I am a freshman at a college 50 minutes away from my house by car, and while I like the school academically, I really do not like it socially. I do have a few friends here, but it really doesn’t change the main reasons why I don’t like it here, which is that the campus is really tiny (1,200 students total, including graduates) and that there is nothing to do on weekends besides partying. The clubs on campus also hold no events or meetings and are not very active, so the campus is dead. I have plans to soon enroll elsewhere for the fall and I have been accepted as well, but I am wondering whether it would be better to just move off campus and commute to my current school. I like the school academically, and I would only be on campus part of the time rather than all the time, so the size and atmosphere probably would not matter. I am concerned about a 50 minute commute, but I have friends that commute 40 mins and are fine with it. I feel like that extra 10 mins really makes a major difference though. Besides, my school is so small, it is hard to schedule classes only 2-3 days a week in order to make the journey more bearable. It is an easy drive involving mostly freeways, but I am still struggling with whether or not it is a good idea or if transferring to the other college I got into is the better option. I have driven 40 mins to my friend’s house, and it is not so bad, but I feel like it’d be much more tedious every day. Anyway, do you guys think it makes more sense for me to just stay at my current school and commute there? I’d be working while going to school also, but I really don’t know if I’m up for that.
im a commuter student also! my commute is 45 minutes and its actually not that bad depending on your schedule. if you dislike it socially then id say theres no loss. the only issue is working during school. I dunno how that would go since i dont work during school, but if its just until fall id say it might be fine
Would moving off campus right now mean that you just lose the money you spent for dorms?
It seems totally fine. It’s nice just to have some time at the beginning/end of the day to listen to the radio and prepare/decompress.
Not all 50 minutes are equal. 50 minutes on the open highway or 50 minutes in city traffic? One can be relaxing and the other quite stressful.
That is a long commute giving up 2 hours per day but I know folks who did 40 minute commutes in rural areas and managed. Workload of the school matters too.
Isn’t there only a month or so left of school? Why not stick with your presumably already-paid-for housing and just come home on the weekends?
@Sportsman88 as I mentioned before, it would be on the freeway.
@philbegas I didn’t pay for next year yet.
I’m sorry. I see it now. Try paragraphs for easier reading.
Good luck with the decision.
Yes, it is feasible. When I used to commute, the problem was not so much the length of time (longer than your commute) but the variability. Random accidents, construction, and problems with parking would make the drive much longer.
I think if you’re at school full time with no work, it’s totally feasible. But also I love driving
What area of the country do you live in? Winter weather considerations are huge if you’re in an area that gets ice / snow. Otherwise, it comes down to having a reliable car, the determination to get up and going early enough, and the ability to stay awake on the road (which can be a serious issue for some drivers.)
@NerdMom88 I live in northern New Jersey. This winter was an easy one, but it always depends.
In New Jersey, you’d want to make arrangements with a friend to stay in town if the weather looked threatening.
@NerdMom88 yes, of course.
@beachguy20 You can easily go 50 minutes. People commute daily 1-2 hrs to work. You have GSP and Turnpike.
@beachguy20 Where do you go from North Jersey- East/West, North/South ?
@grtd2010 I would be going southwest. Parkway South, 80 West, 287 South.
If you live in NJ, you must be aware that many, many people commute over an hour door to door to get to their jobs.I I don’t see a 50 minute commute as a big deal at all.
I lived in Montclair and commuted to NYC–it took approx one hour and 25 minutes each day door to door.
My D jus got her first teaching job. She’s estimating it will take her at least 1 hour and 20 minutes door to door and she needs to be at her school in Brooklyn by about 7:45am. She will be traveling from Chelsea in Manhattan using 3 trains and walking about 8 blocks total.
@uskoolfish my family thinks it’s way too far. But I will keep convincing them, because if I go back to my current school, I really don’t want to live there.