Commuting to Queen Margaret University from my hometown of Bathgate (40 miles from the university campus) has become a defining part of my third-year routine, marking a real shift from the two years I spent living in student residences on the QMU campus.
In the first and second years living in the QMU Student Village, everything I needed was right on my doorstep: the library, friends and classes (the academic building is right next to the student residences) - even Maggie's, the Students’ Union café bar, was just a convenient stroll away from my room when the thought of cooking seemed too much of a chore. Stepping out of that bubble and moving back home for my third year has been a bigger adjustment than I expected, but it has also given me a new rhythm and a different kind of independence.
For the most part, I use the train to travel from Bathgate to the QMU campus. The great thing about QMU’s location is that it’s conveniently located right next to Musselburgh train station. Bathgate’s direct line into central Edinburgh (Waverley) makes it easy, and the train from Edinburgh Waverley to Musselburgh takes just six minutes. With a rough journey time of 45 minutes from Bathgate to Musselburgh, it’s genuinely one of the easiest ways to get to campus. The train gives me some time before the day starts to skim lecture notes, answer messages, or just zone out while listening to music (this is usually what happens).
I am also lucky enough to have access to a car – something that has been beneficial for my commuting plans. Depending on the time at which you are travelling to campus, driving can be the quickest option from West Lothian. The university car park is located within the campus grounds – just a minute’s stroll from the academic and Students’ Union buildings. You can park there all day for a flat rate daily fee, which is good if you have a full day of classes ahead of you (no issues with feeding the meter).
If driving to campus, the other lower priced option is the Newcraighall Park & Ride, which is about a 15-minute walk from campus. My honest advice is: if you have class at non-peak times, driving to campus is the best option in my situation. But if you have class – say, at 9 am – commuting by train is far more convenient, as it avoids traffic jams and lets you relax without worrying about how much fuel you are using!
Switching between the train and the car, depending on my timetable, has become a balancing act. Some weeks I barely touch the car; other weeks I choose to rely on it completely. What I’ve learned is that commuting isn’t just about getting from A to B - it shapes how I plan, how I study, and how I manage my time. Moving back home has forced me to become more organised, more realistic about travel time, and more intentional about how I use the hours around my classes – I can’t just roll out of bed 15 minutes before class like I could in halls of residence!
Even though I sometimes miss the convenience of rolling out of bed and just popping over to the academic building, commuting has given me a different kind of structure. It separates home life from uni life in a way that student residences never did. And while the journey from Bathgate to QMU can feel long when I am feeling tired, it has also become a space where I prepare, decompress, and reset.
Despite this, I have still been able to keep my social circle alive. When I first moved back home, I was worried about the impact it might have on the friendships I had made throughout my first two years at QMU living in halls. However, living at home has not impacted this at all! As QMU is a smaller campus in comparison so some sprawling university estates, it is much easier to bump into people you know, which is always a welcome surprise when you are not expecting it. This is one of the main advantages of being a student at QMU – it's a super friendly environment! If you have made friends on campus but you live at home, there’s no need to worry! QMU is close to Edinburgh city centre (6 minutes on the train) so it makes meeting up for drinks or a bite to eat really easy. Convenient transport links to and from campus and to West Lothian make this still possible – whether you’re living at home or staying in halls.
