Aodhan's commuting insight

My Commuting Experience

Thinking of commuting to university but unsure whether it’s the right option for you?

I commute to Worcester from a town called Stourbridge. It takes me around 45 minutes to travel to Worcester which isn’t at all that bad considering. I initially took the nearby train to the city but as I became more confident driving I have started to travel in my car. The parking isn’t all that bad although it is about a 10-minute walk from there to the City Campus – which is where I have most my lectures and of course you then have to pay for a parking permit usually around £100 for the year.

The main thing people want to know about commuting is about whether they get to experience the true student social life and the simple answer is – no. However, this can depend on your social life back where you live. For me personally, I already have friends in full time work and most of my closest friends are still local which means I’m accustomed to still going out when I feel like it. For you, this may be different and you may wish to live in Halls to gain that social experience.

Another reason I stayed at home and commuted was because I wanted to keep my local part time job. I never really wanted to risk losing income and since Halls are quite expensive I felt uneasy about spending more and earning less. As well as this, I am still blessed to have cooked meals at home which I don’t have to worry about each night, although I do cook extra daily meals for my gym routine.

Finally, what encouraged me to stay at home was my close family and circle of friends. I have a big family who are all very close and it just feels more comfortable to be staying in this environment and not missing out on family moments. Moving out your comfort zone can be a good thing but for me I guess I know who I am already and feel the change isn’t needed. Then there is my circle of friends who are all productive positive people in my life that I don’t want to distance from.

Ultimately commuting is an option that can work for some and not others. It really does depend on your circumstances. I would encourage anyone who feels that they need to further develop themselves in social situation to try Halls, but if you feel you are already in a good circle you may choose the same option as me. I hope my short insight into my commuting lifestyle can assist you in making up your mind. Good luck

Commuting

Commuting to university can often be seen as too much effort by students who are considering going to university. This is because they are under false pretences that taking the option to live in halls is easier than living at home and having to commute. I myself commute to the University of Worcester from Birmingham which is around 40 minutes depending on traffic as the University of Worcester City Campus is located close to the town centre and there is also a school close by which means that it can quite busy during the mornings and also towards the late afternoon, so if you have a lecture that is early in the morning than it is best to take this into account and leave accordingly. In my experience travelling to university is beneficial towards me as it means I don’t have any extra worries such as problems within the student halls and also paying for any living expenses due to the fact that I live at home. Living at home also benefits me greatly as I am in a comfortable environment allowing me to fully focus on my studying. Another advantage of this is that more time can be spent on revision for exams and writing assignments instead of having to cook, clean and going shopping. Commuting to university can be seen as a negative as it can be costly in terms of either catching the train or driving. I myself drive to the City Campus for three days a week which results in petrol not costing me a fortune as this only consumes around half a tank throughout the week.

Living at home can also be good preparation for working life where you will be less likely to live in your place of work. The average cost of university halls can vary between £53 and £216 on a weekly basis and due to only attending three days a week living in halls would be much more expensive. An important part of living at home when going to university is the support you receive. When you have to start revision for either exams or start working on drafts for assignments ready to meet the deadlines university can result in becoming a stressful experience. Living at home enables you to have the support from parents, siblings and friends and this in turn may help you balance the work load.

Commuting to university can sometimes be difficult especially when working on group assignments which is the case for particular modules. The reason for this is the fact that some of your class mates may be living in halls and in order to receive the best grade you may be required to have regular meetings outside of lectures. In my experience this can be quite a task as trying to find a time which suits everyone can be a nuisance, but there are always ways round this as in my first year of studying I successfully completed a module which required this.

Do you have any questions that you would like to ask the team? If so, please e-mail

                                                                Worcesterstudentliving@outlook.com