I'm sure there are already posts about this somewhere, but I'd like someone to give me an updated view on commuting to Monash Clayton campus, as the public transport situation is always changing in Melbourne.
I'm moving to Melbourne to study here, but I literally don't know where to move as the campus is so difficult to commute to, and I need to simultaneously factor in access to food, transport, other amenities, etc. I've looked at student housing options near Clayton, which are great for getting to Monash which is obvs a high priority. However, I don't really know how accessible bus routes and supermarkets are, around the North Rd area. If anyone could tell me about that, that would be great. I know one area of student housing I found is a bit of a trek to Huntingdale station, if i need to go anywhere else, but it could be manageable, not sure yet.
Another option is living somewhere along the Pakenham line near a train station. Issue with this is I really wanna live alone, at least for the first year, and most suburban rentals are sharehouses or places with multiple tenants, which I really wanna avoid (moving to another state is stressful enough, dont really wanna put up with other people's bullshit in my own living area, to be frank). I could live in student housing/studio apartment in the CBD, as it is financially similar to student housing around Clayton, and I'm guaranteed access to all things I need to live comfortably. However, its a 50min commute to Monash one way, and a friend who goes to Monash has told me that lots of works are going on along the Pakenham line. This could mean replacement buses and frequent delays, meaning elongated commutes, which could stress me out. Honestly I'm okay with commuting, but I would like to keep it under an hour one way, if possible.
To people who commute to Monash from suburbs that aren't Clayton (particularly people that use the Pakenham line, or multiple train lines), how hard is the commute? Would I be crazy to live in the CBD, or even anywhere that's not Clayton/Huntingdale/other suburbs surrounding Monash? Should I really just be trying to live around Monash, even if it means giving up easy transport and access to services possibly?