Alarm sounds: 7:00 a.m. “OKAY, I AM SO LATE!” She continues to jump out of bed, get ready in 15 minutes, and be out the door by 7:20 a.m. to beat the morning traffic. After an hour (sometimes more) of driving, she arrives on campus at around 8:30 a.m. However, that’s not the end of it. Now she has to find parking in 20 minutes (and we all know how parking can be in the morning, especially at UCF), before speed-walking to class to make it by 9:00 a.m.
Chaotic? Absolutely, but for me, it’s just another day. Being a commuter student isn’t easy. Trying to balance classes, work, extracurriculars, and your social life can feel overwhelming. The reality of being a commuter student is that your days are long. You can feel disconnected from campus life, spend one to three hours a day driving, and constantly feel like you’re playing catch-up. The question of ‘how do I make time for everything?’ is constant, especially here in Orlando, where distances are not for the weak. However, it is doable.
So how do I make it work?
My best friend since I started at UCF has been a calendar. Not a monthly-weekly calendar, but a daily one. You can use whatever you would like: your phone, Google Calendar, a written agenda, or even just an Excel sheet. The important thing is to have one.
Time management is important, but so is being realistic. Use your time wisely, and also leave time for yourself. If your class ends at 2:45 p.m., don’t expect yourself to make it to that social event across campus at exactly 3:00 p.m. It is not going to happen, and that’s okay. Instead, create flexibility. Maybe it means arriving at 3:15 p.m. or, if the event starts exactly at 3:00 p.m., use that time to study, do homework, plan your next vacation, catch up with friends, or even take a quick nap instead of choosing the event.
FOMO is a real thing, I get it. However, something life has taught me is that if you can’t make it to something, it’s okay. There was a reason behind it. Maybe it’s a way to protect you, or a sign for you to rest. You just have to learn to accept it.
It’s easy to get caught up in the hustle of everyday life, trying to do everything in one day. However, it’s okay to slow down. Spread your time out. I’ve learned that dedicating each day to something you enjoy — after taking care of your non-negotiables like school and work — can really make a difference.
Your daily enjoyment dedication calendar can look something like this:
| Monday | Reset day (yoga, Pilates, or even just 30 minutes at the gym) |
| Tuesday | Go to that social event you’ve been wanting to attend |
| Wednesday | Work on that personal project you’ve had on pause |
| Thursday | Catch up with your girlfriends — coffee, brunch, dinner, anything |
| Friday | Give back to the community or do something that makes you feel good |
| Saturday & Sunday | YOU time |
As a commuter student, I struggled with putting myself first. This approach helped me avoid getting lost in the chaos and find balance between my professional non-negotiables and my personal non-negotiables.
However, the most important advice I can offer is to learn to say “no”. Learn to listen to your body. As a certified people pleaser, I understand it can be hard, but if you start feeling like everything is too much, it’s okay to step back. When you take care of yourself, you can take better care of others and seize opportunities in the long run.
At the end of the day, it’s all about finding your rhythm. It might look different from mine, and that’s perfectly okay. The best advice I can give you is to slow down, plan your days intentionally, learn to say no, and surround yourself with a support system. Being a commuter student can feel like a lot, but trust me when I say this: you’ve got this. If I can do it, I know you can too.