It’s a personal decision whether you choose to stay at home or move away for university. What I can say is that I followed in my families footsteps and stayed local. It worked out better for both my brother and I, despite being different ages we both made the same decision and both my parents are Staffordshire University Alumni, my mum may kill me for adding the picture of her graduating in here….lol….but I’m pleased to say she is now has a Masters Degree from Staffordshire too (yay Mum).
Being local works out better for me with having a family of my own, my daughter got to stay doing all the things she loves at the same places. I knew the area too. Child care can be sorted quite easily, and if she’s ill I have family locally that can help me out so either I am on time for lectures or only a few minutes late. It also means if wanted a part time job I could fit this around my studies and family, whilst still being local.
Being a ‘mature’ student – or older as I call it, I’m sometimes restricted with family commitments, so I cant just join a club or society without arranging child care, but being local there are plenty of activities at the University I can do to enhance and fulfill my older student experience. There’s loads of different events, and the majority are child and family friendly! I can get a taxi or bus or even scrounge a lift with my daughter and friends, come to the event and even have a beer with my mates if I want!
It’s also very handy for tutorials with lecturers, sometimes your tutorials can only be on days when you don’t have any lectures and things, so if you live further away it can be a long and expensive trip for a 30 minute session, so you might want to try arranging things for when you are in for lecturers, you might have to wait around or see someone different – but then you can always use this time in the library or study areas. But being local I can come in at the drop of a hat, a few minute drive and I am here, questions answered, or advice given and then gone again.
I also use the facilities the university has to offer frequently. I shouldn’t admit this, but when I’m at home I get distracted from studying, I put the washing machine on, then do a little bit of work, oh a cup fr tea, back to a bit of work, empty washer, peg washing out, ill just make a cup of tea, oh school run….the day has gone and I have done half a page worth of work. But with the uni down the road I come in, use the library and do what I need to. It also means I can take advantage easily of the extras on offer at the university, the staff even know me by name now, and the coffee lady knows my order when she sees me! I live a few miles down the road…the one in the picture 🙂
Disasters are easily sorted too. earlier in the year, in my first exam of the course, my daughter fell at school and had to go to &E. Being so close to home I was able to go, sort someone else to come and support her and still get back in for my exam. If i’d been further away this wouldn’t have been an option – but this is why studying close to home works for me.
I guess what i am trying to say is Staffordshire University has got everything, if you’re younger and want to live away, or if you are older and just want to come to university without worrying too much. We have a 24 hour library, we have coffee, we have parking, bus routes and the train station is 30 seconds away. There really is no excuse! So if you’re reading this thinking maybe, then call our clearing team and speak to them, that maybe will be a yes I want to come by the end 🙂
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