Commute to potential Uni - madness??

[nikki1978]

I went to an open day at Brunel Uni today as I am hoping to do a degree in Occupational Therapy in 2 years (just doing two alevels to bump my UCAS points up). If I manage to get in I will be at a stage where both my kids are at school (DS starts in 2 years, DD starts this year).

The course is 4 days a week for the first year and then 3 days a week for the last two years except for placements which will be 9-5 5 days a week (4 weeks in first year, two lots of 8 weeks in second year and 8 weeks in third year). The holidays are good - 3 weeks at xmas and easter then 15 weeks in the summer - so I wouldn't struggle so much with childcare as I would with midwifery which is the other subject I was considering.

The problem I have is that I live in Croydon, Surrey and Brunel is in Uxbridge which including dropping kids off and picking them up is about a 3 hour trip there then the same back so 6 hours a day commute. I could drive but the cost of petrol for 60 miles a day and the chance of being stuck on the M25 for ages each day means public transport is the best move (£1300 a year travelcard for a student).

As it is a NHS course the fees are covered plus I would get a bursary so money should not be too much of a problem. This seems to be the most respected Uni near me in this subject. The other options I have are London South Bank which has a terrible reputation and Brighton (on the Eastbourne campus) which would still be about 2 hours each way commute and much more expensive. I could handle the commute I think and guess I can study on train journeys so as not to be wasting too much of my time.

Does this sound like madness?

That commute sounds impossible, frankly. For a course where you have to go most days.

I would either choose a course nearer or move. At least where you live there are a lot of universities within commuting distance, there must be one that would be feasible.

There is nowhere else I can do this course without a substantial commute. There is Eastbourne or Canterbury which are both a godo 2-3 hours away - I am accounting for dropping kids off and getting to the station in these times too.

So basically the degree I want to do is out the window?

I can't move - we need to live in this house as we pay very cheap rent (my parents place) and couldn't get through Uni payign more than this. Plus I wouldn't want to move my kids from their schools.

The other option is to do the course part time (over 4 years) which is 2 days a week. Can do that at either Brunel or Eastbourne.

2 days a week sounds more realistic. I think a daily 6 hour commute with small children would be almost impossible to sustain, over a lnog period.

If you're absolutely sure the closer places that do OT are no good (I don't know anything about OT but South Bank is very good in my field (social science)).