I haven’t applied yet, but I am certain I will be accepted.
It takes 35 minutes to drive from Summerville to the College one way, so is it better to dorm or stay with my parents? Is it worth the 1 hour+ drive every day and dealing with traffic and usual downtown frustrations?
Thanks!
My advice is to dorm freshman year. You’ll meet more people and integrate into the school more easily because you will be able to take advantage of events that come up spontaneously.
Imagine there’s an event at 8 pm on Friday and your last class ends at 1. Would you hang around for it? What if it were something you simply wanted to check out and leave if you didn’t like it? I probably would not stick around but at the risk of missing something I might also like. Being on campus creates options.
You will still be able to go home any time if you want to visit. If you want to commute in subsequent years, you can do that. But I think you cut yourself off from a lot of opportunities by starting that way.
Dorm! ^ second that advice
I would dorm it for the first year. The parking situation is a tough one. Generally, freshman are not allowed to have a car the first year anyways due to the lack of and the high cost of parking. My daughter has several friends that go there (from Mt. Pleasant) and they had a tough time with it.
Wow! If that’s the case, I guess I have no other choice but to dorm.
Do you know any links or policies that I can see to make sure?
This may help. http://parkingservices.cofc.edu/parking/students.php
CofC students can use the CARTA bus system for free just FYI
As a current freshman student, being a commuter will be hard. My friend commutes and traffic always makes her late. She can’t be active in any clubs and she doesn’t have a meal plan so she’s often very hungry while being on campus. Yes there is Chick-Fil-A, Einstein Bagels, Five Guys, Verde, etc nearby but that gets really expensive! Finding parking off campus is hard. I know students who park near the battery and WALK to their classes from there. Parking passes are really expensive. Also keep in mind that while living off campus, you won’t get to participate in a lot of clubs or activities (for example: at the beginning of every school year Cofc hosts a casino night to win prizes) because you 1. Have class 2. Have to go home before traffic gets bad or 3. Have to work. It’s really going to be bad if you have an 8am or 9am class which a lot of freshmen end of getting.
@Chopinspiano Thank you! Is the CARTA system fine or should I look into renting a parking space since freshman cannot have parking passes.
@VeniceMate http://parkingservices.cofc.edu/parking/alternative-parking.php
That’s a link for alternative parking! I’ve never personally used the CARTA system so I’m not sure how how far it goes/where it stops but I do know that it gets crowded a lot from what I’ve seen. I’m not really sure what you’d use the CARTA for so please specify for me. All classes are within walking distance (even Harbor Walk which is about a 25 minute walk I believe). With that said the CARTA doesn’t always stick with it’s time slots because of traffic and such.
I strongly suggest living on campus freshman year. It’s how you get to know the campus and the surrounding area. Several of my upperclassmen friends live off campus(although closer by) because well it’s cheaper, but they also know what clubs they’ll be a part of for their duration at The College so they can better plan their schedule. I’ve spoken with a doctor at MUSC (fun fact: she triple majored at Cofc) who said she regrets not living on campus because commuting costs a lot of money as far as gas and food. At the very least, stay on campus for first semester and if you hate it or if for financial reasons it’s a problem, then you can live off campus spring semester.
May I ask what major are you? That can also affect commuting. If you’re a science major, freshman tend to be stuck with really early labs or really late ones (7pm-10pm)[this also applies to people who go ahead and get their science out of the way for there general ed courses].
My friend who commutes from Mt. Pleasant says she’s about 20 minutes away. Her drive is longer because she has to leave in the morning when traffic is heavy. Things to also consider:
If there’s ever a point where you need to get somewhere that’s not in walking distance use Uber or Lyft!
Those are things that a lot of people don’t consider when commuting as freshman.
Thank you very much for all the information!
@Chopinspiano I plan to major in Computer Information Systems, although I am considering a major in biology. It’s about 40 minutes one way from where I live now, so I will probably dorm the first semester at least.
