We are lucky that getting to work for the most part involves walking to a lab or office across campus, which is a twenty minute walk if you are especially unlucky, or under ten for most. Considering where ND students are from, many just had unbearably long travel times to get home, or will be facing them heading home for break in just a few weeks. Here are a couple of commuting coping strategies.
1. Podcasts
It’s like talking to people, but better.
Why engage with that random stranger on the plane, or even an ND student you don’t know on the bus from Chicago? Enjoy all the wonderful aspects of talking to another human by listening to a podcast, preferably one hosted by more than one person. Sure, you might get a few looks when you burst out laughing, but it’s worth it.
Recommended: “Politics: The Run Up”
Geek: “Dusted” (it’s a whole podcast about Buffy the Vampire Slayer and storytelling. Match made in heaven for a geeky English major)
Random: “Disney Princess Deathmatch” (because this needed to exist)
Advice: “Dear Hank and John” (the Vlogbrothers on a podcast? perfection)
2. Musicals
Related only to the previous in that they both involve headphones and ignoring other people, the musical is infinitely superior to listening to any other music on a journey. You can get lulled into familiar phrases of music that let you zone out and sleep, or you can dive into the story and stay engaged with your media. Or you try and learn all of the lyrics. I advise the latter be in your head and only mouth the words, unless you are driving back with family. In that case, impress or alarm them with your encyclopedic knowledge.
Recommend: Waitress (because Sara Bareilles is amazing and you can tell she wrote it)
A Chorus Line (yep. I brought out a classic. Learn the words, this thing changed musical theater)
Hamilton (duh.)
3. Text a Friend from Home
When your ten hour bus commute gets delayed, and you are stuck at Pennsylvania’s (or the country’s) worst rest stop for five hours, text a friend you haven’t or won’t see for a while. This is especially great if your friend stayed local and has a ten minute drive back to campus later. You know you have this uninterrupted chunk of time, so why not try and catch up? Even if you managed to get together over break (and that’s a big if) it can’t make up for the times you used to be in the same classes for five hours a day. Ask for the gossip on their college friends, doesn’t matter if you never met them, sometimes you just need to hear the drama. And don’t forget to check in with them about stress and finals, and figure out when you both will be home!
4. Homework
I mean…you probably didn’t do this over break. Let’s be honest, you have a couple papers and a midterm you didn’t prep for, or at the very least you had a prof you needed to email about research like three weeks ago.
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