My Story

For my last blog post, I thought I would share my story and how I become a commuter student. I won’t disclose the school that I currently attend for personal reasons but I’ll start from senior year of high school until now, my freshman year of college.

During my Senior year of high school, I knew what I wanted to major in but I didn’t know where I wanted to go. I definitely wanted to far but not too far way. I wanted to major in Business but I don’t have any preference to what kind of Business to pursue. The most basic place that everyone tries to apply to is the state university, so naturally I applied there. I applied to a few other schools in the state. I also applied to the most common colleges and then a few other schools that I either have a friend attending or that their business school sounds attractive. My goal was to apply to a good amount so that I can have options to choose from later on.

For the school that I am currently attending, it was kind of like a last minute decision to apply. I remember that I submitted the application about one week before it was due for early action then in December I got the notification that they’ve pushed my application back to the regular decision. Then around March, I finally received my acceptance letter from the school along with my possible financial aid package. I was interested in my school but I wasn’t crazy about it and it wasn’t my first choice since I said earlier than applying to this school was a last minute things.

Because I am attending a private institution and that it was about a 30 to 1 hr drive from my house, my parents thought about seeing if I can commute to campus my freshman year to save some money. Of course I didn’t agree at first but I also have a younger brother who still needs me around so I eventually caved in.

To this day, I don’t really regret my decision to attend this university and I am surviving the commute. It’s not so bad but it is a lot of time and effort to get through with your day. I’ve learned to be skilled in time management and I’ve met people who are commuters as well. My classes are going great and I’ve even managed to join two organizations on campus.

The final take home message is~ If I can do it, so can you. Yes, I know that it’s a little inconvenient at times but you learn a lot about yourself throughout this process and you get a taste of what your future commute will be like.

Optimism

Commuting to college is tough, I know. But you have to be willing to do everything that you can to get a good education. Think about other people your age around the world, do you think that they are getting the same education as you right now? Some people aren’t so fortunate so take value and pride of what you have and are receiving.

Stay positive and have a better outlook in life. As a commuter student, you attend school in the morning and then have the opportunity to go home after class and be in the comfort of your own space and bed. I don’t know about you but my bed is my favorite place to be in. For the students who live on campus, they don’t get to  be in their bed, they don’t get to eat home cooked meals and they definitely don’t have a lot of closet place like they did when they were home. Sure the experience of living on campus would be nice but being at home is definitely nicer.

Let me share with you some quotes that help me stay optimistic:

1. “Give God your weakness and he’ll give you his strength” -Prayer Partner
2. “Don’t worry about failures, worry about the chances you miss when you don’t even try” -Jack Canfield
3. “Happiness is found when you stop comparing yourself to other people” -Annon.
4. “Believe you can and you’re halfway there” -Theodore Roosevelt
5. “Be strong because things will get better. It may be stormy now but it never rains forever” -My Dear Valentine
6. “Success is no accident. It is hard work, perseverance, learning, studying, sacrifice and most of all, love of what you are doing” -Pele
7. “Start by doing what’s necessary; then do what’s possible; and suddenly you are doing the impossible.” -Francis of Assisi
8. “Create the highest grandest vision possible for your life, because you become what you believe” -Oprah Winfrey
9. “You never realize how strong you are, until being strong is the only choice you have” -Annon.
10. “It won’t be easy but it’ll be worth it” -Annon.

The take home message is~ You’re doing this for your future. Who cares if you don’t live on campus, at least you’re in the comfort of your own home. Whenever you’re having a bad day, just read these quotes to make you feel better.

Networking

Networking is basically creating connections within the classes you take. This is great for when you miss class or missed some details on notes.

I call this networking because you might not be friends with everyone but having at least a few peoples number from that class will help you in the long run. Networking also can extend from not only in the classroom but also with people around you. You should have the number of your tutor, friends, the leader of the organization you join, etc.

