The Commuter Thread

Student Lounge College Life
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<p>This thread is intended for all the commuter students out there. Whether you get to school via the bus, carpool, bike, or your own two legs, feel free to use this thread to talk about your classes, rant (or rave) about your commute, or ask any questions you may have.</p>

<p>I was a commuter for my college’s early arrival program and definitely felt a bit of a split between the students in my class who were dorming for the 3-week period and ones who drove/took public transit. Sometimes I feel like there’s a gap here on CC as well, and I’m hoping that this can sort of bridge the divide by making it a place where commuters (and non-commuters alike) can chat about their day. </p>

<p>Hopefully this can be a useful resource in the academic year to come! </p>

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<p>I live within walking distance of my school (well, if you like long walks) and I usually take the bus. I can see that I probably have a different mindset from the people who moved across the country to go to my university, because for them it’s a completely new living experience and for me it’s just school. The only thing that bothers me about the commute itself is that there are a lot of times during the day when the bus only goes once every hour, so I often have to leave way earlier than would otherwise be necessary in order to get to my classes on time. I skip my early-morning class a lot, which is bad.</p>

<p>My social experience has been fine for me, but I know it wouldn’t work for everyone. Most of what I’ve experienced is caused by my personality and not some logistical issue related to commuting. I haven’t made any friends because I don’t try to make them, and I don’t think it would be any different if I were living in a dorm. I’ve joined a couple of student organizations, and going to the meetings hasn’t been an issue for the most part. I originally wanted to get a job, but I haven’t been able to get one because my class schedule is all spread out and I don’t really have any long stretches of time when I could work. It’s probably a blessing in disguise because the academics are really difficult and I feel behind a lot of the time even without a job. </p>

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<p>My commute kind of disorients me in a way - I use public transit and I wake up at 5am to catch a 5:30 train. I haven’t been getting enough sleep recently so leaving my house when its pitch black and standing on a relatively crowded platform kind of messes with my head. In theory, I could leave much later, since my commute is only an hour and all of my classes start at 9:30 or later so I could probably wake up at like 8 and still make it on time. However, I have a group of friends that I have breakfast with every morning and I really like having that two to three hour window to just talk and decompress before starting my day. </p>

<p>I’ve gotten more used to forcing myself to stay on campus - I used to go home as soon as my last class let out but I didn’t think that was conducive to making friends so now I stay a lot longer. Today I stayed in the caf with a few kids and literally just talked/joked around for two and a half hours. It was really nice. I don’t think I’d be able to handle school without having some people to just talk to and have lunch with - plus we go on outings together so I don’t feel isolated whatsoever. I actually feel more ingrained in my school’s community than a lot of people. </p>

<p>I think if I can pull off a good balance between sleep and school, I’ll be alright. I need to stop going to bed at midnight (and I say this while typing at 11:42 pm…) because the lack of sleep makes my morning commute yucky. </p>

<p>I love the idea of commuting – I got a full tuition scholarship, so the fact that my living situation (room and board) is subsidized by my parents means that I don’t have to worry about finances at all which is such a blessing. It (almost) makes dealing with public transportation during rush hour worth it. ;)</p>

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<p>My commute normally isn’t too bad (about 45 minutes in some very scenic parts of southeast Michigan), but as of late, it’s been killer. </p>

<p>You see, there’s this good old joke about Michigan that goes “there are only 2 seasons in Michigan: winter and construction season.” There is seriously so much construction in my university’s area that it’s ridiculous. I have about 4 different ways I can get to school and they ALL have some parts that are undergoing construction and so are either partially closed or constantly backed up. So, my ride in now takes about an hour and closer to an hour and fifteen minutes during rush-hour. </p>

<p>However, I suppose that I’m not a TRUE commuter because I have lived on campus before. I did make some very nice friends and had the whole college life thing going, but honestly, I’ve made more friends through my on-campus job and am having just as much fun as a commuter (though I don’t get as much sleep). </p>

