Being involved in college while living away as a postgrad
Hello, as the title says, this is mainly for postgrads who live in private accommodation away from their college. I will be starting my MPhil this October and since I’ll only be here for 9 months, I want to make the best of what I can in this period.
The problem is, rent at my college (St. Edmund’s) is quite expensive (and is also not guaranteed for postgrads) so I’m considering private accommodation and have found 2 options that are pretty good. Both places are about a 30-35 min away walk away from my department, which I don’t mind. The main issue for me is the distance from my college. One of them is about 10 mins away by foot and the other option, which is cheaper by about £100-150 (considering rent, bills and food), is around 30 mins away. I’m really inclined towards the latter because of the affordability but am worried about not being able to get as involved in the postgrad community at college and missing out on the chance to meet people because of the distance. I don’t know how to ride a cycle and while I’m planning to learn over the summer, I’m honestly not very confident, especially with navigating the traffic rules and everything.
For those who are in a similar position, have you been able to manage time between home, college, and department? Were you able to actively engage with the postgrad community in college despite the distance and if yes, then how? Any insights would be really appreciated.
tldr: MPhil student considering private accommodation about 30 mins away from college. How to be actively involved in the college student community despite the distance?