Sorry to bother you all with another advice needed but I need some more words of wisdom.
I'm thinking of moving out of home again for 3 months but the financial side of things are worrying me. I was planning on going back to where I lived last year, for 3 months (rent, internet, electricity) it would cost £2000, all I'd have on top of this is my food a week, it means I'm right next door to my university, I'm in my final year so i need to be there 24/7 from now until May, whereas if i stayed at home I'd have to travel an hour each way every day and t would cost around £1400 for the same 3 months. Can any of you give me your experiences of uni and whether moving is a good idea? I feel like it is the best option but I feel guilty leaving home again and worried about the money, I have savings which can cover the costs but i feel it could go towards something else when i graduate if that makes sense.
Happy 2017, and here's to another great year on the forums ^_^ x
I think the 600 saving for staying at home isn't worth it for all the travel you'll have to do and the lost study time hunny. It's only a few months and will be worth it in the long run IMO.
I personally live near uni, but I know people who've travelled all their years for an hour each way. They manage just fine, because they're able to read on the bus, listen to podcasts, etc. If that's you and you are able to utilize the time, then I'd say it's not such a bad idea. Nothing else to do on the bus but work! But if you get motion sick or are just unable to work while travelling then moving might be the better option. Also consider if travel makes you tired, which would mean that after getting home you find yourself just needing a lie down, because that would be more time taken up.
£600 is a lot of money, and would be a great saving if you stayed at home. However, you're going to be stressed and have a workload to contend with. Travelling could mean you can't put as much effort or time into your needed Uni work in order to graduate as you wish too.
I had to travel via public bus for college and it ruined my courses. I failed and dropped out the first time because I couldn't handle the travel, work load and lack of time to do it once I was home - you can't do IT coursework on a bus! -_-
In the long run, is it better to save £600 or make sure you can finish your schooling with minimal hurdles?
It's a tough one. I have done both and neither ended well for me. I had a placement at a studio 3 hours away which is quite a distance when you live rurally. I moved into accommodation in the city just next to the studio but was super depressed as although I had people I knew at the studio they had already built a life outside of it and I struggled to fit in. I ended up leaving after my first project was done.
For an extra qualification in my degree I travelled. I had my student pass so it was free but I had to take public transport. I had a short walk from home to a bus, on the bus for 40 minutes, walk from the bus stop to the train station, take the train to the city which was over 30 minutes then walk to the Uni again 20 minutes. I was exhausted, I was awake at 5am and not home till 7pm. I didn't last long until I burned out. I organised with the uni to do the work at home and just report in weekly. They made it like an open university course for me.
Do what you feel is right for you. Your health and education are your priorities 😘
I think if you are happy living with your parents and willing to put the extra effort in, it sounds like you are better staying at home. That way you have your family support and just the little things like cleaning, cooking, washing etc.
I moved out almost a year ago now which was for a few different reasons. The main one was that I had a really intense relationship with my mother which was a huge hit on my anxiety. Additionally work was moving into our massive warehouse which was nearly impossible to get to from my family home. I also did the one hour to work, one hour home thing each day. You really get used to it, and in some ways it was peaceful for me to have that time alone on the bus home.
I got roughly a £5,000 loan, moved out and one year on I really don't regret it! I have moved once since then into another apartment and I am really happy here. I also got a cat who I love to pieces.
Money wise it is really hard to say as I am in Australia, different economy etc, plus I have a full time job. I am able to pay my rent and bills just fine but I do have stuggles which has unfortunately made me lend more money. However I have become a lot less reckless with my money and I hope to pay a lot off this year!
One thing I would do (if you don't have already) is get a car and licence while you are still at home if you can. It is really hard for me to work on this at the moment.
If you need to be at uni at odd hours, is there buses to allow you to do so? If not I'd say definitely stay close to uni. Can you afford the extra £600? If so I personally would be tempted to be close to uni. If you have spent nearly 3 years on a course and potentially large sums of money for tuition, books etc I personally would sacrifice the extra money too give me the best chance to finish the course strongly.
1. (and entirely dependent on your course) is whether you can effectively study whilst commuting, and
2. whether you need to? - No-one can study 24/7, even with the most intense study timetables, you need to factor in rest breaks for the mind otherwise you'll burn yourself out.
Oh, and 3. relationship with family. Me personally, as much as I love her, any more than 12hrs in my mum's company and I'm silently screaming. If you're fortunate enough to have an understanding, and helpful-without-being-overbearing mother, that might be worth taking advantage of. When you exchange 2hrs worth of (potentially needed restful commutes) for cooking your own meals, washing up, cleaning kitchens & bathrooms, setting up the finances for bills, the inevitable distractions from friends that might wanna pop round your new place etc, you're probably not gaining any time at all.
Me, I'd suggest staying at home. Unless your mother is like mine, in which case I'd recommend moving to Svalbard.
Depends on how you can deal the travel and if you can get to the campus when you need to?
I lived away for just about all of my uni course as getting to the campus meant a long round trip which meant that all my computer course work and library time had to be put in before I could think of dinner and getting home. The first year had computer based coursework but you couldn't use your own computers until my second year so that was a huge factor. I also struggled to make friends. Living away from home meant I could get to the campus easily, time wasn't wasted being tired on the buses due to early starts and late nights and in my final year it meant when it came to my thesis I was not distracted by family getting involved. Being able to study in my own space was great.
I lived at home the first two years of uni and the commute killed me mentally and physically, i spent all my free time sleeping and did the majority of work from bed, when I moved into accommodation things improved as I was a minute walk away so I could spend more time at uni and not have to worry about the commute.
As for family life, I only have my mum, my dad disowned me last year out of the blue. I struggle to live with my mum, she has a number of illnesses which make her day-to-day life a struggle and I cannot juggle that with studying. I moved out initially to get away from family as all we do is fight, my mums partner and I despise each other and we cannot be in the same room, I won't go into why but I have many reasons.
Don't get me wrong, I love my mum but I find it hard living with her as she never leaves me alone, when I go out she searches my room, down to my rubbish bin and is on the phone constantly when I'm out, so much i had to turn my phone off at uni as she would call me during lectures. I liked living on my own but it's just the money that worries me, I need to know I have some savings for when i graduate and have something to help me stand on my own two feet until i get a job sorted.