My experience as a commuting student to Brighton

At first, I was incredibly apprehensive about commuting to university and that’s not the only thing that has changed since then! I also started on a different course and living in halls but now I am in my last year of studying on a new course while also commuting from home! It took me a long time to make the decision to move back home, as I was very worried about the impact that this would have on my social life and independence.  

Throughout this blog, I will share my experience as a commuting student, the impact it has had on my friendships, social life, and mental health, and whether I would recommend it to others! I could have benefited from reading something like this before making my decision, so I hope it helps you in yours!

Why I chose to commute to university

I both loved and hated different things about living away from home at university. I only moved 35 minutes away from home, but I wanted to experience halls and learn to be more independent, so I initially decided not to commute. I moved into halls and through this, I made lots of friends, gained a lot of confidence and learnt about who I am as a person, but I was overwhelmingly lonely. I missed my family, my pets, my room, the routines that I had in place at home, and I began to feel that I had made the wrong decision. I felt a lot of pressure to move out, as that seemed to be what everyone I knew was doing. While I am very glad that I did move out for a portion of my university experience, I do think that commuting should have been something that I considered earlier. I think for a lot of people it could make a big difference in how much they enjoy university, specifically those who have good relationships with people at home and enjoy their home environment.  Being at home with my family, having my dog to play with, and having friends from home nearby has been so beneficial to my mental health this year at university. 

Last year, I was living in a house in Brighton and began reflecting on this, thinking about how I wanted my last year of university to play out. I knew I would be spending a large portion of my year on placement, which is stressful and time consuming, and I worried about pairing that with the loneliness and homesickness that I was already feeling. I was also worried about my finances and the increased cost of living, as I knew that I wouldn’t have time to work throughout the whole year due to my placement being longer! So, I decided to move home and commute for my final year instead. This fit into my life a lot more, as I could apply to a placement which was closer to home and drive instead of using public transport to make it easier to manage my time. I knew that I could still go and see my friends who lived in Brighton whenever I wanted, but now my family and my pets were also not out of reach. It also helped that when I changed course most of my course mates also commuted from similar locations to me! I saw this working for them, and it encouraged me to join them and make the same decision. I am so glad that I did. Since making this decision, being at home with my family, having my dog to play with, and having friends from home nearby has been so beneficial to my mental health. While I still feel lonely at times, and miss my university friends massively, I feel more settled and grounded at home. 

My commute to university

Initially, I had planned to use the train to commute, however this became challenging due to the large amounts of changes I would have to make along the journey. So instead, I applied for a parking permit on Falmer campus, which is where my course is based. Because of the complicated public transport route, this was approved, so I have been driving down to Brighton each day. Typically, I must leave an hour before my sessions start to ensure I have enough time to park and make my way to my seminars or lectures without rushing. But the drive is relaxing most of the time, and when I lived in Brighton, I had to leave that early to get public transport anyway!  

While I love driving to university, and the convenience of being able to leave Brighton as soon as my sessions finish (without waiting for public transport to turn up), I do miss being able to use the commuting time productively. When I lived in Brighton, I would get the bus and spend that time reading, which was something I really grew to love! However, I do love having a sing in the car, and if I am really missing reading then I will put a podcast or audiobook on instead of some music.  

Socially, it has meant that I need to put more time and effort into ensuring I have plans made, so I can see my friends and not miss out because I am too far away! I am quite introverted so at times this feels challenging, but I remind myself that I will have a lot of fun when I do make the effort. This has been a big change from living in a house with my friends and seeing them all the time, but it has allowed me to build routines which will be useful when I finish university and potentially relocate for work! 

My commuting tips

1. Be flexible with your routines and think about the different transport methods that you can use, and when each one might be suitable. For example, I know that I don’t love driving in the dark, so if I have a long day which finishes late, or if I am going to see friends after university, I will opt to get the train!   

2. Remember that making the effort to see friends or engage with societies will be worth it! 

3. See if you can make connections with other commuters! Could you find a train buddy, or even people that live closer to you? I have found that having friends who also commute has been a great experience for me. We can go and explore different areas around where we all live and have done little dinners and garden center trips, which help us stay connected with one another. 

4. Reset your mindset about the time you are using to commute!  If you are not driving, then use the time on public transport to get into a good book, doodle or pick up a new hobby! If you are driving, then you could listen to a podcast or audiobook! For me, I enjoy using my commute as personal time to decompress and do something that is good for my mental health, which has helped it feel more worthwhile.  

Final thoughts: why commuting to Brighton works for me

If commuting is something that you have been considering, then it is something that I would completely recommend. It is absolutely normal and understandable if living away from home is challenging for you and it is absolutely okay for you to try it and change your mind! I really do understand the pressure that you can feel at university to live with other students, have a packed social life and move away from home.  But, having experienced both living away from home and commuting, I wish I had considered commuting sooner. I think there are definitely pros and cons to both options; those will be personal to you and your life, but I really do think you can have a successful and social university life while living from home. If you are prepared to make the effort, you absolutely can have a healthy and exciting social life regardless of whether you have lived with friends or not.  

 I would encourage you to consider all the different options that you have available to you, think about who you are as a person, your personal circumstances, and try not to rule out commuting before considering whether it would work for you! You are not doing anything wrong or being any less independent if you stay at home, regardless of the general narrative that moving out is central to the university experience. I am in a much better place with my mental health and university workload at home because of the support system around me and living somewhere I feel safe and able to be myself. While I know that a lot of people gain this by moving out and may not enjoy living at home, if you are in a position where you have a good routine at home, it might be worth considering whether keeping that in place would support you better!   

If you have any further questions about commuting and if it is something that you are considering, feel free to reach out or explore these university resources! 

Author: Molly Harper, Primary Education with QTS (5-11), School of Education, Sport and Health Sciences

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