Kulvinder Singh, a PhD student currently researching the experiences of commuter students, gives his top tips for those travelling from home to university.
“Having spent a significant amount of time researching and following the journey of various undergraduate commuter students as part of my PhD, the learning and experiences of these students shines a light on the varying approaches that can be taken throughout your research degree.
Commuting is becoming a more viable option for students. Financially, the savings can be significant, whilst also allowing for students to continue with their other commitments around family, caring and employment.
Balancing the workload and responsibilities between university life and developing your identity and sense of belonging as a student is a vital element of the university experience. The research identifies a link between the sense of belonging and academic performance, and there are various approaches that can be taken by commuter students to help to enhance their experience, maximise their sense of belonging to the university, and to try and ensure they are geared up for success.
1.Using your commuter time
One key element of the commute is the time spent travelling. Whilst not always possible, try to use the time spent commuting to catch up on emails, check Moodle pages and to prepare a checklist of things that you need to get done. Many modules and courses will adopt a form of flipped learning approaches or have pre-recorded lectures that can be listened to whilst using public transport.
2. Maximise the time spent in the classroom
The classroom is the space in which not only significant learning will take place, but also where you will get the opportunity to develop a range of transferrable skills. Use the time to not only engage with the teaching material, but also use the time to speak to tutors, connect with peers and enhance your social capital.
3. Time on campus
Whilst the amount of time that can be spent on campus may be limited due to the other commitments you may have, engaging with careers teams, using time between classes to apply for jobs and other opportunities, as well as consolidating your learning from classes will help you to ensure you are maximising the output from your time on campus.
4. Work with your course teams
The student voice is key to developing strategies and approaches that can help to shape the learning experience. Share your experiences, help to shape the direction of the pedagogical approaches taken by the academic teams and by the university.”
