When you say you’re a commuter at UCF, people typically say that they are as well because most people live in off-campus housing. However, there are two types of commuters: the ones who live near UCF and the ones who don’t. I fall into the latter category, as my apartment lies in the magical land of Lake Buena Vista (if you think I’m kidding about the magical part, I would suggest googling Lake Buena Vista to find out what else can be found in my backyard), which is between 33 and 37 miles from my house (depending on the route that I decide to embark on each morning).
When I transferred to UCF, my friends at work suggested that I try to make my schedule so that I have to drive to UCF as little as possible. This resulted in a three-day a week schedule where I am at UCF from 9 a.m. to between 6:30 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. twice a week, with only three classes. This of course leads to long breaks and lots and lots of boredom, since going home is not an option. In fact, I am often so bored that I wish I had more homework (I know, you all hate me for saying this but for some reason, I never have any assignments). So I would like to use my boredom, to share my stories of my boredom with you, through images from everyone’s favorite show: Gilmore Girls.
7-7:30 a.m.- Wake up
This depends on how lazy I am feeling that particular morning. If I shower the night before, or cut corners on make up and hair (which I use minimally to begin with), I can have an extra half an hour of sleep. This is great because the earlier I wake up, the worse off I am while driving and trying to get through my first class of the day.
8-8:10 a.m.- Leave my house
This is when the real dilemmas of the day begin: coffee at home, coffee on the way, or coffee when I get to school? Or all three?
9 a.m.-Arrival at UCF
Garage I is my preferred spot, but it’s not always available (I mean, as my fellow Knights know, all parking is hard to come by), so I drive through the garages like this:
hoping someone is about to back out and I can have their spot so I don’t have to walk very far at the end of the night or leave my car outdoors.
9:30-10:20 a.m.- First class
Anthropology first thing in the morning. Even though my professor is hilarious, I find myself bombarded with complicated Latin names of hominids and discover that I have to learn the smallest differences between the various species. I already want to go home.
10:30 a.m.- Find the coveted spot
I have found that the best place to camp out during a long day at UCF: Business Administration I. There are a lot of couches and it’s in close proximity to the Student Union and Einstein’s. However, two couches are better than all the other couches; the two in the couch area near the Dean’s office where there are outlets. Outlets mean battery power, which means my computer has no chance of dying, which means Netflix. These spots are often already taken by the time I get upstairs and I will literally stalk people to get these spots.
12 p.m.- Food vs. education
At this time, I should be either attending (or watching) Microeconomics via Lecture Capture, but my hunger takes over and I normally put this off to later in the day or the next day that I am on campus (this depends on whether or not I have a quiz). I normally choose to go get lunch. Unfortunately, the only good places are either expensive, unhealthy, or unappetizing only to me, since I worked at a sandwich shop and can no longer eat food from most sandwich shops.
(Team Logan forever)
1 p.m.- Try to do homework (if I have any)
I at least try to be productive for an hour or two.
2 p.m.- This never works
I now start watching Netflix or old chick-flicks on Amazon Video (The Nanny Diaries is a top-notch movie when you’re bored). It will eventually become a marathon. I see a lot of people napping, but I just can’t sleep in public no mater how appealing it looks.
This discovery is that you can never watch one episode of either The Office, or Gilmore Girls too many times, that Last Man Standing isn’t just meant to amuse dads, and that current Disney Channel shows aren’t all that bad (I mean, they probably are, but by this point in my day, I don’t really notice).
4-5 p.m.- Eat dinner like an old person
Class isn’t until six, but I’m already hungry so I am forced to eat dinner at 4:30 like someone living in a nursing home. This also involves more coffee/caffeine IV.
6 p.m.- Class
I finally have something to do, which I am ecstatic about, especially now that I am finally awake.
7:30 p.m.- Back to the garage
Ugh, I have to walk all the way back to my car, which involves multiple flights of stairs and at least a ten-minute walk. I’ve been up too long for this.
7:30 p.m.-8:30 p.m.- My commute, part deux
My drive home is just awesome. It’s 45 minutes with no traffic, but there’s always traffic since I live right next to the “Happiest Place on Earth.” I don’t know which are worse drivers: tourists who don’t know where they are going, or just Floridians in general.
8:30 p.m.- Home
Home at last. I grab a snack, and walk straight to my bed for more Netflix before I fall asleep at 9:30 p.m. so I can do it all again tomorrow.
Don’t get me wrong, I love UCF and I love where I live, but there’s a reason I am taking three online courses next semester. A girl can only take so many long days of food and Netflix where she is not productive whatsoever—I mean, I can, but I prefer to do it at home where I don’t feel as guilty about it because I can’t see other people studying or working hard.
Photo credit: Image 1, Image 2, Image 3, Image 4, Image 5, Image 6, Image 7, Image 8, Image 9, Image 10, Image 11, Image 12, Image 13