<p>I get to campus at 8 every day and so usually leave my house around 7, which I think is pretty early (though I can’t compete with @preamble1776 :P). I also like to get up early to do homework instead of staying up late to do it, so sometimes I do get up between 4-5 and work on homework before I even leave for school. </p>

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<p>I live in a college town, and the buses here are all owned by the university, so commute isn’t much of a problem for me. I also live extremely close to a bus stop, so I don’t have to worry about missing a bus. Even if I did, the next bus would come in 10 minutes, anyway. It also only takes about 10-15 minutes for the bus to arrive at school. Of course, that’s only if it’s going eastbound towards school. I usually board the bus when it’s coming by via the westbound route. The only unfortunate thing about being a commuter in this town is that the buses don’t run late on weekends, so you can’t go anywhere far if you don’t have transportation. </p>

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<p>@harvestmoon brought up a point that I forgot – during my commute I get to see the sunrise over the Boston skyline. When I’m awake enough to acknowledge it, it’s pretty nice. Also, the thing about construction. My school is undergoing some crazy 100 million dollar 30 year construction makeover; so some of the buildings are state of the art, while others are in absolute disarray. Unfortunately, I’ll be almost 50 when everything’s done, so no nice new campus for me. I hope the class of 2044 appreciates it though, lol. </p>

<p>I’m actually going to schedule my classes even earlier next semester - I’m completely awake during my morning classes after my on-campus breakfast, so I figured that I might as well schedule a few 8ams, that way my day ends even earlier (I do the whole back-to-back thing; no breaks longer than 15 minutes.) </p>

<p>I am kinda (read: very much) worried about what my commute is gonna be like during winter though. Standing on a crowded open air platform at 5 am when it’s 9 degrees out doesn’t sound pleasant. </p>

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<p>I’m actually really debating whether or not I should commute starting next semester… I don’t have any problem with my dorm life but not having a kitchen/bathroom/room of my own is getting pretty old. My only worry is the commute and if I miss the bus, what then?</p>

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<p>@swkim51 - How often do the buses run on the line you need? What most people I know who commute do is usually factor in 15-30 minutes depending on their mode of transportation is to factor in unexpected emergencies/mishaps (my friend’s train car set on fire last week…) – when I was measuring my commute over the summer, I intentionally missed the train so I could factor in how much longer I’d need to make it in time. </p>

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<p>It comes every 30 minutes but it’s just something I don’t want to care about at the moment, I’d rather be walking to class from an on-campus apartment than wake up early to catch the bus. I would get a car, but that is another story.</p>

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<p>Yeah, an on-campus housing unit seems ideal if everything else is settled (finances, roommate relationship, etc). I really wouldn’t recommend commuting unless you were going to save a lot of money or you really hate dorm living. </p>

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<p>I agree that as a commuter, it’s a good idea to stay on campus after classes have let out because that’s when most of the activities are! The only downside to this is that in my area, buses tend not to run as often after peak hours, so staying for a club meeting in the early evening might mean ending up waiting half an hour for the bus to come. So a good compromise would be to stick around and go to events, meet new people, etc. until right before rush hour to be able to catch a bus quickly and still avoid traffic.</p>

<p>Commuting by bus is pretty cool, though. I usually take public transit to get home on the weekends and it’s nice to be able to read, fiddle with my phone, or just relax on the way back. </p>

<p>Hmm, @swkim51‌, are there any kitchen facilities in your dorm by chance? I know mine has several super old kitchenettes with stoves available, and most dining halls have microwaves if you want to heat up your own food. And I agree on the room part–I was originally assigned a quad but switched into a single room, and I’m very happy with my decision, haha. If room swaps are still available, perhaps that could be something to consider. </p>

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<p>@swkim51‌, I pretty much moved back home just due to wanting my own space and not minding the drive. It also saves money, which is always nice. You have to consider all the costs and also the proximity. How long would your commute take? </p>

<p>However, the winter will be a problem. I see that @preamble1776‌ lives in the Boston area, so you can definitely understand my fear and worry of driving in the snow. Last winter the upper Midwest and the northeast got completely SLAMMED by bad winter weather, and this winter is also supposed to be horrid. So while I don’t mind my hour drive, I’m actually looking into moving into an apartment that’s close to campus so that I could walk to school if I had to.</p>

