We’ve all seen college movies; the students anxiously pack their belongings and make the trip to their college campus. They quickly get to their dorms to unpack and begin making memories and friendships that will last them forever. Sounds idyllic, right? Well this scenario doesn’t fit for everyone. Actually, for a lot of us, commuting from home to school is the only way to do it.
Commuting from home to school does have its perks, according to USA Today College. Students who decide to commute to college get a less cringe-worthy tuition bill. When you dorm, you have to pay for the room and you have to get a meal plan and then you have to buy things to put in your dorm room to spruce it up – all of this accumulates into a bill that will leave you in tears. When you commute, you do not have to worry about paying for meal plans or for things for your dorm; you can save that money and put it into something you really need or something you really want to do like study abroad or a trip of some sort.
Of course there are cons to commuting. Students have to go through traffic, the hunger games that is finding parking, and they cannot just walk to their dorms during their break to take naps. With all of these cons – and more – it seems as if being a commuter student is impossible for a successful college life; but there are things you can do to adapt.
If commuting is the only way of life for you, all you need to learn to adapt is time management. These two words are going to be your best friends in college because managing your time wisely will result to you getting good grades and not pulling out your hair. If you work, talk to your boss and let them know about your schedule so they can schedule your work accordingly.
Even if you do not live on campus getting involved with clubs or events is very important. When you get involved with clubs and events, you meet a lot of people and can make great friendships. USF always has a ton of activities for you to enjoy and they have a Center for Student Involvement website that lists the event dates so you can plan. They also have the Center for Leadership and Civic Engagement that hosts volunteering events and helps students become leaders.
Another way commuter students can adjust is to develop a routine. Developing a routine is so important because the semester becomes easier for you to navigate. If you know you have a class that begins at 10 and you live 30 minutes away from the campus, make it so that by 8:45 you are getting ready to get in your car so you can get to campus early and find parking; it might be tough to make yourself get out of bed by 6:30 or 7:00 but, once you do it a few times, you will find that it gets easier. Talking to your parents and telling them your schedule is also a great thing to do because they will know your routine and know when they can get a hold of you if they ever need to.
Commuting to school may not seem ideal at first and many people may say you are not getting the full college experience but, with a little planning, you will find you can adjust just as easily.