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is it stupid to get an accom if it’s only an hour and 20 commute

I can’t decide whether to get an accommodation or not as it is only an hour and twenty minutes commute on the train from where i live i just can’t seem to justify it??

Reply 1

Scotland Yard

Volunteer Team, Clearing and Applications Advisor

Original post

by Anonymous

I can’t decide whether to get an accommodation or not as it is only an hour and twenty minutes commute on the train from where i live i just can’t seem to justify it??

I would justify getting accommodation for shorter commutes... not that you have to, but it's just infinitely more comfortable to roll out of bed at 8.55AM and bam, you're already there in time for your 9.00AM. And you can be a lot more engaged with student life in your first year, which is pretty cool and an experience not to be missed!

Reply 2

anosmianAcrimony

Sorry did you say ONLY an hour and twenty commute?? That's massive!

Reply 3

Manchester Met - Student Rep

Official Rep

Original post

by Anonymous

I can’t decide whether to get an accommodation or not as it is only an hour and twenty minutes commute on the train from where i live i just can’t seem to justify it??

Hey,
It is normal to feel torn about whether to move into accommodation or continue commuting; 1hr and 20 mins is right on the edge of what many students consider a manageable journey. There is no "right" answer, and it isn't a stupid thing to consider, as both options have great benefits depending on what you value most.

Here is some advice to help you decide:

•

Consider the "Hidden" Time: While the train journey is 80 minutes, remember to factor in the time spent getting to and from the stations. If that total time starts to impact your sleep or study hours, accommodation might feel more justified.

•

Social Life and Convenience: Living on campus or nearby can make it much easier to attend evening society events or late-night library sessions without worrying about the last train home.

•

Financial Balance: If you find it hard to justify the cost, try weighing the rent against what you would spend on daily train tickets and the value of having those extra hours back each day.

•

The "Best of Both" Approach: Some students choose to commute for their first year to save money and then move into shared housing with friends in their second year once they feel more settled.

My best advice is to think about how you want your daily routine to look. Whether you stay at home or move in, you will still have a fantastic university experience!

Hope this helps!😊

Rachel
(Third Year)
Undergraduate Multimedia Journalism

Reply 4

bigfoot-hunter

Original post

by Anonymous

I can’t decide whether to get an accommodation or not as it is only an hour and twenty minutes commute on the train from where i live i just can’t seem to justify it??

Dude get accomodation. 1hr and 20 is a lot. Eg. My sixth form is about 1.5 hrs away and anytime I start at 9am, I would have to wake up at 5am just to make it on time. I have to take both a bus and train. It quickly becomes a tiring after a few weeks or months

Reply 5

hallamstudents

Official Rep

Original post

by Anonymous

I can’t decide whether to get an accommodation or not as it is only an hour and twenty minutes commute on the train from where i live i just can’t seem to justify it??

Hi there!

I would say it is worth it! I live a similar distance away from uni and I decided to live in halls and have stayed in a house in Sheffield for all four years I have been here and I would say that it has been worth living here and I am glad that I didn't stay at home.

There are other things to consider - if you have to do that journey twice a day multiple times a week this is going to get quite tiring. It might not seem like too much at the moment, but after you have been to uni you might not then want to have the train journey home after this so this is just something to consider.

Also, while you still can make lots of friends and join in with social things if you commute, it is a lot easier if you live in halls, especially if your commute is over an hour away. You will have so many opportunities to meet people and join in with socials without thinking about having to get home after, and also with nights out and things like this where they may not be public transport late it will also be handy to be in halls.

Of course it is completely up to you, but I would say it is worth it! I don't think you will regret it, but chat to your friends and family too and see what they think!

I hope some of this helps,

Lucy -SHU student ambassador.

Reply 6

LJMUStudentReps

Official Rep

Original post

by Anonymous

I can’t decide whether to get an accommodation or not as it is only an hour and twenty minutes commute on the train from where i live i just can’t seem to justify it??

Hi,

I hope you are well! Deciding whether to move into accommodation for uni is a big choice and one that can only really be made by yourself after weighing up all the pros and cons! I would say that moving into accommodation when you live an hour and 20 mins away is very reasonable. You have to think about it being an hour and 20 mins to uni and then another hour and 20 mins back so in total it would be just under 3 hours of travel a day and that is not factoring in any delays!

Another thing to consider is the social side of things. I think staying in accommodation opens up many more opportunities to meet new people and make new friends than if you were to commute everyday. You may also become very tired and fed up of having to travel so long each day which could affect your experience of uni overall! I know a lot of people at LJMU that live within the same time frame away as you have mentioned and they live in accommodation and have loved every second of it, it is a totally different experience to commuting from home.

