<p>Any other UNC commuters here? I'm driving an hour each way to go to UNC. My advisor suggested I participate in this or that, but it all takes place at night, hours after my classes end. She flat out told me, "this is not a commuter school." Seems harsh! But I can't be the only one.</p>
<p>Why are you commuting to Chapel Hill? I knew a few people that lived with their parents while attending UNC, but I could probably count the number of them on my hand. Also, virtually all of them lived in Hillsborough/Durham/Chapel Hill/Carrboro so it was a 20 minute drive, max. My roommate used to go home most weekends…but even he lived in Cary. If you have a good reason to be living an hour away, such as having to take care of kids or sick parents, then do what you gotta do. Otherwise, I really think you’re missing out on the Carolina experience by commuting. Not just the clubs/organizations…but sporting events, bars on Franklin Street, hanging out until 3 AM with your buddies in the dorm, etc.</p>
<p>Me, because I’m a senior (+older than most, took time off) and I live with my partner who has work in Durham. We live in Durham and while I’d much rather commute than live on campus (did it; was over it pretty fast), paying for parking is kind of annoying. Trying to get a permit for a park and ride lot. BACK IN MY DAY, the Jones Ferry lot was FREE, and open for anyone to use. D:<</p>
<p>And yep, I have the same problem with the French table which I would otherwise go to. Not gonna sit around for 5 hours waiting for it to start; I’ve got errands to run and animals to take care of and a house to clean and all that.</p>
<p>This school is definitely not steered toward non-traditional students. I am a senior and a transfer student (transferred last year as a junior). I am a mother, married, and live in the W. Raleigh/Cary area - luckily for me, right off of the interstate. My commute is 30 minutes, but I park in Cobb and some mornings the traffic is heavier than others. However, I would never commute an hour to campus…ever. I, too, tried living on campus (first semester, junior year, I was miserable) and moved away as fast as I could. </p>
<p>One thing that has been affected by the fact that I commute is the events that a small number of my courses require me to attend. It seems silly to complain about, however; it is quite the annoyance that when my classes are DONE at UNC, I have to return several times to attend events and lectures that I could read about online, just to turn in a one page write-up, etc. I do not care about any of the events, groups, etc. I have no interest. I want to attend classes and go home. However, some courses force you to do these things and do not take into account that, perhaps, a few of the students in the course live 30~ minutes away, have children at home, etc. It’s ridiculous. I hate that ALL students are not taken into consideration when professors decide on a syllabus, or at least have alternate things a student can do in the event that they do not live on campus/have children/are poor - and thus cannot return to school 4-5 times a semester to attend a 30 min - 1 hour event/lecture, using up energy and resources that one simply may not have. </p>
<p>UNC is not a commuter friendly school, however; it is possible to be a commuter student. I have done it for almost 3 semesters with minimal issues (except last month when I had an unexpected car breakdown on the way to school, which caused me to miss several classes). I would never live on campus again. It was awful. However, I would never spend 2 hours a day driving to and from campus, 30~ minutes is pushing it. 
Good luck!</p>