Whilst studying towards A-levels students have that big decision to make about where they want to continue their learning. During that time, many of my friends were planning on heading off to universities in England or further afield. However, I made the decision to stay in Northern Ireland.

Here’s why I'm having a great student experience as a home student:

The people you meet

You don’t need to leave Northern Ireland to have an international experience. Throughout my time at university, I’ve met many international students and had a great deal of new experiences; I’ve even met my boyfriend, a GB student, whilst studying.

_{Claire and her boyfriend}

I have truly made lifelong friends whilst studying towards my degree. I often stay in Belfast at friends’ houses which allows me to have ‘the full university experience.’ My friends also love coming to stay at my home so they can discover other parts of Northern Ireland.

The financials

One of the main benefits of staying at home for university is the reduced cost. The fees I pay for my university degree are half of what I would be paying in other parts of the UK and I’m able to avail of the grants available for Northern Ireland students alongside the student finance loans.

Northern Ireland is a great low-cost option for studying compared with other areas of the UK and abroad. Accommodation and other expenses are usually a lot less which means less debt and less financial pressure whilst studying. This also means you have more money to spend on the fun things in life!

_{Georgia and Claire at the Management formal}

Throughout my time at university, I’ve also been able to stay at home which is probably one of the greatest benefit of studying at home.

This has saved me a considerable amount of money and I’m now in the position where next year I’m going to leave university with a great degree from a Russell Group university all whilst having little debt compared with my friends who left Northern Ireland to study. I’m still experiencing all the benefits of going to university for a fraction of the costs.

Living at home

As well as the financial aspects, there’s a lot of other great reasons to stay at home.

Growing up in Northern Ireland, only 20 minutes from Belfast, I already had a great deal of knowledge about the city, including what to do and places to go, which really helped me settle into university. I didn’t get home sick; I didn’t have to adjust to a totally new environment, and I was always able to pop home for the home comforts and the great support system home offers.

After moving away for university, students often lose great long-term friendships which they can sometimes struggle to replace after being thrown into a new city.

When you stay at home you can stay connected with old friends and have a great circle in and outside of university.

I'm only ever in university for around 3 days a week with my course, so staying at home for university allows me to travel home and continue my life as normal after my studying for the week is complete.

The benefits of Northern Ireland and Belfast

Belfast is a great city to study in. We have a fantastic nightlife, super friendly people, and great student areas. Being a small city, Belfast is easy to travel around and familiarise yourself with, which I believe, has only enhanced my university experience. The city is compact compared to other study destinations - you can save on transport costs and most areas of interest are within walking distance of each other.

Northern Ireland has great transport routes across the country which you can take full advantage of as a home student. I normally get a train into Botanic, only a few minutes’ walk from Queen’s University. As a student you can also apply for a Translink Ylink travel pass which saves me one-third on all my travel, making my trips to campus super affordable.

My final thoughts…

Staying at home for university may not be for everyone however, I believe it is a great option. All the home comforts with less expenses all whilst having the full university experience – what more could you want!

Find out more

Fees and Funding

Student Finance NI

Blog: Why Choosing a Russell Group University Has Been Right for Me

Blogs: Belfast and Northern Ireland

Claire Ford Business Management with Placement Year | Undergraduate Student | Belfast, UK I’m a 21-year-old based in Belfast. I have always had a passion for business and entrepreneurship which led me to business management at Queen’s University. Alongside my studies I am an entrepreneur, content creator and blogger.