Living at Home

There are both pros and cons to being a home student and although every student is different, the comments below reflect things current home students at the University of Glasgow have told us about their experiences. For most home students the perks outweigh the challenges, and there are lots of opportunities to make the most of being a home student.  

 

Challenges of Living at Home 

  • Depending on where your home is, commuting to university can take up a lot of time. You might need to leave social events early to catch the last bus or train home. Commuting can also tiring, stressful, unreliable and expensive
  • Some home students might struggle to meet other students at university because they don't live in university accommodation or near campus. Having to commute can sometimes feel a little isolating and you might struggle to get involved with night time events or club nights
  • If you live with your parents or guardians, you might find you don't get the independence that you get when you move out and you might feel like you're missing out on this part of university
  • You'll have to budget for getting to uni if you don't live within walking distance

 

Perks of Living at Home 

  • You might be able to save money on renting a property if you are still living with family members
  • You might find it easier to stay in contact with friends from your school or community and keep up with hobbies or activities you got involved in prior to university
  • You can enjoy home comforts like eating home cooked meals, sleeping in your own bed and spending time with family, friends and pets
  • You don't need to update your contact details for your address or worry about changing doctors or dentist 

Tips on Commuting

Depending on your timetable, you'll probably be travelling to campus most weekdays for lectures and teaching. You want to make sure you use your commute time effectively and might want to: 

  • Study- do your reading for the day ahead, write up your lecture notes or study 
  • Read- you could read for your course or just read a book of your choice!
  • Listen to a podcast- there are loads of free and interesting podcasts that you can access online, on Apple Podcasts or Spotify if you have it! You can listen to something relevant to your degree, something fun or just whatever you want to get ready for your day
  • Listen to an audiobook- you can access audiobooks online too
  • Travel with someone else- you might be travelling with a friend or family member too
  • Learn something new- download a brain training app or Duolingo to learn a new language! Use your time effectively to get a new skill 

 

If you end up commuting home at night, whether that’s from a night out or maybe a late night library session, it’s important that you keep yourself safe!

  • SafeZone- the SafeZone app is an app that is monitored 24 hours a day by the UofG security team, ensuring your safety and security. It can be used if you have any general enquiries, for emergencies, or if you need medical assistance. So if you ever feel unsafe, use the app and the security team will assist you however they can.
  • Safe Taxi Scheme- this is a safe initiative to ensure that even if you’re alone with no money, you can still make it back home safely by using your student card as payment in emergency situations. 
  • Staying with a friend who lives close to campus is a really great way to avoid you commuting home alone after a late night event, and also a great way to get to know them!

Travel

Travelling to university is different to every home student, depending from where you are coming from. You should take some time to research the best way for you to get to campus. You might choose to travel by: 

  • Bus
  • Train 
  • Subway
  • Bike
  • Car
  • Ferry
  • Other

 Some of our top tips for travelling include:

  • Be Prepared- Plan ahead and make sure you have a suitable bag for travelling. Make sure you have everything you need for the day ahead and check the weather before you leave
  • Routes- There might be an obvious travel route which works best for you or you might be able to try different options. Some travel options might be more reliable or cheaper than others, so try a range of options to see which one works best
  • Travel Updates- download travel apps and keep up to date with notifications of travel updates so you know that all your connections for that day are running
  • Discount- Find out if you can get a season pass or a student or young person discount on your travel. This can help you save money throughout your time at university. For example, all residents in Scotland under the age of 22 will be eligible for free bus travel with a Young Scot National Entitlement Card from 31 January 2022
  • Smartcard- If you use the subway, you can get a Smartcard which you can load up with money and save money on ticket prices, as well as being environmental and saving paper tickets 
  • Parking- If you need to drive, check where you can park. Consider car sharing to reduce costs and help save the environment if you can
  • JourneyShare- If you're driving to university, sharing a car can save money for both parties, as well as helping reduce the number of cars on the road. You can find more information on how you can find a travel partner to share journeys from wherever you commute
  • Backup- have a backup travel plan if you have multiple routes to get onto campus. Have an alternative route in case you miss a connection or if your transport isn't available one day
  • Travel Bursaries- The University offers travel bursaries to assist with public transport travel costs to support students who might face financial difficulties in taking up their place to study.