Anyone with experience of studying at ' home' university

[pourmeanotherglass]

Hi, my girls are in years 11 and 12 so we are just starting to look at uni options. DD1 is thinking of applying for maths at Oxford, but hasn't chosen other unis, DD2 wants to do history, definitely not Oxbridge but hasn't ruled out Bristol (where we live).
Has anyone experience of kids going to a local uni? We're they allowed to live in halls for the first year to make friends or were they forced to live at home? If they lived at home, how easy did they find it to make new friends?
Thanks

[SpinneyHill]

I did Halls (sussex uni) and home (sussex uni), you do miss out on late night messy sessions not living in halls, BUT you have the option of staying at mates in halls (you weren't supposed to but we did).
I won't lie I went into halls because I got sick of missing out on impromptu parties....

[LIZS]

I've only seen Scottish Unis not allowing local students the option to live in halls. The loan rate for students living at home is different to those in halls though so you may need to consider that when applying for finance. DN lived at home but made few course friends and limited socialising but that was at a newishly converted uni with a higher number of students from local area than many.

[Ginfordinner]

I won't lie I went into halls because I got sick of missing out on impromptu parties

IMO you really do miss out if living at home. The bonding between flatmates and other people in halls will never be the same if you are still at home. I know students who have done or are doing the year one in halls then going back to live at home for years 2/3.

[DoTheNextRightThing]

I went to the uni that was 2 miles away from my house. I never looked into halls because that seemed pointless, but I made friends just fine. It was just as easy for me to visit my classmates at halls as it was for them to visit each other. I think it was a great decision!

[Needmoresleep]

You need to ask the University about their policy. In London some Universities guarantee hall accommodation for all first years (LSE, UCL, Imperial) others (Kings, QMUL etc) don't.

DS lived in hall first year, and it worked well. He would pop home to collect Amazon parcels, usually co-inciding with Sunday lunch, and I had the odd coffee with him if I was passing, but otherwise he led a different, student, life.

Bristol is odd in that neither the campus or the Student Union are real hubs of student social life. Depending on interests, students either hang out with other sports/drama/music people, people from halls, or in the clubs or in the bars on Whiteladies Road. By second year almost everyone is living out and more friendships ate formed with coursemates. So first year in hall then the rest at home will be fine.

[VivaLeBeaver]

Dd goes to local uni and lives at home. She could have gone into halls but chose not to.

She seems to have plenty of friends. Initially course mates, then was introduced to people’s flat mates, she joined a society as well. She’s often out.