Transport troubles: the problems with travel costs for students

Rowan Christina Driver

For the past couple of years, I have been trekking in and around Newcastle by Metro with a 19-21 Pop Card, which offers a welcome discount on fares.

Having just turned 22, however, my Pop Card is now (unsurprisingly) invalid. What was costing me around £3 a day is now £5.70 – a sharp increase to say the least.

single year, even this cheapest option culminates in a staggering total of over £725 on transport just to get to and from campus.

As full-time students, it is expected that we spend 40 hours studying every week. While only some of those hours are timetabled university sessions, we are also encouraged to spend our independent studying time making use of on-campus facilities and libraries.

students’ presence on campus by offering aid with transport costs?

So, your third year of university seems to be coming to an end this year. Feelings of anxiety and general dread might be piling on to the existing stress of your endof-year projects. The world is an unexpected place, and it's scary to try to move out of the familiar academic atmosphere and to a professional setting. Henceforth, many of you might rely on the thought of a master's to help with this newfound existential crisis.

As a student studying for her master's, it is an amazing experience. You get to learn more about your discipline and you are able to take more initiative and challenge yourself better. Although, it is best to contemplate and question the need of doing a master's immediately after your bachelor's degree.

For one, acquiring a master's education is an expensive affair. It requires thousands of pounds to study for just a year. Therefore, it is best if you are prepared and know which subject you intend to learn for your master's. There is no rush in joining a master’s degree course. You can always experiment and understand your niche before emptying your pockets.

Gaining professional experience would only help you in the future

Waiting before your master's will allow you to delve into the professional world. Though it may seem intimidating, gaining professional experience would only help you in the future. Build and hone the skills you can receive in professional settings. If you are short on funds for a master's degree, working a job after uni can help you pay for your master's.

Giving yourself a little bit of a break is also necessary. After a strenuous three years of academic progression, a break would be the best choice. The master’s degrees aren’t running away and there is no pressure to join one immediately. Take your time understanding your preferences and strengths and soon you will be on the track to gaining your master's.

Now, I must admit until this point, I was oblivious to the student season ticket option for use on the Metro. Priced at £55.80 for four weeks –payable in one instalment – it is a cheaper option than the Pop Card I had previously been using. Yet, over a most of these if we cannot afford to travel to campus? And with public transport in the Northeast facing a hike in ticket prices amid government talks to axe funding for buses, it seems the problem may be about to get a whole lot worse.

This then poses the question – should universities themselves be doing more to ensure

If it is a case of how this could be done, there are a handful of ways that spring to mind straight off the bat. Simply offering subsidisation of the costs may suffice, or perhaps even arrangements with local councils to ensure free access to public transport for those possessing a valid student ID would not be out of the question. Northumbria University already provides free travel between its two campuses, yet this system still works under the assumption students can afford to travel to one of these campuses in the first place. Newcastle, on the other hand, does not offer any aid towards transport.

What the issue here is really addressing, however, is much greater than having to cough up twice as much for the Metro. Financial aid for students is simply not good enough. At a time when prices are going up in the current cost of living crisis, student loan figures remain relatively unchanged compared to where they were three years ago. And even then, for many, the entitlement was stingy at best. It is assumed that they will be able to afford my education and all that comes with it because I have two cohabiting, working parents.