Did you stay in your university town or did you never go back?

[JaimeParis]

Or what?!

I studied in Manchester for four years and only ever went back once to visit a friend about a year later. Most people on my course left too. In fact I ended up teaching in the same school in London as one of them. I know some people live in their university town for life. What did you do?

Bristol - I stayed on for a few months after, even though I hated the place, largely because home life was no fun, and also to take advantage of doing work experience for the BBC locally, but everything seemed to work against me back then. I did do a stint helping on a documentary about the Beatles, just as I was going off them. But something about the whole city I couldn't stand, I was trying to salvage something from it other than my 2:1. Bloody awful times, caught between the devil and the deep blue sea. I should have headed off for another adventure in another city but when you feel lousy you don't feel up to it.

I went back once to visit the amiable warden at Manor Hall but the place still gave me the jitters.

I did both my degrees in the same city.

I go back every year or so with my children. I was in such desperate poverty as a student that I couldn't ever go out for a meal or go anywhere that needed an admission fee so we did that together as they grew up.

I went this year by myself (children now adults) and it was the first time I seriously thought it might be nice to move back. I won't as it would mean moving away from my oldest who has his own house.

There were some pretty bleak times during my first degree (first of a few very abusive boyfriends) but I don't think about him at all when I go back, I don't know why not.

I stayed for a few years as I got a job in the area. Then I got a job out of the area... moved and never went back. It's been 30 years!

I went to uni in NY and Paris. I have been back to NY a couple times with my kids, and Paris with my DH and kids, but only for brief visits.

I've lived and worked in London ever since graduating, and have only visited my university town for work or on open days with my own dc more than 30 years later. If one of them gets in I might be visiting it a bit more over the next few years. Not a place I can imagine living really - beautiful but completely geared towards students or tourists; most of the central bits of town are dominated by or owned by the university.

I loved my university town and, had it worked out career wise, would have looked to stay there. Living there is incredibly expensive, plus my career isn't something I can do just anywhere, so it didn't work out that way. I spent a few days visiting this summer and it was just idyllic.

Went to uni in London, lived there for almost 20yrs, with a couple of years away in the middle for work.

LOVED it, but moved further South for quality of life once the DC arrived. When I win Euromillions I will move back - because that's the only way I would have enough to get the equivalent house and garden 🤷🏼‍♀️.

I'm near enough to easily go up for the day, but I do miss London life, many of my old friends are still there.

DC1 didn't stay but always says they would like to go back.

DC2 (different uni) couldn't wait to get away and has never gone within 50 miles of the place since.

Still here 38 years later.

Several of my uni friends stayed for 8 - 10 years but moved because of jobs or other family reasons.
It suits me - I could afford to buy a house here on my own, great transport links. Close enough to family that I can do a day trip but not so close that frequent visits feel obligatory.
I can be in London in an hour and in easy reach of friends that moved away.
To be honest I felt no real affection for the city for a long time. It was convenient, I got a reasonable job, I built a life here.
The last few years I have felt very differently about it. I'm happy enough here, I have a life, friends, I'm part of the community. If I wanted to leave I'd just be looking to replicate what I have here, and that has taken a long time to build so it makes no sense to leave

I left after graduation

I have been back a few times to meet up with uni friends, who all moved away

I stayed in the city for several years and now am about 10 miles away as it was cheaper to buy out of town.

I went to Luton university 30 years ago (known as university of Bedfordshire now)

nope didn’t stay, didn’t want to stay, couldn’t wait to get back to Wales tbh. I’ve lived here and not moved since.

Ive never been back to Luton, not once.

I studied in the city I grew up in...lived with my parents...left 32 years ago and go there twice a year for family visits.

I left in 2003, and went back in 2021. It wasn’t really all that different!

I went to University in Durham. Loved it, but ended up moving back home into my parents' house after graduating as I hadn't secured a job. I would have loved to stay in Durham but I was applying all over for graduate jobs and I ended up moving to a completely new area where I knew nobody (Birmingham). I do miss Durham though and would happily move back one day but my university friends also all moved away too.

I have gone back to visit a couple of times since I left Uni in 2010.

Nope.

Brighton. One of the most overrated cities in England. Dull as dishwater.

I don't know anyone who stayed but it was a small city

Do Ur old unis even allow you guys to visit campus? Like to go inside the buildings

I got a job about 20 miles away, married someone local and have lived in the area for 30 years.

That's funny, I was there this weekend and loved it - but is it only good to visit? What's so dull about it compared to other places?

I fell in love with York when I went there for a university interview, walking past the sparkling lights in the Betty's Christmas window, smelling the chocolate in the air and vising the Minster . I moved there 30 years ago and never left. My main friendship group is loosely based around university friends, although spanning a wide range of ages and including lots of people who we met after university.

I studied in London and stayed for 6 years after graduating, met my Dh and got married then moved back to the area I grew up in to have a family, and be able to afford a house.

No.... I moved away as soon as I finished my degree (Oxford) and got a job, and I don't know anyone who stayed. It was a cool place to study, but I don't think I'd live there. Property is very expensive, for one thing.

I have been back a handful of times, to various reunions, and did the tourist thing with the DCs a few years ago. I don't live a million miles away.

Funnily enough, DD1 was there for a week recently, on a training course, and asked if I had any recommendations as to where to eat. I told her, sadly, any suggestions i might have would be a good 35 years out of date.

I just found it all very 'on the surface'. There are no hidden depths to Brighton. No undiscovered places to explore. Everyone and everything there seems very transient.
As a student I found the pub, clubbing and music scene very, very dull. Even now if I watch a gig there everyone seems held back, a bit uptight, no-one seems to be able to have fun there.
I had been treated to many weekends in Liverpool and Manchester with student friends so it was no comparison really.

Left 30 years ago. Couldn’t wait to leave and have never returned.