Commuting to Queen's

For some ordinands the ability to remain living in a family home and commuting to Queen's provides the best way of engaging fully with the demands and intensity of the educational, formational and training that is available.

There are two types of commuters at Queen's:

• Those who live at a distance can be weekly commuters. For a full-time student this will often mean travelling to Queen's on a Monday morning or Sunday evening, and returning home on a Thursday evening or Friday.
• Those who live close to Queen's and who commute on a daily basis. The daily pattern of life at Queen's has been structured to facilitate to commuters. The day formally begins at 9.15 and ends at 4.45, although commuters are welcome to arrive earlier and stay later. The day revolves around midday worship and lunch, rather than an early morning and late evening prayer. Commuters are asked to ensure they make time for daily devotions or a quiet time that complements this daily gathered worship, but can do so at a time that is best for them. Ordinands who are part-time on a day-time pathway are normally daily commuters, who may be required to attend Queen's two or three days a week. Daily commuters may request bed and breakfast accommodation on an occasional basis, which is especially useful if your pathway includes teaching on a Tuesday evening and does not end until 9.30.

The key advantages of commuting are:

• Providing a greater degree of stability for family members, especially where partner's employment or children's education are key issues.
• Providing continuity with a home church and community who give stability and security for family members and the ordinands at a time of considerable transition and change in other areas.
• Weekly commuting enables good opportunities for friendship and depth of engagement with others living on the campus, including sponsored mission students from the wider world church.

Commuters are currently provided with a study, which must be made available to other users at weekends and during half-terms and vacations. In future, this provision may be dependent on funding from sponsoring churches and reserved library study space with space to store personal possessions securely during the day may be an alternative.