Commute vs Dorm on campus

Colleges and Universities A-Z University of Washington
1

<p>Hello! </p>

<p>This question was directly mostly to the alums and current students enrolled at the UW, I currently live in Federal Way and am most likely going to attend the UW (unless I get a hefty scholarship from my other schools :D) I was directly admitted to the CS program, so I might be done with my college decisions. </p>

<p>Anyways, living in Federal Way, I know many students who attend the UW from Federal Way commute (very little dorm, and if so, just for a year), while suprisngly, some people who live closer (Renton, Bellevue) dorm. This could be a factor of high income within the students living closer to the U District, but ideally...is commuting a good thing? I want to overall have the ENTIRE college experience, and of course exceed and do great in college, but to also have that experience. </p>

<p>I am from a very poor family, who would live off of the husky promise, but I did gain several scholarships. If I were to dorm, and of course got a job to pay the ~8-9k's, would it be better to go that route? or would commuting be better (as I would get a free orca card + can maybe study during the commute on the bus?)</p>

<p>Another idea I was thinking about was maybe commuting for my first year, but after that staying on campus the next three. How does that sound? </p>

<p>If I were to commute, I would stay with my parents of course (free food, gas, housing).</p>

<p>I don't want to miss out on any of the experiences! What would you guys suggest? And if you have commuted or dormed, what did you like and dislike about it? Did commuting force you to not partake on the "college" experience?</p>

2

<p>Wow. I’m from Renton, how did you know that I’m dorming?! Just kidding. I know someone from Federal Way that has an apartment…but she sleeps at the undergrad library all the time, so I guess it doesn’t count. Anyway, as I see it, you want to experience the college life. You want to experience waking up 5 minutes before a lecture, only to make it there one minute early because you live close. You want to experience how it feels to eat ice cream at Rick’s Cafe at 10:45PM after a football game at the NEW Husky Stadium, only to head to Ode for an all-nighter, yet finding yourself taking an early-morning break to get McDonald’s/Dick’s burgers. More so, you want to experience some astonishingly “deep” and dyslexic intellectual discussions with people from around the world that you only thought existed in cliche, emo-esque high school movies about sex. As already mentioned, you want to live on campus and figure out how it feels to live away from the parental units, even if it’s still in the same state of residence.
To answer your first question, NO, commuting is not a good thing; likewise, it’s not a bad thing. I know a lot of people who commute and can wake themselves up at 6:30 in the morning to make a 8:30 lecture, but do they enjoy it? No. Very few of them are able to find the time to handle college classes and a “freshman-esque” social life. Of course, there are a few that I know who get around, and who I find at parties all the time. Then again, they’re just used to the pressure of managing time really well. To answer your second question, yes getting a job (or work study in your case) would be a better choice in my opinion. I know many students who have to work part-time, but they are still able to live on campus and make use of their time and experience to the fullest extent, while doing well academically. Money shouldn’t impede your university experience, especially given how cheap UW is compared to so many other universities. Oh, and I don’t recommend studying on the bus, as I know far too many students that planned for the same thing that you want, but end up never studying on the bus. You’ll be really tired commuting so often as a freshman. For dorming, the entire experience is really predicated around the idea that you’re new to the idea of living alone, and the desire to meet new people is fed through the lifestyle. I believe all students should at least live on campus for their freshman year, and then be given the opportunity to decide what to do after. You learn so many things about yourself…and others…that you probably didn’t want to know, but it’s for the better. Sure, you could be like my friends and get sexiled; you could even be like me and get stuck with two roommates in a room that’s the size of a broom closet; that’s just a part of the freshman experience. You have the rest of your life to live in a decrepit apartment with a creepy roommate that draws pictures of dust-mites. In essence, plan to live on campus the first year, and then live at home/get an apartment for the next three. I mean, everyone gets way more serious once freshman year ends, so why start living on campus when there’s no one around at your age that wants to have some basic, childish fun? Finally, I dorm in a McCarty triple. I dislike banging my head on the desk under my lofted bed (I’m 5ft 11 for reference), and I dislike that one of my small, shifty roommates sleeps in the nude and does flips in the hallways when chicks are around. Conversely, I like that I’m not waking up early every morning to catch a bus to get to an already-early lecture. Take it from me, I used to start high school at 7:20AM, and I’ve missed a few 8:30 lectures already…what have I been doing with my life? In addition, I like the fact that I’m in the middle of all this activity and opportunity that exists ONLY for a student that lives in the dorms. Yes, we have events only for people that dorm, so be jealous. With all this said, what else would you like to know about UW?</p>

3

<p>Dorming is great early in college so you don’t have to worry about rent, getting things repaired, commuting, etc. It’s also clearly great for meeting people, easy access to university events and a built in support group. </p>

