Blog: Being a commuter student at the University of Birmingham
Written by Ikrah Iqbal
For many students, the typical idea of university life brings to mind images of living in halls, late-night study sessions, and shared meals in student kitchens. But what does university look like if you’re a commuter student?
I spent all three years of my BA English degree commuting to UoB and enjoyed every moment of my time here. Here's how I made the most of my experience, along with some of my tips for fellow commuters.
Why I chose to commute
I loved the UoB campus, the course and the vibrant city. Living close to the city centre meant that commuting was a practical choice for me. It allowed me to save on rent and bills and, more importantly, I got to enjoy my mum’s freshly cooked meals every day!
What my commute looked like
I live in a well-connected area of Birmingham in terms of public transport. I’d start with a walk to Small Heath Station to Moor Street Station, taking me to the city centre in about 3 minutes with trains every 30 minutes. From there, I would catch a second train from New Street Station to University Station, with services every 15 minutes and a journey time of about 7 minutes. Situated on campus, University Station is ideal for commuting UoB students. It was recently renovated for the Commonwealth Games, making it a landmark you can’t miss.
Alternatively, I could use the bus network. On campus, I could catch the X21 or X22 from the North Gate entrance, and from the South Gate entrance on Bristol Road, the 61 and 63 buses were available to take me into Birmingham city centre. These buses, depending on traffic, ran every 15 minutes and took about 20 minutes to reach the city centre. From there, I’d then take the 60 bus along the Coventry Road to arrive home.
Although my commute was approximately an hour each way, I made good use of the time, often finishing a book a week on my commute alone- a huge help for my reading-heavy course!
Maximising Welcome Week
Welcome Week was a great opportunity for me to be immersed in university life and meet students both alike and different from me. One of my highlights of the week was a pizza quiz social hosted by ISOC (UoB’s Islamic Society), where I made some great friends that I am still in touch with today! There are also some specific events for local and commuter students so keep an eye out for those on the timetable.
Making friends as a commuter
Living in university accommodation is just one way of making friends. As a commuter, I made strong friendships through my course by chatting with classmates from my seminars and lectures, often bonding over a shared love (and struggle) of our course!
I also met students from different courses and years of study through Student Ambassador shifts. These are paid shifts working for the central Student Recruitment and Outreach teams on events such as open days, school visits and summer schools for prospective students. Society events happen throughout the year and at varying times, so there is always an opportunity to meet new people who share your interests.
My essentials for campus
I usually arrived on campus around 10am and stayed until 3pm, depending on my schedule. My seminars were two hours, and lectures were one hour, totalling about 11 contact hours per week varying between 9am- 6pm. Being an early bird, I always found the morning most productive.
Study spots on campus
UoB offers a number of buildings dedicated to studying and social spaces - ideal for commuter students to hang out in between lectures and seminars. Some of my favourites were:
I hope my experiences have shown you how you can make the most of your time at UoB if you’re commuting to university. Being a commuter student isn’t about missing out - it’s about making the most of the opportunities you have and finding out what works best for you.
Are you planning on commuting to campus? You can also check out student Mia's tips for commuter students on our UoB Student Services YouTube channel.