Living in the dorms freshman year at college is very typical for students to do. You get your first taste of independence and you’re always so close to campus life and classes. However, I chose to commute from my house. There are a few reasons as to why I decided this, namely saving so much money when I already live close, and retaining my own privacy. Not to mention not having to share a bathroom with so many people. Even though I was able to keep some of these luxuries, I do wish I could have experienced the stereotypical “college kid” life — at least a little bit. Being a commuter student has come with both benefits and challenges. I want to go over the differences between my first semester and my second (so far).
The first semester was challenging as I was brand new to the whole college thing. Just like everyone else, I didn’t know anyone in my classes and I wasn’t too sure about the flow of college yet. I went a few weeks before really meeting people, mostly because I would come to campus, go to class, and then drive back home. I thought that I was in a very unique situation which was disabling me from actually making connections with my peers. However, this really isn’t true.Â
Some students who are living on campus in the dorms were in similar situations to me where they hadn’t yet found their footing in college life and making meaningful connections in this new environment. What I found most helpful in establishing these relationships was trying to talk to people during breaks in classes and asking if they had a gap where we could hang around different spots on campus. I made a few close friends (I’ve never been one to have a huge group of friends), and I made it a point to stay later and invite either them or myself to activities like sporting games, lunch, going out at night, studying together, etc. Of course, this can be difficult because I then had to plan driving times or sometimes even figure out where to sleep if it got too late. However, I didn’t let this discourage me from trying to do things with people who I found connections with.Â
Some of these friendships have transferred into my second semester, which has been nice. This time around, when I’m going into new classes (I’m a business major), I already know some faces. It’s another opportunity to be with people I know and continue to build those connections. I also made it a personal goal this semester to try to branch out and make even more friends.Â
Last semester, meeting new people was difficult as I was put in a cohort with the same 30 students, so having classes with new people forced me to break out of my shell and get to know so many more people. Another difference that has made this semester easier so far was going to the clubs fair at the beginning of the semester and talking to different people at different clubs. That is actually how I found out and applied for CU Boulder’s Her Campus chapter. I’m currently part of two clubs, and I would recommend joining clubs to anyone who decides to commute because you get to be part of a mini community of people who enjoy some of the same things you also do.Â
Academically speaking, these first two semesters haven’t been too different, other than actually picking the classes at the times I wanted. I’m in all afternoon classes, which is especially nice compared to an 8am class I had the previous semester, where I had to wake up at 6am. I wouldn’t have had to wake up that early if I had a closer parking lot that didn’t require getting on a bus, but that is over and done with now. If you’re a morning person, then go you, but I wanted to wake up without an alarm and still have time to do homework in the morning, get ready for the day, and still have time to myself.Â
The tradeoff between sleeping in and having a guaranteed close parking spot is worth it to me, although I do hope to get a better parking lot next academic year. Aside from parking, having your own room to complete homework, or occasionally tests, is definitely a benefit of commuting as there really aren’t too many external distractions. I’ve found this to be incredibly helpful in maintaining my grades. Of course, a change of environment every now and again when working on something (as I am now) is also nice as a commuter. It’s helped me find places where I could study or take a test if I wanted to spend more time on campus. Not to mention that there are a lot of good coffee shops that I can indulge in while working.Â
Overall, the hardest part of commuting has been establishing my own sense of community and belonging. But to rectify that issue I just started branching out and trying new things that I might have been too nervous to try before. Planning out activities, whether alone or with people, helps immensely. In hindsight, I think I would have liked to experience dorm life instead of commuting, but commuting really isn’t all bad — I still get to do the things a typical college student would do, it just takes a bit more planning.