DD attending university in the same town where we live - is this a good idea?

[PaperDoves]

DD is finishing year 12 and considering where to apply next year. Her current first choice of uni is our local one - which, to be fair, is a great university, especially for her preferred course, and the city is vibrant with plenty to do and an active social scene. If we didn't already live here, I'd say it would be a perfect fit! But I'm worried that she won't have the experience of moving to a new city (although she'll still meet lots of new people) and stretching her wings.

What are your views? If she does end up choosing this one and getting a place, should we make sure she lives in halls so she can still have the student experience? Should I just be glad she'll be nearby in case she needs a hot meal or (heaven forbid) finds herself in trouble and needs help? Is it really not a big deal to not move to a new city for university, and I'm just being weird?

I stayed at home. Same bedroom, same part time job, same everything.
For me it was better. I spent the time in the student bars, in the library and on the campus but still went home to a clean house with no rowdy parties.

I am so glad that I stayed at home. I know I got a better degree, less debt and I didn't miss out

Mine is in the local uni (about 20 miles away). She lives in halls. Its a great combination, she has an independent life, is doing all the social and laying in bed sides but can come home for some rest and love if she's ill or burnt out. We can meet for lunch with little planning and she's around for family celebrations without having to travel.

@PaperDoves
So if she stays in halls she won’t save anything on the loans. I think, therefore, there are several ways of looking at this. What is the degree? This matters. Is it the best? Where else could she go? There’s good universities snd then there the best. If it’s something like nursing though it really won’t matter. For History or English it really will.

Does she see this as the easy option? Has this uni done outreach and wooed local students? Has she considered elsewhere?

Is she just wanting to stay with friends? Where my DN lives, nearly 50% of the uni cohort stayed local. They just don’t see themselves elsewhere. Neither will they for work. So to them, doing the best course won’t matter because they never intend going anywhere. It’s actually a barrier to social mobility.

What does she want to do with the degree? Is she likely to be at home until she’s 30? What are her plans?

if she stays at home, try and get her to do a year abroad snd be adventurous. She will have a uni experience but not a life changing one if she stays at home.

That sounds lovely! If it worked out like that we'd have the best of both worlds.

This.
I've had 3 go away to University, and that time between being a child at home and graduating as an adult was as much about dealing with 'life stuff' as the actual degree.
All mine were actually quite confident and capable before they went, but having to work out how to sort out hospital visits; sorting things out after having your bag stolen; dealing with landlords; dealing with living with a big group of individuals who all have different ideas about sharing chores / turning heating up or down / letting friends stay / etc etc; traveling around the country (making decisions about spending 6 hrs on the Megabus but only paying £3.50 vs getting the train which is much quicker but costs an arm and a leg); making mistakes and poor choices that I no doubt didn't get to hear much about - and being able to do that without being likely to bump into an ex-teacher in the shopping centre, or one of your neighbours in the town centre - is a really valuable thing about being able to spend that time away from home.

Yes, lots of people do stay home but it will be a different experience.

@VonTrippTrapp depends on the college, particularly for fourth year (or it did many years ago!). My college offered halls all four years so yes, I was in college throughout. But wouldn’t have moved home regardless…it wouldn’t have been the same at all!

DS is at a London Uni and at least a quarter on his course live at home.I think there is a lot to be said for it .Certainly there are plenty of financial advantages and not all young people want to stagger around the city centre getting legless at weekends. I think it can suit some students particularly if they have a secure group of friends, sport or a job at home.Obviously they will miss out on some of the experiences and for this reason we have encouraged DS to live away from home.

Be careful about the accommodation rules. It was many years ago now, but one of the universities I applied to told me that because I lived within 20 miles I wouldn’t have even been allowed to view the private accommodation listings, never mind apply for halls.

We moved so eldest could do this

It's very common here in Ireland. Financially it's seen as the most sensible option

It's a good course, not Oxbridge level but top 10. Perfectly respectable for her field. They haven't done any outreach that I'm aware of, no, but she's been browsing lots of university courses online and has decided this one is amazing - will talk to her more about why exactly.

