Studying Away From Home

But for many the whole point of going to university is to fly the nest. After the initial homesickness you can try out independent living in the safe playpen that is higher education. Debauchery isn't compulsory - but there is the lovely feeling that there isn't anyone on hand to tell you off. Except, of course, the bank manager.

And if you've gotta go, there are locations to suit every taste. Some people love a campus, where you're all in it together and shops, bars, launderettes and cinemas are on tap - but some hate the institutionalised feel it can have.

Living in small university towns can give a feeling of community, and every-thing is easy to reach. In such places, the university is often a dominant force locally (which can breed that town versus gown resentment), but everything may feel a little small-scale - the local cinema is still playing Die Hard 2 and the last band to play a gig there was Level 42. And were you hoping for Premiership football? That can knock a few off the list (Oxbridge for a start!).

The big cities play host to huge numbers of students, including many from Europe and further afield, in a fantastic cosmopolitan mix. Socially, there's a world of choice, from the arty cinemas doing Kurosawa seasons to clubs and bars that define the word trendy. But you'll be a tiny fish in a very big pool - the world no longer revolves around you and you can end up feeling very isolated. Transport can be a pain (especially in London) and it can be very expensive indeed, even with a variety of part-time jobs to ease you through.

And how far do you want to go? Near enough to get home for the week-end - such as Brighton or Surrey for Londoners? A fair amount of the traffic over the Pennines constitutes Mancunians going home with their laundry from Leeds, Bradford and Sheffield and vice versa. But why not make a real statement about leaving - really sever the apron strings? Glasgow perhaps, if you're from Cornwall? Or Belfast, if the family nest is in Norwich? If you're Scottish, heading for Bristol can really hammer a point home to your parents.

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