Commuting: Is it for me?
By Aundrea M
Commuting as a college student can be a complicated situation. For some students, the idea of living at home sounds great. For others, they want to “experience” college. I’m here to break down the pros and cons for you.
Studying at home:
PRO: You don’t have to worry about a roommate or people above your dorm being too loud.
CON: Home distractions. By me living at home, I still have my mom walking in and interrupting my study time or asking me about “homework”.
PRO: My mom brings me snacks and I study better in my own space.
CON: My wifi doesn’t always work, and professors really don’t care about that. Your work is not done and that’s all they care about.
The everyday necessities
PRO: I have my own bathroom and towels to use, along with my own, private bedroom.
CON: I may be in college, but my parents still like to know where I am, who I’m with and what I’m doing. I can’t just go get pizza with my friends at two in the morning.
PRO: I don’t have to worry about “busy hours” for doing laundry or having to watch my stuff so no one takes it. Sometimes, my mom will even ask if I want her to throw in a load for me.
PRO: FOOD. I don’t have to go grocery shopping. I always have food...maybe not everything I want, but there is always something to eat. My mom usually makes dinner four times a week, so I don’t have to worry about prepping my own food, or the dishes.
Money
PRO: Most college students save around $6,000-$10,000 a year by commuting. You don’t have to worry about groceries, room and board, student health plan, or a meal plan.
CON: You better have a good car. You are going to need to pay for gas and (depending on your drive) you will probably need new tires every year.
PRO: If your parents are anything like mine, my mom gives me money for lunch every week (I also have a reloadable student ID card with $100 a semester to spend on campus).
CON: You will need a parking permit and you have to be aware of potential violations. If you get a ticket on campus, you might have your commuters permit suspended or revoked. I was fined $40 for parking in the wrong spot.
The driving
CON: I’m not gonna sugar coat it. It sucks. The first few weeks aren’t bad, but after driving the same road every single day it gets monotonous. The drive gets boring.
CON: You have to get up earlier to get there. I have a 45-minute drive. Most of my classmates have to walk less than ten minutes from their dorm to class. If you have an 8 AM, every minute of sleep matters.
CON: Staying awake- I can’t begin to describe how hard it is to get up to drive to school sometimes. I’ve almost fallen asleep at the wheel multiple times. I’ve had late lectures last till 9:50 PM and not gotten home till almost 10:45 PM. It can be really awful.
CON: Although you would assume most college professors would be understanding about weather conditions or a breakdown on the road… a lot of them really aren’t. Most colleges don’t close for things like snow storms. This past winter, most of my professors were understanding that I didn’t feel safe to drive with the current road conditions, and some even called off class since they also commute to campus. However, I did have a professor (even in a level 2 Blizzard warning) expect my attendance. My grade was penalized by the lack of attendance and I was given a 0 on the assignment that was due that lecture.
Why did I do it?
Not only am I saving myself a lot of money by living at home, I have a lot that I love, here, at home. I have two rescue dogs and one of them is only bonded to me. I couldn’t have taken him with me if I had lived on campus. I have hypoglycemia and pre-addisonian tendencies (symptoms of Addison’s disease). I’m less stressed at home, and my parents are around if I’m sick or need anything. I’m glad I made the decision to commute. As much as I hate the drive, sometimes, I am better off living at home.
