Commuting...

I don’t live at University; I live at home and commute in. There are many advantages and disadvantages of this but I thought I would talk you through my thinking process when deciding where to live whilst studying at Uni.

Benefits of Living at Home:

• You know who you are living with, their habits, mess and their cooking abilities
• Meals are cooked for you (not always), and cost of food is split.
• Washing machine facilities are in the house – no dragging clothes to the laundrette
• Heating! (although in Halls this isn’t really a problem!)
• I could continue with my activities outside of Uni

Disadvantages of living at Home:

• Traffic - Rush hour traffic is a pain! You will devise several different routes to switch
  
  between just to keep the drive a bit more interesting.
• Sleep - Get used to having to get up earlier, you don’t have the option of rolling into lectures in your PJs!
• Social Nights out – You have to find somewhere to stay overnight, but once you have made a few friends I’m sure there will be a sofa you could sleep on!
• You don’t get to meet new people as easily – there is a wealth of life experience that can be gained from living at Uni that some people really value.

I’m sure you can think of more and specific things that apply to you in your own situations. For me it was a no brainer – I knew I wanted to live at home and commute in. It works really well for me, I don’t feel like I miss out on anything, and if I want to go out I crash at a friend’s house and then drive home the next day.  I think I have the best of both worlds, but it’s not for everyone.

Here are my top 3 tips to consider when deciding whether to live in or not:

1. How will you be commuting? Car, Public Transport? Easy route? Lots of transfers between trains/buses?
2. How long will it take? Remember to double this for 9am starts and 5/6pm finishes! Are you really going to be ok getting up at 6am, leaving the house at 7am, getting home at 8pm (or 11pm like I do after team training) to then have to drive back the next morning?
3. How much will each option cost? Remember to compare the finances of your options as this may help your decision.

     Here is the link to the Beds Accommodation: http://www.studentvillagebeds.com/ 

               Have a look and decide for yourself!