Commuting top tips from our students
- Figure out the most efficient and cheapest way to travel. To get you started, you can read our blog post on cheap and sustainable travel around the north-east.
- Make the most of Freshers' Week. This is peak socialising time for new students and you'll meet lots of people who are in the same position as you!
- Join a society or sports team. Being part of a club is a great way of creating a sense of community and making new friends at university.
- Attend your lectures! It may seem daunting, but make sure you go to all your lectures and seminars. Even if you're going in alone, you'll soon get chatting to your classmates and start seeing their familiar faces each week.
- Spend time on campus. Although it can be tempting to go straight home after lectures, why not head to the SU or check out some of our weekly campus events?
Meet our commuter students
We have students who commute from all over the north-east and beyond. Here, you can read their stories and find out how they commute and why.
Jake commutes from Newcastle
To save money, Jake lives at home with his parents in Newcastle and drives to the nearest Metro station, where he gets off at St Peter's and takes the short walk to campus.
"I'm a second-year Film and Media student living in Chapel Park in Newcastle, where my nearest Metro station is Bank Foot. I drive and park my car there and get the Metro to St Peter’s station. The journey takes roughly an hour, including the drive from my house and the walk from the station to campus. Parking at the station costs £1.20 and a Pop Blue card gives me discounted Metro journeys where a round trip costs £2.
"I chose commuting to university over living in student halls mainly because of the cost. It seemed wasteful to spend more on rent when Sunderland was in commuting distance, and I had no problem with continuing to live at home with my parents. I was worried that I might miss out on socialising, but this hasn't been the case – I frequently participate in the weekly CineClub events at the Media Centre cinema with my friends and we run an extracurricular podcast together.
"The main pro of commuting, as well as the low cost, is the more relaxing nature of the journey. I could drive all the way to campus but I prefer the comfort of easily finding a parking space at the Metro station and using the journey time to catch up on university work, listen to music, or read a book. The main con, however, is the occasionally unpredictable nature of the service. Some trains can be cancelled or delayed, leading to the odd missed lecture here and there, but it rarely intrudes too heavily. Hopefully, with the increased use of the newer Metro trains, this will become less of an issue."
Laura commutes from Durham
Laura also decided to commute to university to save money. She lives a 30-minute drive away from campus and likes to recharge her social battery at home after a long day of lectures and socialising.
"I'm a first-year Occupational Therapy student commuting from Seaham, Durham. I drive from home and park at City Campus, which takes about 30 minutes. This costs approximately £1.60 and I have a student blue badge parking permit, meaning I can park in the University car park free of charge.
"I chose to commute to university because it made more sense for me both personally and financially. Living at home with my parents allows me to save on accommodation costs, which I can put towards travel, resources, and opportunities like placements and conferences related to my course. I previously studied for another degree and lived in student halls, hence the reason I decided to live at home with my parents, as Sunderland was within commuting distance and I found home a quiet environment to recharge after a long day of lectures.
"I was worried that not living in halls would affect my university experience, but I’m still actively involved in uni life. I make the most of my time on campus by having lunch and coffee with my friends and meeting them on weekends in the city centre or at the beach in Roker."
We encourage sustainable travel
Have you ever considered commuting to university more sustainably? We encourage our students to reduce carbon emissions by travelling by public transport, walking, cycling, or even car sharing. We know this isn't possible for all commuters, but it's great practice for everyday life too!
- Loan a bike. If you live nearby, you can loan a bike from St Peter's Cycle and Sports Hub(opens in new tab). They even sometimes have second-hand bikes to donate free of charge.
- Get rewarded. By downloading the BetterPoints app, you can claim rewards by walking, cycling, or using public transport. These points can then be spent on campus and locally, or redeemed as vouchers.