Ultimately though, you need to decide on what would be best for you logistically and financially. If you decide that commuting would be better than that's totally fine however if you want to move into accommodation then that's equally just as fine! I would suggest sitting down with a parent or a friend and coming up with pros and cons for each situation, then you can have a look and decide on the best choice!

If you have any other questions then please let me know, I am more than happy to help!

Thanks, Matt 😊
Official LJMU Student Rep

Reply 7

EssexStudentRep

Official Rep

Original post

by Anonymous

I can’t decide whether to get an accommodation or not as it is only an hour and twenty minutes commute on the train from where i live i just can’t seem to justify it??

Hi @Anonymous👋

Hope you are well. I would justify getting accommodation in this case if you are wanting to look at the option. 1 hour 20 is quite long to be fair and you have to consider travel expenses and also traffic and public transport delays and tiredness as well as it is not easy to travel every day that long and make two journeys a day. Getting accommodation can have a benefit though, you will be more engaged on campus if you stay in accommodation and this can help you have a better University experience 🙂

Essex Student Rep- Lavanya💜

Reply 8

LJMUStudentReps

Official Rep

Hi,

Deciding whether to live at home or move into accommodation is a big decision. You will need to factor in cost, the side side and time it takes to commute. And hour and 20 is definitely doable, but it can often be much simpler to live nearby to your uni. This can make it easier to get to all of your lectures, use the onsite facilities and socialise with others. If you want to join clubs and societies, these often happen in the evening and so it can make it so much easier to attend and meet others if you are already nearby. Living in student accommodation is often a massive part of student life and a fantastic experience.
However, living at home and commuting is also a great way to save money.
Try to weigh up the pros and cons, no matter which option you choose, you can always change your mind.

Thanks
LJMU rep
Holly

Reply 9

Goth Girl Mel

Original post

by Anonymous

I can’t decide whether to get an accommodation or not as it is only an hour and twenty minutes commute on the train from where i live i just can’t seem to justify it??

It's not stupid at all, go for it, halls is a great experience

Reply 10

Scotney

Original post

by Anonymous

I can’t decide whether to get an accommodation or not as it is only an hour and twenty minutes commute on the train from where i live i just can’t seem to justify it??

You get one chance at university in your life and may spend the rest of your life. commuting!Try it for the first year and see how you feel.

Reply 11

AprilCityUni

Official Rep

Original post

by Anonymous

I can’t decide whether to get an accommodation or not as it is only an hour and twenty minutes commute on the train from where i live i just can’t seem to justify it??

Hey,

It's understandable to feel unsure, an hour and 20 minutes is doable but it might feel tedious in the long term.

If it helps, my commute to uni is around an hour and I still chose to live in halls in London during my first year. For me, it was more about the experience of meeting people and learning independent skills. However, I chose to commute from home for my second and third years of uni.

That said, loads of students commute since it saves money and can feel less overwhelming. It really depends on what kind of routine you want and what will make your uni experience feel comfortable and manageable.

I hope that helps, let me know if you have any other questions! 😊

- April, Official CSGUL Rep

Reply 12

artful_lounger

Clearing and Applications Advisor, Universities Forum Helper

Original post

by Anonymous

I can’t decide whether to get an accommodation or not as it is only an hour and twenty minutes commute on the train from where i live i just can’t seem to justify it??

As noted that is a significant commute. Also is the 1 hr 20 minutes just the train journey? Because if so your actual commute is longer - you need to account for the door to door time, from the second you shut the door to your house to the second you walk into the building on campus. That is your whole commute - and I suspect is longer. That said even if 1 hr 20 minutes is your whole door to door commute, I'd still contend that's really probably too long for a full time student. That's potentially more than 13 hours a week you're commuting - that's basically a waking day, or equivalently a day and a half of working hours time.

If you for example lived on campus and got a part-time, minium wage job for 13 hours a week, only working during say a 10 week term for 2 terms, you would already have earned £2600 from just the "lost" time commuting being spent on a part-time job. Not to mention you get significantly reduced maintenance loan if you are living at home, so when you add onto that as an opportunity cost, I think it's actually hard to justify (financially at minimum) commuting from that perspective. That doesn't even consider e.g. quality of life, social and networking opportunities, etc, nor the cost of the actual train tickets etc themselves.

(edited 1 month ago)

Reply 13

De Montfort University

Official Rep

Original post

by Anonymous

I can’t decide whether to get an accommodation or not as it is only an hour and twenty minutes commute on the train from where i live i just can’t seem to justify it??

Hi there,

It's definitely not stupid. I have some students on my course who moved into student accommodation in their own home city just to move out and become more independent. It's completely up to you! :smile: