Commuting to uni

Making the most of your studies

Let your Course Leader and Personal Academic Tutor know if you are commuting into uni so that they can offer you advice on studying as a commuting student.

Depending on your circumstances and how you travel to campus – some of these tips might help you stay organised as a commuter:

• Plan your week in advance – studying, travel and other commitments like work or caring
• Check your travel arrangements – keep up-to-date with the latest train or road news and plan your route in advance
• Have a dedicated quiet study space where you live – this will help you stay focused on your study tasks
• Check the latest uni information and announcements – My Brighton portal or app, university email and the university’s social media accounts
• Use our online resources – My Brighton, My Studies, Libguides, the online library, LinkedIn Learning and Office 365. You can click and collect the books you need from the library, and collect them when you are on campus
• Break down your assignments – plan what you need to do each week to meet your deadline
• Consider if there are any study-related tasks you can complete on your journey – videos, podcasts, LinkedIn Learning course, audio books or listening to a recording of a lecture (where this is available).

Studying on campus during COVID-19

There are study spaces across our campuses, which can be booked in advance on the My Brighton portal or app. On the days you need to be in for face-to-face teaching sessions you could use these for study.

If you want to browse the library make sure you book a space in advance, appointments with library staff can also be made too.

Your tutors will still be offering face-to-face and online tutorials. There will be office hours available for either a drop in or a bookable appointment.

Some tips for using your time on campus

• Have a socially distanced coffee and a chat with your peers
• Book time in the library in plenty of time to ensure you can access it when you want to
• Use a bookable study space
• Download some reading
• Write a brief summary of your last teaching and learning session and any questions you want to follow up
• Revisit your most recent feedback and look at resources which might help e.g. LinkedIn Learning
• Download the LinkedIn Learning app and watch a course which will support your next assignment.

Travel light into uni

As there will be no place for you to store your belongings it’s a good idea to:

• Use your university OneDrive so you can access your work from any device (accessible via the My Brighton portal and app)
• Use your online reading list for quick and easy access to the reading you need.
• Make the most of e-resources like ebooks and journal articles.
• Try a note-taking app or programme like MS Notebook, part of your Office 365 package
• Use My Studies to access your course materials.

Remote study groups

You could form a remote study group with other students on your course, it is likely that you will be using MS Teams as part of your course, you can form your own study group on Teams to meet virtually.

Some courses will also have peer study sessions, where students from the years above you offer support on topics from your course.

During COVID-19 you might not be spending as much time on campus or in student accommodation – making it harder to build social networks and get involved in extracurricular activities. Take a look at what is available on the Brighton Students’ Union website including social media links, societies and online events. 

Travel delays

Traffic jams and transport delays do happen. Keep your tutors informed by email, if you can. If commuting causes you stress and anxiety during your studies you can contact your Student Support and Guidance Tutor (SSGT) for support.

If you miss a session due to unforeseen travel issues you should be able to access the information you need to catch up through materials online in My Studies or from your tutor or other students on your course.

If you are finding delays to your travel is a regular thing, you could contact your tutor to make sure you don’t fall behind and miss out on valuable contact time.