I'm from Leverkusen originally, 20 km northeast of Cologne.
I live close to Tübingen now, southwestern part. 40 km south of Stuttgart.
I go to university in Tübingen and since average rents there are the 2nd highest in germany (Munich being most expensive) I can't afford living in the city and had to find a more affordable place out in the woods. Worked out just fine, I got a nice apartment of my own in a quiet village and pay less rent than the people I know who live in 9 m² POS rooms in a student apartment complex.
Of course, getting home late at night for them is much easier than it is for me. It's not that much of a problem though, there's a lotta people who are letting me sleep on their couch/floor so I usually don't have to worry about not being able to get home.