Commuter students
If you’re planning to commute to Surrey, you’ll be joining lots of our UK students who have chosen to do the same. We want to support you however we can, including ways to keep costs down and opportunities to get involved in university life. The most important thing to us is that you feel part of our community.
Planning your travel
We know that travel costs can add up, but there are lots of smart ways to keep your commute budget-friendly.
- By train: there are railcards available, including the 16–25 Railcard, and the 18+ Student Oyster photocard if you’re living in London. Season tickets are also available.
- By bus: you can apply for the Surrey LINK bus card if you’re under 20 years old and living in Surrey. There are also student passes available with Stagecoach.
- By bike: we have an e-bike scheme on campus called Beryl, which is an easy and sustainable way to travel between our campuses and into Guildford. We also have bike shelters if you cycle in.
- By car: if you’re driving to us, you can buy a parking permit which is much cheaper than one-off payments. You could also consider lift sharing with fellow commuter students or through the Liftshare network.
Key things to remember
If you’re coming onto campus for the day, you’ll need to think about what to bring with you. This might include:
- Reusable water bottle – we have many refill stations on campus
- Laptop or tablet
- Phone and laptop charger
- Food and snacks, if you want to keep costs down
- Debit card and/or cash
- Warm clothes for chilly winter days.
We know that journeys don’t always go to plan, and there’ll be days you forget things or can’t plan ahead. We've got you covered.
No laptop? You can loan one from the Library and Learning Centre.
Forgot to pack lunch? We have lots of places to get food and drink on campus, and there are discounts and meal deals available through our Surrey Perks app.
Missed a lecture? If you get stuck in traffic or your train’s cancelled, you won’t miss out – most of our lectures are recorded so you can catch up at your own convenience.
Got stuff with you don’t want to carry around? We have free storage lockers in several locations around campus.
Need a room for the night? If you need to stay on campus for any reason, we have guest bedrooms on both campuses that are available year-round for stays of up to 28 days.
Life on campus
Commuting doesn’t mean missing out. You’ll have lots of opportunities to get involved with the student community, including clubs and societies, events, trips, and sport.
You’ll also be eligible to join our Future Leaders programme, which has a Student Commuter Network led and developed by current Surrey students.
And if you want to earn while you study, you can get part-time work through Unitemps, or get involved with volunteering through the Students’ Union.