The university experience is still often imagined around one familiar journey: moving away from home, into university accommodation and starting to build a new life around campus.

But for school leavers who choose to stay at home and commute to university, that journey can look very different - and those differences start long before their first day.

UCAS will share a quick-fire look at some of the themes emerging from new research with school leavers choosing to live at home while they study: when that decision is made, what shapes it, what they notice when researching universities, and the information and experiences that help them feel confident in their choice. The research explores the different financial, family and wellbeing factors behind the decision, as well as the benefits, trade-offs and practical considerations students weigh up.

Then we’ll hand the conversation over to the people who know it best. A panel of commuter students will talk candidly about their own experiences: what did they notice, what mattered, what made the difference and what was missing?

Together, we’ll explore what universities could do differently during research, recruitment and pre-arrival to make sure students who stay at home feel considered from the outset - before that first journey to campus even begins