By Psychology student Renee.
My typical day commuting involves waking up quite early, depending on what time my lectures start as my commute takes me around an hour and twenty minutes! (depending on traffic and train times). I take a bus and a train to Guildford station and the campus is only around a 15-minute walk from the station, or a 5-minute bus journey.
On my commute I like to listen to a podcast or music or just simply sit with my thoughts and look out of the train window, and if I have the energy, I enjoy reading. I find it’s quite nice to have some alone time on the commute before lectures start, however, if I have a deadline soon, I sometimes have to get my laptop out on the train and get some work done or write some notes. Sometimes trains can be delayed which can be quite frustrating especially when I have a lecture, and I hate waiting around so I would go to the Caffé Nero by the station and sit in there and get some work done. It’s nice to have a warm drink especially in the colder weather.
Commuting has helped me to manage my time more effectively and plan out my week so that I am not wasting too much time! For example, if I only have a 2-hour lecture at 12pm on one day, I like to stay on campus until later in the evening so I can make the most of the university’s facilities.
I have invested in a 16-25 railcard to help me save money whilst being a commuting student. The rail card reduces my train fare by 30% both peak and off-peak which saves me quite a bit. Also to save money, I quite often carry a few snacks, lunch and water so I am not always relying on eating out or on campus.
I chose to commute as I don’t live too far away from campus, I live in London, so transport is quite convenient. I decided it would be a good way to save money and it’s also nice to separate home life from my university life! I have been living in student accommodation for my first two years of uni, and it has been a great experience, I have met some lovely people and made some good memories. I like commuting this year as I am closer to what I am familiar with, like my home park and cafes & seeing my family and friends.
A few days a week I have quite a large gap between my lectures, so I enjoy having a chai latte at the Hillside café on campus to either catch up with friends or whack out a study sesh! If I’m in all day, then I enjoy going to the 3rd floor of the library as it is a quiet space and a more peaceful environment to study in. I am also a big fan of the lighting as it is quite dim. I am a coffee lover so sometimes I like to pop into Guildford town centre and study in some of the cafes there, like Gail’s (though can be spenny), Caffe Nero (again) or coffee culture. When I have to be at uni in the morning, I find it quite nice to walk by the lake and enjoy the nature. It is very peaceful and a nice way to start the uni day.
