There are a lot of struggles that come with being a commuter at Cal Lutheran. Here are five of the most common struggles commuters face every day and some suggestions on how to change them in order to have a more enjoyable college experience.
PROBLEM: When you have no place to take a mid-day nap.
Solution: Schedule your classes wisely.
As a commuter, you know it all too well. It’s 1:30 pm and your next class isn’t until 4, this is the perfect opportunity to take a mid-day nap to recharge, but unfortunately, you have no place other than your car to rest. It would be fine to take a quick nap in your vehicle, if only it wasn’t a blazing hot day and the interior of your car wasn’t at a temperature equivalent to that of the surface of the sun. The struggle has never been more real!
A good solution while Cal Lutheran does not yet have a commuter lounge, is using the library as a quiet sanctuary for a quick nap if you really need one. The library is clean, quiet and cool, and you can always count on there being some comfortable chairs to rest in.
The best solution for this problem is aiming to schedule your classes wisely. When you’re a commuter at school it can become a great hassle having to try to kill time between classes. Scheduling your classes as close together as possible with only short breaks in between is a full proof way to avoid being stuck on campus feeling like you have no place to go.
PROBLEM:The cost of food at school is too high to buy every day.
Solution: Meal prep and packing a lunch from home.
Let’s be honest, if you don’t live on campus because you probably cannot afford it, chances are that you also probably can’t afford to eat from the rather expensive dining commons every day either.
Bringing food from home is a great solution to this problem, even though you are limited because commuters have no access to microwaves to heat up their food. Keeping dry foods such as granola bars and small snacks in your car throughout the semester can go a long way. Freshman Sophia McCarty says “I have a tub of snacks in my car and it’s beneficial in the fact that I don’t have to leave campus to go buy cheaper food and I don’t lose my parking spot either!”
Bringing food from home also allows you to have more options for what you eat every day instead of having to settle for the same old burger and other limited options the school offers, especially when you’re aiming for a healthier diet.
Another great idea is asking a friend to use their microwave in their dorm once in awhile, or asking a professor if you can quickly use the microwave in a teacher’s lounge for when you have food that needs to be heated up.
PROBLEM: The hassle of parking.
Solution: Arrive at school much earlier than when class starts.
Finding ideal parking is a tough situation for most commuters. Unless you have a class at 7:45 AM when the parking lots are basically empty, chances are you have found yourself continuously circling campus desperately looking for the closest spot to your class.
The best solution for this is aiming to arrive to school at least a half hour earlier than your scheduled class time.
Sophomore Mariana Fonseca says “I always like to get to school a lot earlier than when my class begins because then I have the time to look for a good parking spot near my classes without feeling like I have to rush.”Arriving much earlier is also helpful in giving you a few minutes to gather your necessities before class rather than parking your car and sprinting to class because you’re running late.
PROBLEM: You don’t have a lot of friends/ You don’t know a lot of people.
Solution: Socialize and become more involved.
Being a commuter at Cal Lutheran can be difficult in the sense that you may sometimes feel like an uninvited guest at your own school. It may seem like there’s no point in trying to make friends since everyone who lives on campus already knows each other because they all live together, but that is not always the case.
It is important to socialize and make an effort to join clubs and participate in campus events in order to feel more connected to fellow students and the university as a whole. The college experience involves experiencing more than just what you learn inside the classroom, it involves constant interaction with various types of people.
Try keep a calendar of events in your car and incorporate them into your agenda/planner so you know what is happening on campus.
Her Campus is an excellent club to join if you want to make friends and be a part of a united group of people. For more information, click here!
PROBLEM: Constantly forgetting essential things at home
Solution: Plan ahead!
Some people live close to campus and can easily go back home to get something they’ve forgotten, but others live as a far an hour and a half away from campus and as a result, they’re basically living out of their cars.
Sophomore Elizabeth Ayala says, “Being a commuter is not easy, it can be difficult having your whole life in your car. I always do my best to remember everything I need, it can get really frustrating when you have multiple things to think about.”
There is nothing more annoying than being on the road, halfway into your daily commute, and remembering that you needed a certain textbook or that you accidentally left your gym bag in your room under a pile of clothes.
The best ways to avoid constantly forgetting the things you need are to keep a list of the essentials you will be needing on certain days and making sure you have them all in your car the night before. Moreover, be sure to keep your car clean and organized so you know exactly what is in it and what you need to have at all times.
Being a commuter can be quite a challenge, but with a positive attitude, extra effort, and good time management and organization skills, it can be made into a more pleasant experience!