My experience of going to University a long way from home

This article was written by Acting BA(Hons) student Zoe.

Moving away from home for uni can feel daunting so in this blog I am going to discuss my feelings when moving away and how I have found it living about 6 hours from home.

I was nervous about the move to university, especially since I had only ever been away from home for short residential trips with school before this. I found, however, that most people at university are going through the exact same thing, moving far from home away from friends and family. The truth is, in the first week, it can be strange to adjust, but once you meet flatmates and course mates you realise everyone feels the same. It helps to get out during Freshers' Week and if there is an event, go to it! There is nothing worse than letting your fears stop you from making friends, as having people around you during this time helps to make the settling in process so much easier.

One thing I was worried about, being far from home, was getting back for holidays and the ability to get home if I needed to. I have found this not to be a problem, as transport links around the UK are great. Trains from Falmouth and Penryn can get you to Truro and from there you can get around the country, with trains to London and even Scotland from there! I honestly think going to uni further away from home helped me to settle in and make friends. If you go to university in your hometown or nearby, it is so easy to go home and miss events or living in halls, meaning you are missing out on the university experience and not throwing yourself into the amazing opportunity that uni can be. Another great thing about moving away from home to study is the chance to explore a new town! I loved exploring Cornwall and still find new places going into my 3rd year living here. The difference to the city environment I am used to back home was so refreshing and the ability to decide to go to the beach and be there in 15 minutes its such a pull factor of living here.

When deciding which university to apply to I focused on the course and location (most being near the coast) and I fell in love with Falmouth. I then went to Open Days at my top 5 choices and fell in love even more with the campus and facilities. I would 100% recommend Campus Tours and Open Days for any universities you are choosing between, because I know for me it played a huge part in my decision. You should be able to imagine yourself living in the area your chosen university is in and it is so hard to do that without visiting the area as well as the campus. I also found talking to current students so helpful in understanding the course and lifestyle I was moving into. It is so helpful to talk to people and find out different experiences people have had, in order to help inform your own decision on where to study.