<p>So, while I normally advocate taking early classes, I’d be careful to avoid taking the train during rush hour or early in the morning just in case there’s really bad weather. I can’t tell you how many times I slipped and slid for an hour and a half while trying to get to school by 8am. It sucked and was quite frightening! </p>

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<p>I want to revive this thread. </p>

<p>How is everyone liking their commute so far? I think I’ve come to enjoy my commute more than I had when I originally posted on this thread - I’ve started leaving later (when the sun is actually up) and I’ve started going to bed earlier, so I get a lot more sleep. </p>

<p>I stopped hanging out with the group I mentioned before because they became drama magnets (gossip, relationship chaos, etc) and I ain’t about that life, so I found another group - smaller, more academically oriented, and it’s been better. I’ve taken to reading on the train in the morning, which I really like (before I was too exhausted to even sit up straight, lol. I did not schedule 8ams for next semester like I had planned originally - I actually have later classes (still back to back for the most part, though.) I think I’ve struck a nice balance between school life and home life. </p>

<p>:)</p>

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<p>I drive five days a week to my college. Luckily, it’s only fifteen minutes away from my house. I know of students that drive an hour and a half to my college. I couldn’t bare to do that. Maybe if it was only two days a week. </p>

<p>I planned my schedule for spring so that I only have class on Tuesdays and Thursdays. I can save gas and mileage on my car (I’m on a lease). </p>

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<p>I drive five days a week to my college. Luckily, it’s only fifteen minutes away from my house. I know of students that drive an hour and a half to my college. I couldn’t bare to do that. Maybe if it was only two days a week. </p>

<p>I planned my schedule for spring so that I only have class on Tuesdays and Thursdays. I can save gas and mileage on my car (I’m on a lease). </p>

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<p>My commute is pretty easy most days. It’s usually 20-30 minutes and mostly Interstate driving. There are a few things I hate about commuting though. </p>

<p>The first thing I hate about commuting: Cars
If you don’t have a car where I live, well, you just don’t get around. You need a car. For some reason, I am cursed when it comes to repairs. On my last car, it got to the point where something went wrong every single week and left me on the side of the road 4 times before the engine finally blew a few weeks ago. Now, I’ve drained my bank account on a newer used car. Guess what? It’s already knocking on my bank’s door. </p>

<p>The second thing I hate about commuting: Winter
Ah yes, winter in beautiful West Virginia. When it snows, it’s very scenic, until you have to get behind the wheel. Then, its downright annoying. Last semester, I made the mistake of taking an 8am class, and I will do anything in my power to never take another 8am class ever again, because when you have to be somewhere by 8am here in West Virginia, the roads may or may not be plowed and salted.</p>

<p>The third thing I hate about commuting: The Social Factor
Let’s face it, socializing is harder when you come to class and leave right after. Considering around 90% of stuents at my university commute, the social scene leaves much to be desired. That’s a minor complaint though, since I’m an introvert anyway.</p>

<p>Now, lets move on to what I like about commuting.</p>

<p>The first thing I like about commuting: Living at Home
I love my family, and having my own room at home. I love not having to travel long distances to enjoy holidays.</p>

<p>The second thing I like about commuting: Debt-free education
So far, I’ve been able to make due with just grants and the money I make working part time. So far, I am totally debt free at age 19, which seems to be rare this day in age. However, I may have to borrow money soon if my new car starts breaking down constantly like my old one. I just can’t afford the repairs anymore now that I have a car payment. Still, I would be dealing with that even if I wasn’t attending university. As I said before, if you don’t have a car, you don’t get around where I live.</p>

<p>Despite the problems, I would still recommend commuting to anyone who doesn’t care about getting the “full college experience” and prefers to take on the least amount of debt possible. Overall, it’s a pretty enjoyable experience for an introvert such as myself, until the snow starts coming down or the check engine light comes on again…</p>