Should distance from home affect your decision of where to study?

This article was written by Fashion Design BA(Hons) student Taylor.

Coming from a town nearly 8 hours from Falmouth, deciding to move such a distance from home was definitely a daunting decision.

There were definitely nerves about how far I was going to be from my familiar surroundings, friends and family, however once I had visited Falmouth for an Open Day, I knew I would feel at ease once I moved. The students I had met and spoken to at the Open Day were super friendly and answered any questions I had about student life in Falmouth and how that may have differed from my life back home.

I think my decision was definitely made once I saw the building I would be studying in and met my academic staff, who were extremely friendly and talked with such passion about the course and the things I would studying. The building itself has so much industry-standard equipment which, paired with the enthusiasm of the academics, really solidified my decision that I wanted to study at Falmouth. After my tour of the building on my Open Day, we went into Falmouth to get some lunch and to really see the town where I would be living. Seeing Falmouth Town after the really chilled out vibe of the campus really convinced me that Falmouth was the right place for me, as the town centre really does have something for everyone. From indie style cafés and eclectic bars, to simple restaurants and hidden shops, the town really does thrive and it caters to the needs of all its residents, not just students!

Upon moving, I settled into my new flat with my new flatmates & began my studies and I instantly felt at home. Once I got myself into a routine, I didn’t even notice the distance between myself and home and before I knew it, it was time to go home for Christmas! The terms have flown by and now going into my final year, I am extremely upset to be leaving my little life in Falmouth behind next year!

I found a couple of things that helped me out with moving so far away, such as bringing reminders of home like photos, teddies, decorations and whatever reminds you of home. It can be scary moving out for the first time, so my advice would be definitely invest in making your room yours. Add whatever decorations, posters, photographs etc. you want to your room and give it a really homely feel, otherwise your room is never going to feel like your own.