The Ultimate Guide for Commuters
University can be daunting, especially for commuters staying at home due to the fear of missing out on the university life everybody raves about.
These are the best years of your life after all...
But fear not, this guide will give you some peace of mind, reassuring you that you can still have the best time at university while staying at home. As we know, there are pros and cons to commuting and while some may have the luxury of being in the comfort of their own space, the lack of socialising and constant travelling can have a knock-on effect on your mental health.
We hope to give you some top tips and encouragement that commuting can be just as fulfilling as living on campus. 😊
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| FOMO |
Building new friendships will give you support when you are struggling. A meta-analysis by Pfeiffer et al. (2011) found that support groups are as effective in treating depression as cognitive behavioural therapy. This shows how important socialising is and while it may be intimidating to speak to new people, the benefits that come as a result make the initial fear worth it. Even if you struggle to make friends at the beginning, you will always find your people.
Remember, there is no due date for making new friends!
"Get in loser, we are going to university" - Mean Girls
Travelling can be expensive and tedious. Early mornings, late for lectures and expensive transport could all impact quality of life as a student. In fact, a study conducted by Jamil et al. (2022) showed students who had longer commutes were shown to be more stressed than those who with shorter journeys.
Using a taxi can be very tempting in this case, but over time, it could consume a significant portion of your budget.
So, what other options are there?
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| By Digital Molly |
First, consider walking or cycling. Even if it could take you an extra ten minutes to get there, you can pass the time by unwinding like listening to music. Walking and cycling both have various psychological and physical health benefits. For example, a study by Johansson et al. (2011) found that walking, on average, reduced anxiety, depression, time pressure, and anger.
However, there are situations in which public transport is more convenient. Ensure you have all the information about the transport links to and from the university, especially the types of tickets available for students. Additionally, travelling during rush hour can be overwhelming, so set alarms or reminders for when you want to leave. You could also use the time spent traveling to be productive (catching up on reading), or, who knows, you might find your closest friends by connecting with people in the same situation.
"Deep breaths in.... and out"
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| Nervous The Big Bang Theory |
This clearly shows you are not alone! But that does not mean you should neglect these feelings as there are many ways you can look after your mental health.
For example, a simple way to reduce stress is journaling. You can do this at home or on your way to university. Not only does this give you a way to kill time on your commute, it has also been found to be effective in “reducing depressive symptoms” in a study by Stice et al. (2007).
Living at home could mean you forget about some of the services available to you at university. There are always staff from the wellbeing department that you can speak to or even attend drop-ins. If that is not really your thing, you can also access help from external organisations like Student Mind Charity.
No matter what aspect of transitioning to university you are struggling with, we want you to know you are not alone and you can always speak to someone.
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