My husband works in a profession that is about 80-90% women - and they have really good maternity packages and part-time/job share options. It can be done.

Some women really don't take to childcare. It certainly has it's ups and downs for all of us.

"As we are coming from overseas, I'd like to know how much it costs roughly for a month, renting on campus, travel etc in the midlands..thanks very much!!"

Do you know whether your campus has family housing available? Do you know if there is any wait period or system of allocation for any kind of housing, if available? I am going to make the assumption you are American...campus housing in the UK is not necessarily the same as in the US.

Your university ought to be able to provide you with information on the housing options that are available. Student housing in the UK tends to be purpose built, and is sometimes offered by private companies or owners rather than owned by the university. The purpose build housing is fairily standard, with a bed, a desk, a kitchen of some sort, bathroom, etc. Sometimes utilities are included in the cost, sometimes with internet, sometimes not.

Housing in the UK, whether student or not, is generally different than that in the US. Everything is smaller, more dense, and may not include a lot of green space ( yard--in UK lexicon garden is what you would call a yard in the US), etc. TVs require a license. Will you have to pay council tax for your other family members? Are you exempt from council tax as a student? Those sorts of costs could add on to the basic cost of housing. Will you have a car? A bike? How close do you need to be to the university, to schools, to transportation?

Travel costs vary on whether you are getting about by car--very expensive! train, bus, etc...Trains go about everywhere you could want to get in the Midlands, and costs vary by the kind of ticket you get, whether you are eligible for any discounts on tickets, perhaps the time of day you are travelling, etc. You can check out various websites to get information on train fares in the UK. Your university ought to be able to give a rough guide on housing costs in the area, if you are to live off campus ( which is likely with a family).

Hope this helps.

Olivia,
thanks a lot for your thoughts - I am a Canadian, so our system is similar to US, and yes Warwick has student housing, so I'll investigate those. Yes, we'll bring our car but I'd prefer to live on campus/walk/bike.
Our boys are 6 and 2, so do you know much about schooling options and costs? Is education free in the UK in public primary schools? I know kidergarten/daycare for our second one might cost a bit. What about food, medical insurance etc., are they expensive compared to North America? thanks!!

Schools are free and you should all be covered by national insurance for medical costs - so essentially free. Daycare can be expensive - childminers are cheaper than nurseries. My daughter's nursery cost 49 pounds/day but her childminder is 33 pounds/day (she's nearly 3). Most primary schools have breakfast and afterschool clubs for further childcare.

Warwick has a really big campus. The plus is that it has a lot of space - including green space. But it is not that close to town (by UK standards) - it really is on it's own campus.

If you are going to Warwick, it may be better for you to live in Coventry which is the nearest town, and only 20 minutes by bus. Many mature students live in Earlsdon which is en route to the University and has a good 'village' feel (public library/shops/park) and a good primary school. You could go to www.ofsted to read the latest school inspection report. Warwick is an enclosed campus and may not suit you if you have a family. Accomodation is easily available in Coventry as it serves 2 universities.
Good luck.

"My daughter's nursery cost 49 pounds/day"

*&£%"! Is that normal? 250 quid a week?

That's more than my rent.

That's the reality that people with children are faced with and those without are oblivious to.

Alas yes Juno. There are cheaper nureries - but it depends where you live and what you want for your money. I looked at another nursery now that we've moved with is 33/day like her childminder but preferred the childminder which is also a lot closer. My entire grant is taken up with childcare and we will still be paying it when my grant runs out. 3 days/week at nursery cost me 600 pounds/month. This is why many women without family to help out can't aford to work. Imagine the costs if you have 2 or 3 preschoolers. At that point friends I know have either got a nanny or stopped work altogether.

That sounds like bloody extortion to me. If there are 20 children in a group, then the group earns nearly 1000 pounds a day? Surely that's unjustifiable.

Does this refer to a private creche? Are employer creches any cheaper?

Now I understand why our new student will give the child to her mother.

University creche/nursery is usually subsidised but still not cheap. We have 2 and they are a bit cheaper but not as cheap as the village nursery. Also, one of them just failed it's ofsted report and my friend's son is not happy there and they are looking to move him.

There are usually 12 in a group of 3 and unders. I have heard from other private non-franchised nurseries that the running costs really are pretty high. Even a childminder with much lower overheads is not cheap.

That student may prefer that her child has more personal care - nurseries can be tough for preschoolers - espeically under 3s. That's why I have switched to a childminder.