Leeds Beckett University - City Campus,
Woodhouse Lane,
LS1 3HE
home comforts
Life in halls isn't the right choice for everyone. Like many parents of students at university, Diane has a daughter, Eloise, who decided she wanted to stay at home and commute into university.
Having a full-time university student in the house brings with it lots of positives, as well as a few financial and logistical factors to consider.
“When your child says they want to go to university you expect them to go into accommodation and live that university lifestyle, which Eloise has decided not to do. She wanted to stay at home and study,” says Diane.
One thing you may think about as a parent is whether your son or daughter will have the same experiences and opportunities as students living in halls.
Diane has found that Eloise has still been able to immerse herself into university life and it has been a very positive experience.
“She has had equal opportunities still living at home. She’s still had the chance to go into university and do everything all the other students that live in accommodation do, so that’s worked out really well.
“Having your child at home all the time does mean that sometimes as a parent you can be too protective.
“Rather than them spreading their wings, you are always there to pick them up if they fall so I’ve made an extra effort to encourage her to be more independent since starting uni.
“It is something I’m very conscious of and so I actively encourage Eloise to try and solve problems on her own first before I step in to help.”
There are also financial factors to consider, such as travel costs, bills and food expenses. Diane explains how they’ve managed their finances.
“Eloise has a student loan that she uses for all of her books, laptop and necessary supplies which is great.
“Travel costs us about £90 a month and that gets Eloise an Mcard with access to buses and trains within West Yorkshire.
“I also need to buy slightly more food, but overall the financial side of things has worked out really well.”
