The thought of being a university student appeared daunting when I clicked the acceptance of my offer on results day, and then the realisation that I had agreed to commute from my home outside of London made the entire situation seem worse. However, I soon learnt that this was not the case and both situations have helped me develop as a person, and in case any (prospective) commuters are feeling a similar way, I thought I’d share some of my tips and experiences.
The first tip can easily be applied to those who travel from outside of the capital. Whilst the Trainline app seems like something that everyone is well-acquainted with, I was surprised to find that many people are unaware of it.
As well as E-Tickets to pretty much any station from any station, the Trainline app has the ability to track journeys, show the next live departure for your ‘favourite’ stations and it also updates you on any delays and cancellations as well as the potential platform that your train will be coming in to. Using this alongside the TFL Go app, you can easily plan your journeys to and from the LSE as you have access to many train departures and live updates on delays and cancellations.
A second train-related tip is to get a railcard! The 16-25 saver is a lifesaver for a commuter as train tickets do tend to add up even if you don’t notice it at the time. By getting a third off your train tickets, you’re at least saving a bit of money which can be put towards other things.
Another thing that I soon picked up, as well as many other people including those who are living in accommodation, is that it is often quicker to just walk.
Whilst the idea of a bus journey across the Thames or a tube to the nearest station seems tempting, once you’ve accounted for either traffic or the time it takes to walk down to a platform and wait for a tube, the twenty-minute walk seems like the most viable option.
Of course, I can only speak for those coming from Waterloo when I say 15-20 minute walk, however others in accommodation have expressed a similar opinion when it comes to choosing your own legs over a bus or tube, plus it gives you the opportunity to see the sights of London.
Having classes around 4pm or 5pm often means it is easy to get caught up in the rush hour of commuters at stations, but personally I find that the best thing to do if you’re not in a hurry is to just wait for the rush hour to be over, avoid that 6:30pm train and catch the 7pm one as not only are you likely to get a seat but in the current climate of COVID, you’re also more likely to not have to share your seat and social distancing is more possible.
So, these are my ‘commuter takeaways’ from my first term at LSE, and I’m sure as the year rolls on I’ll be able to learn more about what it means to commute to and from university in a major city.
