by Francesca Corno
We enter university on the promise of nights out, laughter, and a freshers flu that is oh-so-worth-it. Living on campus is the beginning of adulthood, an opportunity to understand yourself, gain independence as you learn how to cook, and try not to lose all your cutlery in the first week. You distance yourself from home (even texting on the family chat is minimised) and focus on your new life objectives: interacting with peers and discovering the joys of being young and carefree. But what of those who don’t distance themselves? Those who choose to remain at home? And is it even a choice? Does the possibility of a social, lively experience slowly fade from our university life?
The short answer, thankfully, is no.
On the contrary, most LSE students gush about their off-campus experience, its convenience and practicality, assuring me that they did not regret the choice they made — and would gladly make again. Yet what is the true off-campus experience?
The financial benefit of staying at home prevails above all else as the main motivator. Many students from London have found themselves unable to justify the cost of living at university when they could simply travel to LSE. With the current economic crisis, and maintenance loans failing to rise in line with inflation rates, living at home becomes the natural and obvious choice for many. This comes alongside a judgement of LSE accommodations, with Sveva Lugnani, a first-year History student, asserting that living at home was simply “better value for money when compared to living standards on campus.” The familiarity and security of one’s home is understandably preferred to a plain university accommodation, allowing for some comfort and a fridge full of food, as freshers start this new chapter in their lives.
Where money was a clear reason to live off campus, a more unexpected advantage also came to light: time management. A couple of students from different years and departments agree on the necessity of detaching their university selves from their home selves, creating an academic work/life balance. The process of travelling in and out of LSE facilitates the ability to relax and distance themselves from the stress of university work and central London. It also provides a great opportunity to learn time management as a student, a valuable skill later in life. A second-year Geography student, who preferred to remain unnamed, reflected on her time spent on the Tube as she travelled into university, telling me that “the commute gives [her] the opportunity to read fiction after a long day of lectures”. This separation is easier felt when one does not live with other tired and stressed 18-year-olds, all panicking to complete their latest assignment.
The ultimate worry preceding the decision to live off campus is socialising (or lack thereof). Students fear being at a social disadvantage as a result of not living halls, which can seem like the perfect space for mixing. Especially during freshers, where events tend to be closer to campus, those living at home are likely to feel somewhat isolated as they fluctuate between the party environment and home. However, in the long term, most say the worries they experienced were unfounded. “I don’t think that living at home has had a negative effect on me like I initially thought it would,” says Sabaa Pasha, a first-year Economics and ISPP student. The key to a good social life is being proactive, Pasha also asserts, to encourage outings in order to forge friendships. The living arrangement can be a social disadvantage, but only if you let it.
Although the myth of a diminished social life and fewer friends has been disbanded, this arrangement has clear caveats. Despite providing extra time to work and unwind, travelling can become an irksome issue on nights out, as I quickly found out as the year began. “When’s the last train?,” I had to ask myself, “How am I getting home?”. Where living off campus provides for comfort and serenity, accommodation creates a sense of community and companionship – everyone goes home together, so going out becomes easy and accessible. Living at home provides the opportunity to learn how to get organised, but at the expense of that last joke, or that last dinner. The fear of missing out can sometimes get to you.
And what of the Off Campus Support Scheme, the system meant to aid students living at home? The programme matches first years to a student mentor, with the purpose of facilitating and connecting students who do not live in halls. Though great in theory, students say its execution is lacking. All agree that emails are occasional and meetings between mentors and mentees are scarce: it can prove to be useful at first, but as second- and third-year mentors turn their focus to work, the scheme becomes ineffective. Departmental events and societies can pick up the slack, as they provide plentiful opportunities to meet new people both within one’s field of study and interests, as well as a chance to talk to new people.
Living off campus is a new experience as much as living in halls is, filled with opportunities, insecurities, and choices. Although the glorified ideal of a late-night chat in the common room with friends is not viable, that does not make or break the university experience. On the contrary, when asked whether they regret their choice to live at home, the answer was unanimous: no.