Ultimately she wants to do a postgraduate degree abroad at a specific university, but our funds wouldn't stretch to international tuition for undergrad so she's opted (sensibly) to do a more affordable degree in the UK and not be saddled with debt, and will then try to get a funded place for postgrad. It's part of a longterm plan, if all goes well, to immigrate permanently and work as a researcher in her field. So no, I don't think she'll still be living at home at 30!

I live in a capital city where student accommodation is scarce and exorbitant. Anyone from the city and satellite towns doing 3rd level education lives at home, it's a no-brainer. Hasn't stopped DS having an excellent social life!

Her plan sounds really wise - she's obviously thought it through. I'd be all for it, OP.

From your last post she sounds as if her head is screwed on and is making good decisions- I think Uni is fairly bi- polar some want to get as far away as possible re-invent themselves and be a new person others happier with their lot want to be close by - I wouldn't worry really if she's happy with her choice - abs enjoy her being close before she moves abroad in a few years x

My nephew went to his local uni, however he stayed in Halls to get the best of the Uni experience. @DaisyDozyDee my nephew used my address when applying for uni as we live 2 hours away and he wasn't sure if he would be eligible for Halls. not sure how lawful that is.😀

My dd3 id going to be doing this this autumn, living in halls. She went over 200 miles away for uni last autumn, hated it, left in the new year, and reapplied to various places within an hour or so's drive including our local uni. She went to offer holder days (in real life, which she hadn't been able to do previously) and it was down to a choice of two. She felt like she should go away just for the sake of it, but really she preferred the course and the campus/halls of our local one, so that's what she's doing. I think it will be great for her just to be able to pop home for dinner if she wants to, and I'm hoping not to see her all the time!

My dd1 is also going to that uni in the autumn for a post grad course, and is happily planning to carry on living at home (as she has been doing for the last two years doing a low paid job) because "it'll be much cheaper and easier, mum" 😀

It’s pretty common. If financially viable for her then she should move into student halls for first year at least as she’ll find it easier to make new friends with all the student nights out.

This is an appalling idea. How on earth do you expect your child to become an adult? She will be home every week for her washing doing. Shocked you would even consider this.

DD is considering it and part of me is secretly delighted but the other part thinks she should go further afield (but not too far). She visited our local uni yesterday though and wasn’t incredibly impressed so I doubt she will. It can work for some people if the course etc is right and will save a lot of money

Some countries have free tuition at undergrad and courses in English plus lower costs of living so I wouldn’t write off being able to afford it necessarily

2 of my DC's have health issues that mean living away for university will be very difficult;they'll both need practical support.

We're lucky in that there's 3 very good universities in the county where we live so they a choice of universities to chose from;I'd really not like to think that they are being sold short on the whole university experience especially when it'd be difficult to go further afield.

My view is that MNers are very weird about attending local Unis. It's common practice where I live (England) & nobody seems to think it's bad thing. I went to local Uni in my home town, DS might go to our local. We get along fine with him & He doesn't find halls that appealing.

"Student experience" adoration baffles me. Uni I went to was famous for heavy partying, image-obsesssed fraternities & sororities. None of that appealed to me. If that's "the student experience" I missed out, you can keep it.

I haven't done her laundry for her for several years, so this isn't what I'm worried about! I do think it would be good for her to stretch her wings a bit more, but ultimately it's her decision.

How do you know this is what the OP's DD will do? Chances are she will be enjoying herself so much that visits home will be few and far between. My nephew probably went to his home which was 20 minutes away, as seldom as his peers who lived 2/3/4 hours away. However it did mean that he could keep his previous part time job and still see family if there did happen to be a special celebration.

I think really it will come down to open days and seeing what else is out there in person. She'll be doing a few shadow days/work placement type things at our local uni over the summer so that will inform her as well.