This year is my senior year and after living on campus for the past three years, I have moved off campus to an apartment with my friends for my last year (woo!). I love my apartment, but it has been quite a transition from being a resident to a commuter. There has been a lot that I have had to get used to living off of campus this year, such as:
1. Waking up earlier than ten minutes before classOne thing I definitely loved about living on campus was the short 5-minute walk to class and sleeping in. I used to be able to roll out of bed ten minutes before class (on a good day 20 minutes before class) and throw on some pants and clall it a day. Now I have to get up earlier, make sure I have everything I need before I leave the house (since I most likely won’t have time to go back and get anything I forgot during the day) and either drive or walk to school.
2. Breaking your back carrying all your supplies for the day
I know I have a car (some days) that I could keep stuff in so I don’t have to carry it the entire day, but lets face it no one wants to make that extra trip walking up that giant maynard/state st hill to get that one book you didn’t just bring the first trip. Plus, if I decide to walk to school I have nowhere to put my stuff except my backpack.
3. Knowing what to wear for the day
Hopefully, this struggle will change the colder it gets. But, right now with these weird days Mother Nature keeps giving us of freezing cold mornings and blistering hot afternoons has got me unsure of what to wear to school. Do I wear pants and a sweatshirt and be warm in the morning, but have a heat stroke in the afternoon? Or, do I suck it up and wear shorts and a t-shirt and be covered in goose bumps in the morning, but soak up the sun in the afternoon? You got me again Mother Nature, because I never have an idea what to wear. It was a lot easier when my closet was just a short walk away.
4. Making mealsWait, I have to make my own meals? Yup, that’s right. Me, a 22 year old whose best dish is a bowl of cereal and milk, has to cook for herself now and pack her own lunch. I very much miss the convenience of having the cafeteria have everything prepared and ready for me. I especially miss not carrying a lunch box all the time.
5. Finding a place to chill between classesI always have those couple hours splitting up classes, where I have no idea what to do with myself. It used to be so much easier just going back to my room and hanging out with all my stuff and such. But now, I am always wondering where to sit or what to do. I mean the other day I was so bored I just sat in the grass and played with a ladybug until I had to go to class.
6. Find a parking spot
I have never even had a car while in school until this year, and I have realized the parking struggle until now. We are all literally just trying to squeeze ourselves wherever we will fit or beat each other to whatever open parking space we can find. If it looks like a spot its good enough!
7. Being a car ride away from your friends rather than a walk across campus
Sometimes I feel disconnected from campus while living in my apartment. I enjoy being there, but sometimes it feels weird to not have everything right in front of me. I am very close to campus, where having my friends come visit isn’t difficult, but there are times where I do miss just living right on campus with them.
Transitioning has been a change for me and sometimes I miss living on campus. Now don’t get me wrong, apartment living is pretty sweet, but I will always enjoy the time I’ve spent living on campus.