Hello everyone! My name is Hollie and I am a recent graduate of the University of York. During my three years at York I studied Marketing and graduated in July 2019 with a First Class BSc Marketing degree. I didn’t have the ‘typical’ university experience as I lived in on-campus accomodation in my first year of study and then made the decision to commute from my home for my second and final year.
Why I decided to commute...
When I moved to York in 2016 I moved into University accommodation based in Langwith College. During this time I lived with eleven other students and I was suddenly cooking all of my own meals, doing the weekly foodshop, washing all of my laundry and scheduling my own accommodation payments, in addition to lots of other day-to-day tasks that provided me with lots of responsibility and independence. I really enjoyed my time in my own little flat; I grew as a person and gained so much confidence in myself. I really felt like I had already had the experience I wanted and therefore, I was happy to commute from home the remainder of my university experience.
My experience of commuting…
I personally found commuting really manageable. Not only was I really motivated by my degree and drive to succeed, but I’m very organised which meant that I never found the commute to be a concern. Commuting also provided me with a sense of routine which not only suited me well, but enabled me to establish a healthy work, life and social balance.
As a commuter student, I still felt part of the student community at York as everyone on campus is so friendly and welcoming. Not only was I still a member of one of the nine colleges on campus, but I attended big social events such as the annual Summer Ball, which typically takes place at York Racecourse to celebrate the end of the academic year. My coursemates always made the effort to include myself and the other commuter students on our course in any social activities that were taking place and we would quite often grab lunch together between lectures!
Drawbacks
As a commuter student, timetabling doesn’t always go in your favour, quite often I would travel over to York for just a one hour class. When this happened I would make the most of the amazing study spaces on campus to begin new assignments, finish off group projects and catch up on reading. This was a great way to enhance my independent learning and find new spaces on campus.
Benefits
For me, being a commuter student made me savour my time in York as I wasn’t there all of the time - this definitely made it all the more special for me. Whether it was to grab lunch with old flatmates, venture into the city after class or pop round to a course friend’s house for a cup of tea, I made the most of the time I spent in York and they are memories I’ll have forever. Being a commuter student only added to my university experience and I wouldn’t change my choices!
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