Commuters don’t get the recognition they deserve sometimes, they have to wake up earlier for early classes to give themselves the time to get dressed, look good, eat, find a parking spot, walk to class and find a seat. Not only do they have to wake up early so that they can accomplish these tasks they have to figure out how to fulfill their time when they have breaks within their class, they don’t have the luxury of going to their dorms and squeezing in an hour nap or just switching to sweats and watch Law & Order: SVU re-runs. On top of that they need to figure out a meal plan, if they don’t have the option of getting a commuter plan or a meal plan, packing snacks and lunches can be a hard task when you want a cheeseburger and can only pack a peanut butter sandwich. Speaking as a two-year commuter I have some insight that may help with the commuting life!
1. Time management
Having a 12:30 class may seem like a breeze, being able to sleep in until 11:30 then getting up and getting dressed for the day seems like a simple task. However, leaving only an hour to be able to get ready go isn’t very logical. As a commuter, it’s best to wake up two hours prior so that you won’t feel so rushed getting dressed and finding a parking spot, because you aren’t the only person who had the same idea, plus you have to consider the students that had 10:30 and 8:30 classes and stay on campus, meaning their cars are still there as well. Every now and then it’s good to have a lazy day and wake up and rush to class and then having to settle for an okay parking spot, but being late isn’t always a good look, especially if 20% of your grade is based on attendance. So keep up with your time management, it helps when you get a serious job and helps being more aware of your use of time.
2. Food
Food is such an important part of the day, which is why packing sustainable food is a must. Tupperware is a commuter’s best friend, it allows you to pack sandwiches, fruits and vegetables, anything that you can think of. Try to get microwave food so that you can heat up any leftovers. If you get up early you may be able to stop at either Dunkin Donuts, Starbucks, McDonalds, or eat a nice breakfast. All in all, eating is a must, you may think that you can pass the day with a granola but having your tummy rumble throughout class and having your breathe smell like acid can only be covered up by so many gum tablets until someone notices. Plain message: EAT!
3. Relaxation
When you have an hour break between classes it can seem unreasonable to leave campus, so what do you do? This is the part in which you need become social and find some friends. Preferably friends that live on campus so that you can hangout during your breaks and maybe hang out in their dorms. However, if you find building friendships a bit difficult, then scouting out places in the library or in other main buildings may come to advantage. Yes hanging out in your car may seem like a plus but depending how far you parked that may not be a journey you’re willing to take, especially on cold days or extremely hot days (don’t want to waste gas keeping the car warm on a cold day or risk heat stroke or a bug flying on a hot day). Try to become social, relaxing is always better with someone else.
4. Social life
Becoming social can be difficult if you aren’t always on campus and don’t have the time to become social, talking to the girl/guy next to you in class can be hard when you need to pay attention to the lecture and don’t know how to approach them after class. Best suggestion is to join a club/organization. Don’t just join any random club though, the students in that club are in it because they care about the topic and find it interesting. If you can’t find anything interesting about the class being able to connect to those who are a part of it can be difficult. If you’re a person who likes dancing, join the dance team in which you have something to bond over and grow friendships. There is all types of clubs that serves to everyone’s interest, and if there isn’t, make one! Not only will being part of a club look good on a resume, but it will be a good way to network yourself with club advisors and students that are graduating that you can stay in touch with and may help with career paths.
You can find your own ways to handle commuter life as well, the best thing to take from this is to get involved and don’t be shy!