Being a commuter student can often make university feel like an airport. You wake up before the sun rises, have seven-hour “stopovers” between classes that drain the life out of you and are on your fifth migraine of the week. I must admit, when universities were closed back in March 2020, my first instinct was not to mourn the loss of my in-person experiences. As much as I love and value my education, the nap after that last day of physical classes was the most peaceful sleep I have gotten… to this date.
Later on, however, the transition to online classes was definitely not easy. Many of us were negatively affected by our “new” working environment and found that our motivation, physical and mental health plummeted. Flash forward to 2021, all of us have become professional multi-taskers on Zoom. Whether it’s making breakfast at noon, being half asleep in bed or cleaning our rooms, we have demonstrated that anything can be done while attending class. As a commuter student, I have very mixed feelings about online learning. Despite all the cons, I was able to sleep in more, had tons of free time during the day, and most importantly, saved a lot of commuting money.
Just recently, it was announced that almost all of Ryerson University’s winter semester will be in-person, starting January. This definitely sparked a lot of excitement for me. Finally getting my hands on actual camera equipment as part of my Media Production program and seeing my friends again is something I am looking forward to! On the other hand, going back to school also sparked fear in my dreaded 6 am alarm. To help make the transition of going back to in-person school easier, I’ve come up with a few ways that we commuter students can retain our sanity going from our beds back to GO buses.
Get Better Sleep
As someone who struggles with insomnia, I spend many hours lying in bed waiting to fall asleep and waking up multiple times throughout the night. Of course, commuting did not make this task any easier. It was only until university was delivered on Zoom that I noticed my sleep improving significantly, all because I was able to develop a consistent sleep schedule. What helped me was waking up at the exact same time everyday, even on weekends. It’s often tempting to “make up” for sleep on days when you have late classes or on weekends, but this is no match for the boost of energy that a few nights of consistent, seven-hour sleep will give you. I found that this technique reduced the amount of time it took me to fall asleep by a significant amount. I’ve even stopped taking melatonin supplements altogether!
Practice Time-Management Skills
I’m someone who also struggles with time management due to how long it takes me to commute. I spent my first year of university building the habit of doing my assignments on my long bus rides to school. At first, It may seem nearly impossible to accomplish this as it can be hard to focus. However, with enough planning, patience and discipline, I was able to improve my focus and work on the bus/train easily. You’d be surprised at how much you can get done in a short amount of time. It saves you hours of doing work at home every week, giving you a refreshing change of environment.
To summarize, going back to university may not seem like a huge relief for a commuter. However, with the right time management skills and healthy habits that put mental and physical well-being at the forefront, it’s not hard to enjoy going back to university, migraine-free!