<p>I'm thinking of commuting to LA for my freshman year...or at least a quarter or two. I was wondering how crazy is it? I live in Torrance (near redondo beach). I know traffic is crazy. I was also wondering if i can move in in the middle of the school year, during the winter or spring quarter. What are the chances of getting a dorm during those times? How much would i pay? I hope these questions make sense.</p>
<p>That is a bit crazy. Don't commute unless it's for financial reasons. You will be sitting in traffic an hour one way.</p>
<p>You can move in winter quarter, and you'd just pay one quarter less. I've heard of several commuters who moved in late. There are always spots, as people move out or transfer out. If you truly feel more comfortable waiting (but I dont recommend it), then you can.</p>
<p>trust me, i want to live on campus but at this point there is no way my family can afford it. So yea...it's because of financial issues. To be more specific, i was not elligible to apply for fafsa (not a permanent resident/us citizen yet...soon to be in about a month or two. I get zero financial aid because i am not elligible for it. I can only apply to limited scholarships because i am not a permanent resident/us citizen. My family is struggling financially. So yea, it sucks but it seems like the only solution.</p>
<p>I live off-campus, not too far away, but I still try to minimize the number of days I have to be on campus and it worked out fine for the last three quarters. All my classes are spread over 2 days, and in that case, even if you have a crazy commute, it wouldn't be all that bad.</p>
<p>try to get classes from like 11 am to 2 pm. if not, many many people do your commute, or worse, so it's just part of living in LA :)</p>
<p>Northbound 405 gets crazy by 5:30 AM. Just imagine all the traffic during morning and afternoon rush hour. Definitely get on the freeway by 6 AM if you want to get on campus in 30 minutes or less. I know a reseacher that commutes from Torrance every day, leaving her home at 6:30 AM. She says, on average, her commute takes 45-60 minutes. And the first few days of every quarter is always the worst trying to get parking because lots of students haven't taken care of their situation.</p>
<p>I commute from Hancock Park to UCI two or three days out of the work week. On those days, I get up at 4 AM, on the freeway by 4:45 AM and get to UCI within an hour.</p>
<p>If you're commuting that much, you should try taping class lectures and listen to them while driving. At least you'll be utilizing "dead" time and optimizng your learning curve.</p>
<p>Maybe you can crash on somebody's couch every once in awhile and not commute everyday? Make lots of friends!</p>