My parents and I have discussed a long time about whether or not if I should commute or not. They say do whatever I feel like would be best for me. They do help weigh the pros and cons of each, but I am still having a rough time deciding on which I should do. The commute to school would be approximately 31 miles. I do drive a hyundai sonata 2014 which is about 33mpg or so. Currently, I am living on the coach at a friend’s house for the first 2 weeks of the semester to get the feel of my classes and such before I make a final decision if I want to commute. The thought of saving so much money is so great, but at the same time, I feel as if I will not be in the best state for classes since I do have 8 am classes every single day of the week. There will also be some nights where I will have to stay up late as well to study or something. I tell myself these things but in actuality, a 40 minute commute or so is a normal day for an adult.
I live in Texas and go to Texas A&M University currently. The drive from my home to the university is on all country roads so I can get avoiding traffic. If I calculated it correctly, I would spend around 96 dollars to 120 dollars on gas ALONE monthly. If I were to live by the university, I would be paying 300-350 a month total plus an unknown amount on food, but I am a growing boy and eat quite a bit…haha. Approximate total…I would save 400+ a month surely.
I would spend my entire day on campus and be involved. I do not believe I will be one of those students that will have a hard time being involved because they commute. I really want to commute because it feels so wasteful to throw half of my expenses towards housing when I am only really home to sleep anyways.
If any parents or students have any input on commuting, it would be greatly appreciated. I am trying to be smart about my decision, but it is hard to choose since 40 minutes away is actually not THAT far away and its close enough to still have the college experience.
Take the cost of food out of your calculations. If you live at home, someone has to pay for the food. If you live on/near campus, someone has to pay for food. Most families find out that this is a wash.
What about living on/near campus just for this first semester (especially because of those 8 am classes)? Then you can re-consider after you find out what your costs really are.
You forgot car repair and insurance cost. You will have more energy and time to study when living on campus. You can spend 2,3 hours in the lab, in the library then go back to your dorm to sleep,…
I suggest you live on campus (or very close to campus) for at least first semester. Use that time wisely to invest in making new friends, trying out several different clubs, attending school events, and getting into a healthy routine of sleep, good diet, exercise, and study time.
Yes, I do have a place in mind lined up if I decide to not commute. It is just a matter of me deciding. I have a friend whose roommate is on leave this semester for an internship and he would be paying for the room regardless until I move in so it would not be an inconvenience for anyone. I did not account the cost of insurance into my calculations since I would be bring my car either way. I did not take into account daily healthy routine…thank you so much. One of the few things I was worried about commuting would be having to wake up extra early every day where some days I may have to stay up late to study for a test and ultimately be driving and schooling on about 5 or so hours of sleep (which is not healthy). I also took into account my how much my time is actually worth…and to me, quite a bit. It takes roughly 1 and a half hours to drive home and back and with that time, I could be studying, exercising, networking or anything productive but driving. My mother told me today that she would be willing to help me with food so I would not have to prep food and then cook as it can be very time consuming (she doesn’t want me eating hot pockets and packaged food).
I’d like to thank everyone for their input. All were helpful. I’ve decided to not commute. Yes I may save some hundred bucks, but I believe in the end, the productivity from the time loss from driving and the likely possibility of the unhealthy condition I would be in from lack of sleep, would not be worth it. Thanks again!