As for CARTA, I guess I would use it to get around the Charleston area for friends or clubs or back home. So, do you think it’s best to buy alternative parking?
@VeniceMate My son is a Computer Science / Data Science double major. He lives in Barry and uses the CARTA to get to Harborwalk ( the CS building ) . He says that’s the CARTA runs pretty well. They’re also getting new buses for their fleet that are much nicer. CofC students get to use the CARTA for free so you could use it to go wherever the system runs including West Ashley, Mt Pleasant and parts of N. Charleston .
On another note , if you plan on studying biology , you may want to consider Data Science rather than Computer Information Systems , which has more of a business base. DS would be a better double major. JMO
@carolinamom2boys Thanks for the advice. I am really stuck and have researched a bit more on Data Science. My goal is medical school (I realize it’s a strange shift), so I will really have to weigh my options. Do you know anything about the pre-med program there?
I know that they have a strong relationship with MUSC and offer research opportunities as undergrads . That’s why I suggested Data Science to provide you with skills for research . They currently are working on genome research grants right now . The Data Science program is actually geared toward combining CS with other disciplines . @Chopinspiano care to weigh in?She is currently doing research with MUSC and is pre med I believe. Dr Van Deldan is the Dean of CS. He is an amazing resource and very friendly. You may want to email him to see how DS can be beneficial to a premed major.
There’s so many amazing things going on for pre-med which can be seen by the fact that I’m a freshman that’s about to start research with MUSC! You’ll be assigned an advisor for pre-med along with your academic advisors. Please please please meet with them! It’s never too early! Cofc, the Honors College especially, pushes students to go to grad school and Med School is #1. Once you officially declare your major you’ll receive numerous emails about opportunities for pre-med! Every year Cofc hosts a research mathmaking session which features research projects at The College and at MUSC. They have I think 3-5 grant programs that help with the cost of research(traveling to present your research, stipends, etc).
If you’re a minority, I encourage you to apply for SCAMP once the time comes. It’s for minorities in the STEM field. Several of the seniors in SCAMP have already been accepted in med schools/graduate programs.
Cofc has a phenomenal relationship with MUSC. They even host a MUSC night where students can talk to admissions, current students, and some who are in residency.
I know some freshmen who are actually volunteering there! Cofc’s pre-med program is excellent. It’s always been phenomenal and underrated. You truly get a relationship with your professors and the class sizes are smaller than those at other universities.
I’m throwing out lots of info haha, but definitely scan their website for more info that I’m probably leaving out!
Wow, thanks @Chopinspiano for all the information. That definitely makes CofC more attractive. In your opinion, is the Honors College make or break for medical school admission? I only applied to the regular colleges, so I am not sure of my options if it is.
@VeniceMate No, not at all! The Honors College just offers more opportunities on top of the numerous amount that Cofc has. If you think it is worth it, then you can also apply whenever you come here! The only thing that I believe is more helpful and might make a difference freshman year is the First Year Experience course, Beyond George Street, which is just for Honors Students. We begin making resumes, looking at study abroad options, looking at nationally competitive awards, etc. It makes you aware of all the resources available at Cofc and it also requires a one year volunteer service at any of their partners(I believe this option is available to just freshman but I could be wrong). You can also volunteer at any of their partners without the help of the Honors College! The biggest advantage though is that Honors students receive numerous amounts of funding when it comes to studying abroad and sometimes research. They have their own scholarships and some Cofc scholarships in general give priority to Honors students. That’s just something to think about. Regardless you will be fine with or without the Honors College for pre-med. A friend of mine was just accepted into her top med school choice and she’s not in the Honors College. Honors has its benefits that some students don’t get(and some commitments) but you will still succeed without being in honors.
@VeniceMate I agree with @Chopinspiano . You can always apply to Honors after you attend if that’s something you may be interested in. The support and mentorship from faculty are great assets during application to med or grad school.