As a commuter student some of the hardest barriers to overcome may include getting involved in school, making friends, and finding ways to save money. This isn’t anything new, in fact this information has been known for years. I want to share my experience and ideas on ways to push through and own those obstacles.
1. Getting involved.
It can be very hard to get involved in school, especially if you live farther away and if all the on-campus extracurricular activities, including meeting times for clubs, are not as convenient as anticipated and may be later in the day. Sometimes, meetings and events can go late into the night and driving home at midnight may not seem as ideal or exciting for you, or your parents. No one wants to be at school longer than they have to be, but sometimes you have to put yourself out there in order to experience the things you want out of college. You can’t always expect opportunities to present themselves, you must go looking for them. It’s a hard process, but you never know what could happen unless you try. There are so many ways to get involved. There are clubs and organizations of all interests; there is bound to be one for you. If that doesn’t work, get a job on campus! That could kill some time between classes and club meetings, and on top of all that, you could get paid! You can also make friends with your coworkers and depending on where you work- seeing students all the time can create some friendships! If you like sports, join an intramural team or one of the sports teams on campus. There are so many opportunities to get involved, but you might have to get out of your comfort zone and try something new- don’t worry, it’ll be completely worth it!
2. Making new friends.
Commuter students may find it harder to make new friends on campus. We don’t have roommates or floor-mates that live on campus and we don’t spend as much time on campus as compared to students who dorm because we have to go home every day. When you go to school and don’t have many friends, it tends to make college feel more like a job. If you’re feeling this way, don’t worry too much. You will make friends, it takes a little time and as I mentioned earlier, you just have to put yourself out there, for example, like joining a club; I met one my best friends by joining dance team at the beginning of my freshman year! Even though I am not a member of the team anymore, we have taken classes together and always find ways to hang out and talk. Other ways to make friends can be by creating study groups with the students in your classes. I’ve gained friendships with some of my closest friends by taking classes with them and planning times to study together. The best bonding moments can come from cramming for tests and finals. It’s easier if you put in the effort to stay on campus a little bit longer; don’t go home right after class, walk with your classmates to their dorm, or get lunch together.
3. Saving money.
All college students struggle with money, and it’s different for everyone. For commuter students, the biggest factor is that we have to drive to school everyday. With increasing gas prices, it can range from $20-$60 every time we buy gas. Save money on gas by limiting your trips to and from school and plan your day ahead of time. If you know you are going to have a busy day, plan out what you need to bring and keep it all in your car, so you don’t make trips back and forth. If you have long gaps between classes, instead of driving home, go to the library and do homework, or ask a friend that dorms if you can hang out with them in their room. Also, hang out with your friends on days that you know you are going to be at school, that way you aren’t driving to school on days that you don’t have to make the commute. I know for myself, one thing that kills my wallet is buying food. I usually have really long days with classes, meetings, and work and I struggle to save money because I don’t have time to go home and eat. If you are in a similar situation, pack a good lunch and lots of snacks so you aren’t spending tons of money on food everyday. It’s okay to go out to lunch with friends and not buy anything. I know it sounds weird, but if you are really struggling with money, you will do what you can to save it.
Everyone deals with their own problems in college, but I find these are some very common issues for commuter students in particular. So, for all my commuter peeps, I hope that you have found something helpful or useful to make your commuting experience a little more tolerable and fun!
Until next time my queens!