Can we be friends? Yours sincerely a commuting uni student

I made the personal decision to commute to university because of living expenses and although, I am 21 years old I felt that I was not ready to leave home. And that’s completely okay!

Although, IDP would argue that Birmingham is one of the more affordable cities to live in if you’re planning to study in the UK and currently do not live here. The downside to this, however, missing out on the ‘Uni experience’ and commuters tend to feel the loneliest due to this. So, what can you do to change this?

Well after looking into Sheneika’s story of a commuting student and comparing it to my own experience, it seems there are a variety of things that can improve your university experience even as a commuter.

1. Looking at commuter groups/services –

At UCB, we have a third-party app called Unibuddy, which allows students to interact digitally with their course mates before starting the course. This is useful because I felt anxious about being a commuting student and worried that most of my course members would live in accommodation.

This was an excellent way for me to get to know some people and their story before starting university. Snapchat also offers a university community, where students can post stories from their individual accounts to the community so other students can see what they’re up to. This allows students to make new friends within their university even while off campus.

2. Using breaks to your full advantage –

Something I wish I had done when I started university was using my breaks to build my network and get to know different people on my course or just generally around the university campus. Breaks are a great opportunity to speak to lecturers if you need support with assignments or general wellbeing.

This is also a great chance to get to know your campus and the facilities it has. It can also be a great opportunity to visit your universities library, where you can explore the range of sources available to help you study and what facilities they offer. Our library in located by Birmingham City Library and offers workspaces, a range of books and articles and sit-down support with the case team.

3. Make the most of the days you’re at university –

‘Big Wednesday’ at Snobs is a popular place for students to party in Birmingham. Hold on...Wednesday? Wednesday…as in midweek Wednesday? Yes, it seems as though the busiest student nights are weekdays, which allows commuting students to make the most of the days they spend in the city.

Now, I heard somewhere that university should be your priority in the week but as a commuting student it’s not plausible to do so; it may be more beneficial to extend your days at university to explore the city and opportunities for socialising due to travel expenses and accommodation issues. The train station is open until 2am so your night may be cut short but at least you got to experience Birmingham nightlife.

Obviously, you may feel indifferent about engaging in your university city. You may be a mature student, who’s outgrown their partying stage and that’s completely okay! Commuting does have its downsides, like everything does, but I honestly think you can still enjoy the ‘Uni experience’ without having to move into a new city.