Being a commuter isn’t always easy. When class has ended and everyone is walking back to their dorms, you have to get into your car and drive home. Sure, it’s nice to have a car. Sure, it’s nice to have home cooked meals and no RA’s telling you what to do. Sure, its fun being a college student living off-campus, parties at your house. But there are also some negative’s to being a college commuter. Here are a few big ones:
1. Parking is Hell!
It’s like survival of the fittest. If you aren’t there two hours before your class starts then you might as well play the carousel game because you will be driving around for some time. Prepare yourself mentally, as you become a stalker for the next 45 minutes looking for parking. Prepare yourself for angry drivers and parking-lot road rage as you and another driver fight for the same parking spot. And I hope you have comfortable shoes because where your class is and where you parked is quite a distance.
2. Your car becomes a car service.
Although you don’t mind driving your friends any and everywhere they want to go, you sometimes get annoyed at the amount times they ask you to drive them somewhere. Here’s my suggestion – ask for gas money.
3. You have rent to pay.
If you don’t live with your parents and live in off-campus housing then you know by the end of the month your rent is due. Sometimes you don’t always have the funds but you try your best to come up with the money so you don’t have to live on campus.
4. The Commuter with no car.
You’re the person that decided to live off-campus without a car. You either have to walk or take public transportation to get to school. No matter the weather you’re forced to wait in lines for the bus or walk in the snow when it’s winter. This limits your abilities. It’s hard for you to join clubs when the bus takes one hour to get your house. It’s unfortunate but this is the life you choose.
5. At night everyone goes to their dorms, you go to your car.
These are the moments you wish you had a car. You’re the girl who’s in 17 different clubs that require you to be at school late in the night. You’re the girl that has to drive home at midnight when all you want to do is sleep in your bed. Unfortunately you don’t live on campus.
6. Grocery shopping.
The refrigerator won’t fill itself.
7. Your next-door neighbors are weird.
They are always looking, watching and coming uninvited. Not to mention they complain that your get-togethers are too loud.
8. Cleaning is tiresome.
Before you had a little tiny dorm room to clean, now it’s an entire house. Your Saturdays will be filled with bleach, soap and vacuums. By the time you’re married you’ll know how to clean a bathroom, kitchen and bedroom in less than 30 minutes.
9. Always be prepared.
School is no longer five minutes away, it’s more like 30 minutes away. It would suck if halfway there you forgot your notebook.
10. Learning how to fix broken things.
When your stove won’t turn on and the air condition won’t work you’ll scream and cry but by the end of your college career you’ll know how to turn off your fire alarm.