning lectures.
•
Independence: Moving into student accommodation offers a different kind of experience. It gives you a lot of independence and puts you right in the middle of campus life.
Hope this helps. 😊
Rachel
(Third year)
Undergraduate Multimedia Journalism
Reply 6
Hiya @GOHAN91 ,
Like what the others have mentioned, I think you should do a quick cost comparison on how much it actually costs to commute versus staying in student accommodation! This also definitely depends on how often you have to go to uni and how intense your coursework is. Personally as someone who needs the facilities and printers at uni, I prefer to stay close as it really helps me save time when I am rushing work during deadline season and it is nice to have friends close by🤗
If you are able to afford it, there is no harm in trying to live in student accommodation in the first year. You can always decide to commute in your 2nd and 3rd year at uni if its not for you.
I hope this helps 🙂
Zhi En
(Kingston Student Rep.)
Quick Reply
Related discussions
- Looking for advice for moving into student accommodation
- Hayloft Point vs SSA KCL Accomodation 25/26
- Funding/Bursaries for Imperial Physics MSci
- Agnes Jones House - Liverpool
- Keele MSc Counselling + Psychotherapy
- York accommodation 2023/2024
- Official King's College London Offer Holders Thread 2025 entry
- Law UCAS Extra
- Late accommodation app’n for insurance choice #Southampton
- Ulster uni optometry
- Don’t want to commute but the deadline of accom has gone
- Liverpool uni dentistry/medicine students
- HELP!! southampton uni no accomodation and enrolment
- Uni of Bath Accommodation - post all questions here
- How To Choose The Best Hall of Residence For You: Kingston Edition
- Nottingham A100 2025 - Offer Holder Chat
- Accommodation FAQ's
- Official York St John University 2025 Applicant Thread
- Year 13 med applicant
- University of Brighton Accommodation Deadline Nearing
Last reply 4 months ago
Laptop vs iPad for universityLast reply 4 months ago
living away from home for university- pros / cons, advice ?15
15
Last reply 4 months ago
Should I Appeal an Academic Misconduct Finding at a UK University?Last reply 4 months ago
Will I be an outcast in uni if I don’t use social media?14
13
How The Student Room is moderated
To keep The Student Room safe for everyone, we moderate posts that are added to the site.
