<p>How is it being a commuter? What are the disadvantages? I already know the advantages: no board to pay, being able to live at home, which for me is more comfortable and easier to concentrate at than living at school. </p>
<p>Thank you. :)</p>
<p>The biggest drawback is that you are sort of limited socially. After a horrid first semester at Mount Union, it seems like somewhat of an improvement, even without people around every day, but I'll admit I'll probably never have the amount of social time I had in high school ever again. My best years are behind me, I guess.</p>
<p>The trouble isn't meeting people. You'll meet them in your classes. The difficulty is hanging out with them outside of class and getting to know them well.</p>
<p>Working in my favor is that one of my best friends from high school also goes to my college. Outside of him, I don't have any close friends, but many people I know. The good thing is that we can hang out whenever. The bad news is that we don't really have any other close friends at La Roche...but we have several buddies at Penn State who are by now and then so we all hang out then.</p>
<p>I'm going to be joining a group at my school soon with the hopes that will improve. I'll let you know soon how that turns out.</p>
<p>However, I'd much rather commute mostly because I found out I can't live in a building with 75 other guys. And trust me, guys are nasty. My dad got kicked out of the house a long time ago so I really haven't lived with any other guys, and in the dorm I realized that girls are right when they say most guys are gross. They're noisy, messy, stinky, and have no respect for others. (There were some exceptions, but most of them were like that)</p>
<p>One positive of La Roche is that there are a lot of commuters, and sometimes we do run into each other outside of class just by chance--I saw a classmate at the mall the other day.</p>
<p>As far as dating goes, I'm probably holding off until next semester when the freshmen come--might as well get one while she's young and uncorrupted, plus most incoming freshmen are single. My buddy used this logic in high school and had many good years dating, so I'm going to use it in college. Of course, I happened to be a high school senior last year who was in love with a high school freshman...but that's beyond the point.</p>
<p>Another advantage of being a commuter (not a disadvantage)--you can eat at home.</p>
<p>And as for some more disadvantages--you have to pay for gas or a bus pass (both of which are cheaper than room and board), if you have an annoying family member you have to put up with them, and parking can sometimes be a bit tight if you've got a lot of commuters at your school. Still, even with social factors considered, the positives of commuting outweigh the negatives.</p>
<p>My brother commutes. The biggest disadvantage (it's an important one, too!) = much harder to get a social life.</p>
<p>I agree with everybody else: social life is always the biggest disadvantage. You truly and honestly have to put out 100% more effort into making friends. Groups/clubs are the greatest thing in the world: they really do help. Gas prices also suck, especially if you live in an area where you're either A) far away, B) gas is expensive, or C) both. </p>
<p>Personally: I could never live on campus. I have no desire to share my living space with anyone other than my family or my future boyfriends/fiance/husband. Being able to keep my sanity while staying home, using my own private bathroom, and sleeping whenever I want to sleep without disturbing somebody is worth lack of social life, gas prices, and annoying family members. </p>
<p>Oh! Thought! See if your college/university has a commuter organization. Many do, and it's a great way to meet up with people who are in the same situation as you. If not, try to start one. :)
Good luck!</p>
<p>If you take public transportation like I do, it could be downright unbearable. The main reason I cut some days of High School/College(I go to both)is that I simply to do want to take the train.</p>
<p>If you don't live that far away from the campus, then it's fine. But if the commute is more than a half hour each way(an hour and 15 minutes for me >.<), then it's really not worth it. You spend all that time in a very crowded place, sometimes dirty, sometimes late. And if you think you have plently of time to do work, think again. It's hard having all of your textbooks and papers out with all those people around. That's if you even get a seat ;) You can read though..that's the good thing. I don't think I would read at all unless I had the time on the train.</p>
<p>Although I have to say..this is probably only unique to the NYC Subway system. Unless there are similar mass transit systems in other cities.</p>
<p>ditto on the social life perspective. also the school doesn't really have that school spirit you would thing a college would have.</p>
<p>Socially, you are somewhat screwed. It’s just tough to develop strong friendships. MAKING friends isn’t too bad, I’m an Engineer, a field notorious for it’s heavily antisocial population lol but I have made a handful of friends on campus. Hanging out can be rough though, you will probably have time to eat together at lunch or something but other than that you are gonna have trouble. Dating is also EXTREMELY tough… Finding a date is very difficult cause developing a relationship with someone you occasionally see outside class is hard to do. However you are missing one advantage: academically you will have a slight edge as there are fewer distractions at home and studying is easier. That and if you like your family you can still spend time with them, which I have enjoyed.</p>