Getting your degree locally...

Distance from home is often an important factor when choosing where to study. You could probably group people into 4 different categories when it comes to choosing where to study and the distance it is from home :

• Those that are keen to study at a university or college far away from home - sometimes even in a different country.
• Those that want to study a certain distance away from home, but not so far that they can't reasonably get back for the odd weekend.
• Those that want to study for a degree at a local college or university or at least one that's commutable from home.

Those that aren't bothered whether they study at local college or university or one that's far away.

In the UK there has been a bit of a tradition that when considering where to study for a degree, students look at universities and colleges fairly, or very, far away from home.

This tradition has recently started to change somewhat and more and more students are choosing to study at a local college or university and get their degree close to home.

There are a few reasons why when choosing where to study people are increasingly opting for a local college or university:

• Financial

Probably the biggest factor of all. Going away to university is an expensive thing. Expenses like rent , bills, food, transport (whilst at uni and also travelling back and forth between university and home) can be removed or significantly reduced by staying at home.

• Family, friends, community
  Studying locally enables people to remain close to their friends and family whilst at the same time taking advantage of everything that being a student has to offer - a wider social group, clubs and societies, a Student Union, nights out and so on. You can also keep any part time jobs you might have.
  
  
  
  
  
  
• Change in cultural attitudes
  In many countries across the world such as Spain and Australia, most people get their degree locally and stay living at home. In the UK there has been a culture of 'going away' to study for a degree, but increasingly the Spanish and Australian way of doing things is being seen as a good option. The point is, is that the question of where and how to get your degree isn't set in stone. Just because there's been a culture in the past of going away to university, doesn't mean studying locally isn't just as valid and in many cases can be an even more attractive option.