commuting ..pros and cons

<p>can anyone who is currently commuting or who has helpful info please tell me the pros and cons of it..............my parents r basically forcing me to commute and iii really dnt want to...any info would be hlepful</p>

<p><a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/uc-transfers/703593-pros-cons-commute-housing-ucla.html[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/uc-transfers/703593-pros-cons-commute-housing-ucla.html&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

<p>Check this thread out</p>

<p>What area are you coming from?</p>

<p>I am speaking as a parent so tell them you are getting advice from parents as well. I can see only one pro for commuting= money. Obviously you will save anywhere from $9-$12 a year commuting and not buying a meal plan. BUT I think the pros of living on campus are much more important, if a bit more intangdable. I have 2 daughters in college. We live near SF and one is in Portland, the other a freshman at UCLA. Even if we lived close to these schools I would insist that they live on campus. I wanted them to have the whole college experience.</p>

<p>Living on campus you learn to grow up, be independent, and think for your self. This is a very important part of your education and one you won’t get living at home. College is a time to educate the whole person not just your academic side. Socially you will miss out living at home as most of your long term good friends will be met that first year in your dorm/hall/plaza/immediate area. Academically you are in a much better position to meet with professors if you are on campus more. You also will find it much easier to form study groups with people in your classes. Most times fellow students will set up study groups, say after dinner Monday night or something like that. If you have to drive home you will miss out. </p>

<p>I could go on and on but suffice it to say that this 4 years of your life is very important in not only teaching you your area of study but more importantly who you are as a person and shaping who you will be in the future. I As a parent I would never want to take that experience away from my chid. These 4 years are a great time to be suurounded by people your age going through much of the same experiences. Hopefully you can convince your parents and can find a way to take out loans or make extra money to pay the room and board. My niece is about to graduate from Chico State and she paid for it herself working her butt off in the summers and during school. So it’s doable and it is YOUR life. I think it’s very important that your parents understand that. Good luck!</p>

<p>I would like to add one more important point. I don’t where you live in LA but I lived in the West LA area for ten years when I was in my 20’s (a long time ago!) and driving time is an issue. Traffic then was insane and it’s gotten worse. You could be spending a lot of your precious time driving which is a huge waste when you could spend it studying, sleeping or just hanging out on the beautiful campus. Parking is a nightmare and will cost you big bucks over the course of the year. Ignore all this if you are within walking distance of less than 20 minutes.</p>

<p>completely agree with inquiringmind2. (to summarize what was already said) not only would you be missing out on a major “college experience”, but the commute would really be taxing and probably take its toll on your academic performance over time</p>

<p>you should AT LEAST dorm ur first year if money is an issue, u can settle in meet ppl etc, and if u find out that it isn’t worth it, then commute</p>