news • 17 January 2025
Studying at Escape while living at home
Written by Seb Armstrong & Edie Queen-Jones
Second year students, BA (Hons) The Art of Visual Effects
Hello!
I’m Seb, and twice a week (when I am scheduled to have class) I commute from my house just outside of London, about 30 minutes from North Greenwich to attend Escape. I can happily say, that is one of the best decisions I have made involving university. I’m able to cut the often-high cost of London rent, and I am always able to go back to my cats at the end of a long day pushing pixels around.
Whenever I tell people this there’s always one concern; my social life. However, whenever there are special events, a society meeting to play some cracking tabletop games or a talk by a guest speaker from DNEG or ILM to learn the ins and outs of the modern visual effects industry, it is easy enough to jump on a train and make the trip down to attend.
Now in fairness, half an hour on the tube isn’t a massive commitment, but I’m not the only commuter at Escape…
Hello!
I’m Edie, I live in a small village in Essex an hour and forty minutes from Escape, so like Seb, my day begins with the dreaded commute. Whilst my commute isn’t the shortest or the easiest, I’ve grown to appreciate it. Whether I’m brainstorming project ideas or enjoying a podcast, my commute gives me some downtime to prepare for the day ahead. This makes the commute feel less like a chore and more like part of the creative process, so once I reach Escape, I’m ready to hit the ground running and tackle whatever challenges the day brings.
Managing personal finances can be daunting, especially with train fares being as expensive as they are. However, the student maintenance loan helps cover the essentials and combining it with the 16-25 Railcard makes a massive difference (knocking a third off the cost of tickets). This allows me to focus on my studies without constantly worrying about money.
When it comes to social life, despite my trains stopping at 10 pm, I make sure that my commute never gets in the way of having fun. Joining a society is a great way to get to know people at Escape and for me, it’s the tabletop society. Every Wednesday, my friends and I dive into our D&D campaign, and whether it's slaying great undead dragons, or exploring ancient citadels, we’re bound to have a good time after a long day in front of a screen.
On top of that, I’ve met some truly incredible people during my time at Escape so far. We’ve had movie nights, gone to jazz bars and even travelled to Paris! These friendships have not only made my time at Escape more enjoyable, but they've also taught me so much. Looking back, I wouldn’t change my decision to go to Escape for the world.
Balancing the commute, coursework and an active social life isn’t the easiest, but it’s taught me a lot about time management and making the most of my time at Escape. If you're in a similar situation, just know it's doable and that it's all part of the adventure!
In fact, most people I know at Escape choose to commute rather than live in accommodation. This means that throughout the year - including summer and winter holidays - your friends will only be a train ride away.
Good luck!