Pros and cons of commuting from home to Uni

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Pros & cons of commuting to Uni?
anyone's DC commuting from hone, or thinking of doing so?

DD1 (yr12) starting her search, saying she does not want to leave home. Not interested in the social side of things, just wants to get on with her course without distractions and keep her home comforts.

There ate several choices within an hour
commute, similar to my work journey, so realistic from transport point of view.
Although may not be the most suitable courses for her.

Pros I can think of are cost savings and no risk of homesickness.
Cons are missing out on student life, travelling more than necessary, less likely to study at home.

We are starting our visits soon, looking further afield to begin with,

really odd this; because in my cultural background it was quite common for kids to attend Uni within commuting distance of home. Overall made the costs much lower. The British seem very fixed on the idea that teens MuST go away to Uni. I have always found that very puzzling.

I think I will be happy to see back of some of mine, too, admittedly…

ps: living at home was never seen as some kind of social death. In my day we didn't have flat-mates; we had room-mates (literally sharing your university room with 1-3 other people). So you had more privacy if you still lived at home than in residences.

I think our culture might very well change, actually.

I think part of the issue is that in the UK, there is such a disparity between institutions. Just for example, friends from Italy don't seem to have this - you can go to university anywhere, and while a tiny number are more prestigious, basically it's a degree and you live at home. Whereas here, there are quite a lot of places in the country where there might be no university near you that was really any good, or you might live somewhere where the university was far out of reach.

Well, it's the shift from a system which taught only 10-15% of 18 to 21 year olds, to a mass education system. Together with the convenient fiction that all universities are of equivalent standard and do the same thing. Without thinking about how it would be paid for ...

In the US, there is a far more tiered system, with differing levels of involvement. At the elite universities/colleges in the US, living 'dorms' is as standard as here. At community colleges, not at all.

If she goes to London she will find that a LOT of the students commute. When students live out in second year they live absolutely all over the place. In my second year I had friends renting flats in Streatham, Cratford, Muswell Hill (!) and all sorts of other places! Everyone had to think about last trains/tubes so people who lived at home were not disadvantaged in any way.

Even in first year the halls of residence are not always near the colleges so, certainly in my college, no-one would have considered popping home between lectures.

Ok I went to Uni 1 at 18, 100 miles from home. Had boy friend at home (now DH). Hated it, left after 6 weeks (missed him, wrong course, didn't want to leave home as was having great time in 6th form and most of my friends were a year/2 years younger).

Had a year out working at home. Was fun.

Started new degree at London uni on a different course (commuted from home). Hated it!!! Finished degree. Did PGCE whilst living at home, loved it!!!

I guess for me it was in both cases wrong type of Uni. Felt a bit excluded from uni activities when I commuted but often slept on a mates floor or wasn't really that bothered (they were all discovering London I had done that aged 15). Never felt the urge to go to Manchester or Durham or anywhere

Good luck!

I am a music teacher too

So it seems like commutting to London is quite popular. Catching late trains home is no bigger an issue fir those renting slightly closer, just a few stops further to go. And we are in a safe area at the home end, very near station.

We have not come across anywhere else commutable by public transport. Possibly one realistically drivable, but nit yet found out how they are for her instrument.

At the end of the day, she should make her choices on the
course that suit her best. We have only had one visit so far,
that she loved, which is not London, and also quite an aspirational choice academically. Whether that would
outweigh being away from home for her, who knows.

DD took a year out (working in London so she had the whole living away from home experience at 18), and then went to a local uni the following year. She has just started Year 2 and lives at home.

She does miss out on 'uni' life from time to time, but does go in for 'big nights out' and either stays at a friends or in a Travelodge (likes her independence!) The biggest pain for uni work is when working in a group, she can't be there for spontaneous 'let's get together' meetings, as her trip is over an hour to get in.

But she's only there three days a week, and feels that she works better at home as there seems to be a big socialising culture and reduced work ethic amongst her course mates.

So it's a balance really - no perfect choice.

Incidentally, we have said that if DD wants to live at uni we would support that decision, but whilst she has spoken about it, she's never progressed the idea.

DS has just started a Masters in London, and whilst he had loads of friends at his previous uni, he never felt it was the complete bundle of fun everyone talks about. He is LOVING living in London - suspect he won't be home in a hurry!