Calling All Commuters!

Uh oh. Next week officially marks the return to Leicester for my final year.

For anyone who doesn’t know, I am actually a commuting student where I have been living at home throughout the course of my degree.  My experience as a commuter has been brilliant where I, personally, believe that the balance between spending time at University and staying at home suits me best.

As I’ll be starting my daily 45 minute commute up and down the A46 on Monday, I realise that its important (especially as it is now officially Autumn) to share with you all my top tips when travelling by car. If you want to see a more concise version of this, take a look at a post I did in February!

1. KNOW AND KEEP UPDATED ABOUT YOUR ROUTE

Often people forget that the most important thing is not to simply know your route but remain updated about it. Over the past year I have been driving to University, I have realised that roadworks, diversions and unexpected traffic is more and more common. Take some time to actually plan various back up routes and keep updated about any roadworks or diversions. If it is a possibility, invest in a sat nav as it can help you navigate around the roads more safely and efficiently.

2. MAKE SURE YOU HAVE AN EMERGENCY CAR KIT

The worst will probably and hopefully never happen however its always best to be prepared.

Below are some items that I think are useful to keep stored in your car!

• A fully charged mobile or a mobile phone charger that can be connected to a cigarette lighter so you can always remain in contact with someone if something does go wrong.
• Jump leads: Just in case your car battery decides to give up on you.
• An ice scraper: This can be so handy as winter is approaching!
• Spare bottles of water
• An extra coat/jumper

3. MAKE SURE YOU HAVE ENOUGH FUEL

It may seem like a no-brainer, but making sure you are prepared before you travel is very important. First of all – petrol! Make sure that you have enough fuel in your car the night before. Leaving it till the morning is just an extra hassle and if you forget, you may be forced to pay those shockingly high rates on dual-carriageways/motorways!

4.  LEAVE WITH PLENTY OF TIME

My journey into Uni takes about 35 minutes to 45 minutes depending on traffic. However, as a rule of thumb I always leave an extra 15-25 minutes earlier. By doing this, it means that there is less time rushing around and  means that I have time to grab my favourite hazelnut latté from Starbucks.

5. MAKE SURE YOU REST

At the beginning of term, it can be quite a shock to the system to be travelling frequently after 3 months of hibernation. I have learnt that on the weekends, its quite helpful to make sure you make the time to rest and recuperate. Nevertheless, it does not take too long to get back into the routine of it all!

I hope that this has been a useful insight into how the commuting experience can be made that much better! If you would like to find out more about how the University experience is like for a commuter, take a look at my post All About Commuting. 

Before I sign off, I would like to emphasise to all my readers that there really is no ‘normal’ or standard University experience that all students have. As long as you are comfortable with your decisions, it makes no difference as to whether you stay in halls or at home. Honestly, your experience will be defined by what you make of it – so make sure you make it a memorable one!

If you have any questions about commuting or anything else… please feel free to comment below!

Zara 🙂