Commuting students must always be prepared for the 'worst-case scenario'

"You get to meet a lot of remarkable people on the train"

Lars. Photo: courtesy of the student

Lars (25) is a second-year Master's student. He's been commuting to Utrecht from Vaassen since 2019. First, he did it for his Bachelor's degree in History and now he is doing it for his Master's degree in International Relations. His day starts with a bike ride to the bus stop, where he takes a bus to Apeldoorn and then a train to Utrecht. He usually has classes on Drift, in the city centre. This journey takes him about 1.5 hours from door to door.

Lars chose to stay with his parents in Vaassen for several reasons. "It's hard to find a room and, when Covid came, I didn't see the need for it anymore". After the pandemic, Lars spent a semester in Spain, where he was shocked at how easy it was to find a place to live. "I spent months looking for a room in Utrecht, to no avail. But, in Madrid, it only took me a month to get one".

Lars has mixed feelings about his commuting life. "It can be tough", he admits. He then tells us a horror story: he once had to stay in a hostel for a night because his train ran over someone. “The last two trains didn’t run because of this, so I was stranded in Utrecht. I had to arrange a room in a hostel just like that”.

Students commuting to the university by train must always be prepared for the "worst-case scenario", which is not only annoying but also often incurs unnecessary costs. In addition, living far away from Utrecht weakens Lars' bond with the city. “I contrast with other students in that sense. I don't feel that strong of a connection with the city because I don’t live here. But that doesn't mean I'm not involved in any extracurricular activities. When I was a Bachelor's student, I was an active member of the Utrecht Historical Student Association (UHSK) and I even chaired the Political Café, a committee within that study association."

Commuting is challenging, but Lars says there are positive aspects to it as well. "You meet a lot of people and sometimes start talking to them. I once had a conversation with a high school student about his life plans, for example. I also talked to people from India about their experiences in the Netherlands. Those are remarkable moments."

"You miss out on a lot by living elsewhere"

Niels. Photo: courtesy of the student

Niels (21) is a first-year Economics & Business Economics student. He rents a room in Rotterdam and has been commuting since the beginning of the academic year – by bike, train and tram, to be more specific. It takes him an hour and fifteen minutes to get to the university. Most of his classes are at Science Park and the International Campus. “I don’t live in Utrecht because of the real estate market. That’s a big problem in this city,” says Niels. “There are simply no rooms available and, even if I found one, I would probably have to pay a lot of money for it. That's why I got a room in Rotterdam.”

It wasn't a voluntary choice. “You miss out on a lot by living elsewhere. If you do something in the evening, for example, you can't stay long because you have to catch the last train home." It is also frustrating to come home late and have to get up early the next day to go to class.

For all these reasons, Niels doesn't feel very connected to student life in Utrecht. He wishes he had the spontaneity to say "Let's meet up somewhere" as fellow students do. "I usually see my classmates in class, during the week. There isn't a place to go if you want to meet up as restaurants cost money and parks are a no-go if the weather is bad."

He also misses lectures occasionally because of the trains. "Sometimes, trains are so delayed you travel for more than an hour only to catch the last five minutes of a lecture, and then you gotta travel back. Then I wonder if it's even worth it to go."

However, he too believes there are advantages to being a commuter, like meeting friends on the train who are also on the Utrecht-Rotterdam route. "That's nice and makes the train journey fun". Niels usually spends weekends with his roommates in Rotterdam. He is still trying to find a room in Utrecht, but it isn't easy. "Only the people who have been registered with SSH the longest are allowed to come to viewings."

"I often sleep over at friends' places so I don't miss exams"

Hannie. Photo: courtesy of the student

Hannie (18), is half Dutch and half Ecuadorian. She moved from Quito to Utrecht last year to study Literature at Utrecht University. After living in Utrecht for a few months, she decided to move to Apeldoorn because she had a difficult landlord. She now travels back and forth by train.

Her experiences are mixed.“Public transportation is not reliable. So, if I have an important assignment or exam, I am not sure I’m going to make it.” She has a few strategies to make sure she is on time when she has an important exam or presentation. “I always try to sleep over at a friend’s house the night before, so I’m sure I'll be able to attend or I leave my house way early, like 3 to 4 hours in advance.” 

As a commuting student, she wishes she could be more spontaneous. "You always have to think ahead and plan things in advance. Plus, the daily commute is tiring. Last year, in the winter months, I got so drained from commuting that I voluntarily decided to skip most of my classes, and that cost me my grades." She remembers a time when she had agreed to meet up with her friends but the train stopped in the middle of the way and didn't move for two hours. “We were evacuated from the train. Of course, I was very late and that impacted the amount of time I could spend with my friends.” 

For all these reasons, Hannie finds it hard to maintain friendships in Utrecht. “The time I spend with my friends outside of school is significantly reduced because of the commuting. Making appointments takes a lot of time, money and energy. It is so much easier to go home right away." 

Despite all that, Hannie can also see the bright side of it. “I like reading and listening to music and podcasts. I can do all that on the train. If there is enough space and time, I study on the train as well. Then time flies by." That doesn't mean she has given up on finding a room in Utrecht, however.