<p>Don’t forget that the vast majority of UW students are “commuters” but that doesn’t mean they’re making 1 hour drives every day. Most students just live off campus in nearby neighborhoods. I lived in the U District, Wallingford and Ballard, and friends were in Cap Hill, the Central District, East Lake, Ravenna, etc. None of those are crazy long commutes. All under an hour by bus. This saves a ton of money, as rooms and even full apartments go for less than a bunk in a double room dorm. You don’t have to be on a food plan, of course, which saves a ton of money. </p>

<p>Ideally, dorming for a year or two, then moving to an off campus apartment is a great plan. However, you should always follow the money. There’s nothing worse than graduating with huge student loan debt.</p>

4

<p>Thanks a lot for responding! :)</p>

<p>My commute is going to be interesting…(no joke)…</p>

<p>How would this idea sound, I commute for two quarters, or all three quarters of Freshman year, but dorm on campus for Sophomore to Senior year? Ideally, I can stay with my parents, in terms of debt, qualifying for the husky promise, I might be able to get away with ~$25,000 of debt, and going for a major like CompSci, I can of course be able to pay it all off in a few months. </p>

<p>How does that sound to you guys? I am open for suggestions once again!</p>

5

<p>First off, congrats on the DA to CS! If I were you, and have the means to do so; I would dorm on campus for at least the first year. You can gain independence, be much more involved on campus, and make a ton of friends. </p>

<p>Having said that, I know a lot of people who commute and still have a great college experience. It comes down to preference, but I would highly recommend dorming. Does the husky promise not cover housing expenses? I was under the impression it covers everything.</p>

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<p>If you want to live in the dorm for only a partial period of time, make it earlier, not later. Most students only dorm for 1-2 years, then move to their own apartments off campus. You’d definitely be the odd man out if you stayed until your senior year.</p>

7

<p>Also, FYI, unless you stumble into a CEO position at a Fortune 500, you’re probably not going to be paying off $25k in debt in a few months. Remember, you have to live somewhere. And eat. And pay taxes. And interest on the loan. It’ll take a year at the very least. Most people take many years.</p>

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<p>I agree with rabbitstew - the starting salaries for software engineering positions that UW students usually take is usually $80-110k/year (unless you want to join a start up or smaller company that can’t give a competitive signing package - but many companies can). When factoring the rest of your lifestyle (of course, this will differ from person to person), it might take you 2-3 years to pay of those loans.</p>

<p>You can dorm and then commute if you want - plenty of students do that. By commuting, I don’t mean just getting an apartment nearby, it’s definitely doable as a CS major to commute all the way from Federal Way. My commute is about 1-1.25 hours each way, every day. Another student commutes to/from Everett every day. It’s all about how you can manage your time.</p>

<p>You can also survive UW without ever taking an 8:30am class. The earliest classes for me has always been 9:30 or 10:30am, and it’s not like I’m skipping over the intro classes with AP/IB credit or anything. Just look at what’s available and plan accordingly.</p>

<p>PM me if you want to talk more about commuting life - it can get frustrating sometimes, but I’m honestly glad I’m a commuter. I also do NOT get motion sickness, so I can get a lot done on the bus.</p>

<p>I am most productive at night when I have the least amount of distractions, so I actually average about 4-5 hours of sleep a night (Get up at 6:30 to get ready to take a 7:30 bus) and then nap during the day, so if you need a solid 7-8 hours of sleep, you might want to consider dorming to start out with. :)</p>

<p>Note that it’s easier to start out dorming and then moving out rather than starting as a commuter and then applying to get into a dorm. If you apply for a dorm spot mid-year, you have to wait until there’s an opening. If you apply at the end of the year (ie. for Fall 2014), you’re in the lowest priority group - even after incoming freshmen.</p>

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<p>If you get a good signing bonus though (ie. $100k for that signature on the paper and staying with the company for 2 years), you can definitely pay off all your loans at once.</p>

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<p>I commute between 1.25-1.5 hours each way every day, and on the bus I’m either reading (usually for a class), sleeping, or doing homework. </p>

<p>You can still get a lot of the college experience as a commuter if you’re willing to commute home later at night, but you’ll miss out on the really late night activities unless you have a friend that will let you spend the night at their place.</p>

<p>Like everyone else has said, if you plan on living on campus at any point you should do it earlier rather than later. In this way you’ll know what exactly you’ll be missing when you decide to commute, and by then you might not be as interested in those events as you once were back when you were a curious freshman. After having experienced “the experience”, you’ll be in a much better position to weigh the pros and cons of living on campus and decide if it’s worth continuing or not.</p>

11

<p>Also, if you actually want the <em>FULL</em> college experience, you can do what my friend did! :P</p>

<p>Fall quarter: Lived in a Dorm (rushing)
Winter quarter: Lived in a Sorority
Spring quarter: Lived at Home (~45 minutes from campus via bus)
Summer -> current: Live in Apartment (~10 minutes walk from campus)</p>