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If you’re studying a campus-based course, chances are you’ll have a commute to undertake multiple times a week. If you don’t make the most of this time, then you’re missing out. Below, we look at some great ways to make the most of your commute to university.
Written by Editorial Team. Published 5 April 2024. Last updated 26 October 2026.
Plan your day ahead
Starting the day with a clear plan can help you be more relaxed and organised. Your commute is a perfect time to mentally prepare for the day ahead. Use the time to review your timetable, check deadlines and set your priorities for the day.
You could:
- Check your to do list
- Review your lecture schedule
- Organise notes and resources
- Plan time for breaks, exercise and social activities
- Set objectives for your study time.
Podcasts and audiobooks
Making the most of your commute doesn’t mean you have to be working but podcasts and audiobooks give you an equal opportunity for education or escapism. Whether learning about arts, culture or business through audio like TED Talks and Dairy of a CEO, keeping up with gaming news via the IGN podcast or listening to a romantasy on Audible, your commute is the perfect time to listen. Educational podcasts and audiobooks can also help you build subject knowledge, develop professional skills and stay informed about your chosen industry.
Get creative
If you take public transport to university, then there are lots of creative and crafty things you can do on the move. Here are just a few ideas to get you thinking about a creative project that’s right for you:
- Drawing (digitally or physically)
- Knitting
- Writing (articles, scripts, a book, poetry etc)
- Sewing (but be careful with those needles)
- Origami
Brain training
Brain training exercises and challenges are a great way to wake your brain up for the day and enhance your cognitive skills. A Harvard study on people using brain training apps found that they “were faster at processing information and had better working memory (a measure of how well they could recall information and apply it to tasks), compared with those who played the traditional computer games”.
Apps like Lumosity, Elevate and Happify provide games and exercises with the aim of improving memory, boosting productivity and even increasing happiness.
Studying
I doubt anyone is surprised that studying made our list, but we’d be mad to miss it.
Whether you’re studying from a book, flashcards, lecture recordings, notes or our much-loved SQE app, you can get some extra studies in during your commute. If you have the same commute as a friend, why not study together and use the time to send each other questions? This way, you stay in touch and might cover study areas you missed in your own notes. Short, focused study sessions during your commute can be an effective way to reinforce learning and prepare for assessments without adding extra study time later in the day.
Meditation and breathing exercises
Depending on the ease of your commute and your ability to disconnect from your surroundings (some noise-cancelling headphones might be useful), you could use the time to meditate or carry out breathing exercises.
Breathing exercises can have a positive impact on your mental and physical wellbeing, including:
- Lowering your blood pressure
- Lowering your heart rate
- Improves sleep quality.
- Relieves stress
- Increases physical energy
- Reduces lactic acid build-up in muscle tissue.
You can learn more about breathing exercises on the British Heart Foundation website. Building small wellbeing habits into your daily commute can help you feel more prepared for lectures, assignments and university life.
Exercising
If your commute is short, you might find it beneficial to leave the car or skip public transport and run, walk or cycle to university. Yes, you need some serious willpower to do this during the winter months but even if you just do it during fine weather, you can save money, build strength and boost those endorphins. Active commuting can also contribute to improved physical health, mental wellbeing and a more sustainable lifestyle while studying at university.
Finding a routine that works for your commute can help you make the most of your time, support your studies and create healthier habits throughout your university journey.
If you want to study but know a full-time course won’t work for you, check out our flexible part-time courses.
