More often than not, you end up stuck on the Metro platform (often in the pouring rain) faced with two options. Run to get the bus that may or may not turn up (spoiler alert: it never turns up) or fork out the £25 for an Uber and spend the rest of your journey to university angrily contemplating all the better things you could’ve spent £25 on.
I’m not saying I need a high speed, ultra-modern train to get me to university; I just need one that’s reliable.
Unreliable public transport haunts me. I can’t count how many times I wished I had the Tube or the iconic red London buses to take me to university. Don’t get me wrong, I love the Metro, most the time, but the lack of funding for transport in the North East completely ruins what could be an excellent service. I’m not saying I need a high speed, ultra-modern train to get me to university; I just need one that’s reliable.
The amount of money it would cost is insane and when I live so close, that kind of money just can’t be justified.
Once I finally get to university, my next struggle begins. Having a lecture 10-12 is no bother however, when my next lecture doesn’t start till 4 there’s a problem. Is there really any point in me coming home just to head back to university 60 minutes later? I’m often left with hours to kill on campus. While it does mean I can get work done and go see my friends, it does very quickly start to feel like I should be paying rent at the library.
When I got my place at Newcastle University, I knew moving out was never an option. The amount of money it would cost is insane and when I live so close, that kind of money just can’t be justified.
People often ask me if I feel as if I’m getting the full ‘university experience’ by living at home. Yes and no. Since being at university, I’ve achieved so much. I’ve made new friends, joined societies, been on socials. I’ve done all the classic university student stuff, apart from moving out. While I would love to be close to campus and live with friends and have that sense of independence, I don’t think I’ve missed too much. If anything, living at home has been a saving grace for me at university. Coming home for me has become an escape from university that I wouldn’t get if I lived in the city centre and I don’t think I could’ve achieved what I have without the support of my family being there when I get home every day.
However, I’m certain all commuting students, whether the commute is 30 minutes or 2 hours, share these same struggles.
I’m aware I’m in a very privileged position to have a home that I feel comfortable living in and that my commute is miniscule compared to some. However, I’m certain all commuting students, whether the commute is 30 minutes or 2 hours, share these same struggles.
Being a commuting student isn’t as bad as it’s made out to be, but it does feel like a right inconvenience sometimes!