The MBTA and the commute back and forth to school can be an absolute nightmare if you aren’t prepared. Within the first few weeks of school, I have already had to manage someone falling asleep on my shoulder, getting on the wrong Red Line train, and the trouble of finding a different stop because the Braintree station was out of service!
To avoid some of these situations, here’s a bit of advice if you are commuting from home:
1.) Always be aware of what stop you are at and how many are left until you need to get off.
To avoid getting on the wrong train, or getting off at the wrong stop, always make sure you know exactly where you are going and how to get there. No matter how tired you are, always try your hardest to remain awake so you don’t wake up in a strange place with no way of getting back home.
2.) If someone sitting next to you is making you feel uncomfortable, sacrifice the seat.
If you ever feel uncomfortable or unsafe next to someone on the train, there is no harm in standing. You can always move to another seat once more people get off. If you truly feel in danger or see something suspicious, don’t be afraid to report it.
3.) If your stop is ever out of service, always have a backup plan ready to go.
Always have a backup plan, whether it is the bus, a different train, or a person to drive you, to get you to and from school. It is one of the lamest excuses to a professor for missing class. If you are expecting to be late to class due to a train delay, email your professor informing them of the issue ahead of time.
4.)You can always anticipate rush hour traffic, so try to find a quicker route home, avoiding major highways.
Major highways are a nightmare during rush hours so try to find a route you can depend on that mostly avoids highways. If backroads aren’t your thing, try to leave home in enough time to get to class at least five minutes early.
WINTER IS COMING SO GET USED TO ALL OF THESE PROBLEMS BEING 10 TIMES WORSE.
Be prepared to give up your personal space on the train, expect heavier traffic on the highway, and anticipate delays and leaving for class earlier than normal because winter is coming…and it brings destruction to public transportation.
No matter what struggles you experience on your commute, you should never let it become an excuse to skip out on class. It may be stressful at first, but if you are properly prepared, the commute should become easier throughout the semester.