Living on campus seems like such an important part of attending college. Spending all your time in a dorm room is glorified in movies and TV shows to the point that it’s hard to imagine being a student without it. Well, it’s time to put the rumors to rest- commuting to college doesn’t make your college experience less valid.
For the first two years of my college life, I attended Rutgers while living in the suburbs of North Jersey about 25 miles away. I commuted about two and a half hours a day and I did it in every way possible; by train, bus, driving myself, and on my hands and knees (okay, that last one might be an exaggeration but that’s how it felt sometimes).
In this article, I’ll be going through the five major things you can do to be happy and successful as a commuter student.
I know this may seem cliche, but getting involved is a really great way to get used to being on campus outside of class. Join clubs or intramural sports, because they’re the easiest way to meet like-minded people with similar interests. I joined the American Sign Language club, Art History Student Association, and HerCampus and that’s where I met some of my closest friends. I promise you’ll be able to find something you’re interested in here.
As a freshman, I didn’t really know anybody around campus, so it was easy for me to curl up on a couch in the library or the student center and just watch Netflix on my laptop. Instead, I suggest everyone, especially new students, to explore campus. Rutgers-New Brunswick has four huge campuses! Take the time to get to know it and to get used to the buses. Try finding the best places to eat, quiet places to study, and comfy places to relax between classes. Personally, I love going to the Red Lion Cafe, it is downstairs at the College Ave center and not a lot of people know about it so it’s a great place to get some work done.
My first semester here I had an 8:40am class. This means I had to wake up at 6 in order to be out of my house by 7. I suggest you plan your classes so that you don’t have to wake up unreasonably early and so that you can avoid rush hour in the morning. Also, try not to have a huge gap between classes. You’re much less likely to go back to campus if you’ve already been at home for a few hours. Lastly, try not to go home too early. Most clubs don’t meet until 8 or 9 pm and it’s easier to go to a club meeting if you’re already on campus.
If you’re going to be looking for a job anyways, why not find one on campus to make your life easier? Not only will you be able to befriend your coworkers but this is another great excuse to spend more time on campus. I recommend applying to cafes and dining halls on campus since they are very accommodating of students’ schedules and do not require too many hours of work per week.
I suggest every commuter join the Rutgers Commuter Student Association! The commuter lounge is a great place to meet people who might have the same commuter-related issues as you. Other commuters totally understand the struggle of finding friends on campus so everyone I’ve met there has always been really nice and open to conversation. Also, it’s a great place to hang out in your free time, I’ve even used it as a place to take naps between classes. There are two commuter lounges, one on Busch and one on Douglass. The one on Busch is in room 171 of the Busch Student Center and the one on Douglass is in the Douglass Student Center in a room called “Commuter Lounge.” They are open from 7 am to 1 am on weekdays and 10 am to 1 am on weekends.
It may seem a bit overwhelming at first but being a commuter student gives you a whole new perspective that not many students have. I hope that you’re able to make the best out of being a commuter and that you’re able to make good use of your new outlook. These few tips really helped me out my first few years here and I promise they’ll help you too.
*All images created by the author.