For a subject like math, it would great if someone can establish a group chat so that you or anyone in the class can get instant help since the majority of college students are always on their phone.

In my math class for this semester, my friend created a group chat for our class and it has been so helpful. If ever anyone needs any help there is always someone replying in the chat. We have been fortunate enough that our whole class has iphones so that messages send easily.  

I find networking super helpful and it’s a tool to have for when you need any sort of assistance. Don’t be afraid to get people’s number and ask for help.

The take home message is~ Don’t suffer alone when there is people you can turn to. Don’t be shy to get their numbers. Learning how to n

Maintaining a social life

From experience, I think in order to maintain a social life, you need to be out there and be a part of things. College calls for making new friends. You’re at a new school, starting from the bottom again and you’re now surrounded by new people from different parts of The United States. Talk to new people and make friends but chose those friends wisely!

 

As a commuter student, you might be discouraged about this lifestyle because you might think that you won’t make any friends but I can assure you that you will! Maintaining a social life comes from making friends in your classes, joining clubs, attend school social events, getting a job on campus and overall just being a friendly person. Juggling between being a student and having a social life might seem difficult but if you have your priorities straight then everything will come naturally.

Another thing about being a commuter student is that we can’t make it or stay for all of the events held on campus. This is a situation that calls for making sacrifices. If you know the event is going to run long, that’s something that you need to coordinate with your parents. You need to coordinate transportation and who you’ll be hanging out with. I know it will suck when you are having so much fun with your friends who live on campus and your time is cut short because your ride is there. Situations like this will happen and you will just need to suck it up and move on.

The take home message is~ It’s not impossible to have a social life while being a commuter student. Don’t get discouraged and make friends!

Statistics

U.S. News collected data for the most campus commuters during the 2015-2016 academic year. They’ve noted that some urban and rural schools don’t offer on-campus housing. Here are the top five schools with 100% students living off- campus:

 

1. Art Center College of Design- Pasadena, CA
2. Bluefield State College- Bluefield, WV
3. Charter Oak State College- New Britain, CT
4. College of Central Florida- Ocala, FL
5. CUNY, Brooklyn College- Brooklyn, NY

When you think about being a commuter student compared to living on campus, there are some benefits to living at home.

1. The first thing is that you are in the comfort of your own home
   1. Your own bed
   2. Your own bathroom
   3. Your own space
   4. Homemade food
   5. Free food
2. You pay less for college
   1. You only need to pay for-
      1. Tuition
      2. Mandatory fees
      3. Lunch / Dinner
      4. Books
3. You can go out anytime you want and anywhere
   1. If you have your license and a spare car, you can basically drive anywhere you want
4. Being with your family
   1. Even when they’re annoying, you know you still love them

The take home message is~ There are benefits to commuting to college, if it’s something that you have to do. The most important fact about commuting is that you’re saving money, like thousands of dollars by defying the social norm.

http://colleges.usnews.rankingsandreviews.com/best-colleges/rankings/most-off-campus

http://college.usatoday.com/2013/11/12/my-mom-is-my-r-a-10-perks-of-being-a-commuter-student/

Music

Music helps you to get through the morning commute. It keeps you from getting bored and hopefully even motivate you. It is also therapeutic and influence you emotionally. It also helps you pass the time.

I like listening to the Pandora app on my phone because since i’m already on my phone, might as well listen to some music. What I like about the Pandora app is that it shuffles music for you and it introduces new artists and songs that you may like. Unfortunately, it’s unavailable without data or wifi but an alternative to listen to music is downloading songs and transferring them onto your phone.

If you have the data for it, there are many music apps that you can download for your phone. There is Pandora, SoundCloud, iHeartRadio, Youtube, Spotify, etc.

The take home message is~ Music helps to pass the time and it provides entertainment no matter where you go. Definitely don’t waste all your data when listening to music apps but maybe when you’re studying or in the library, connect to the wifi and use those apps to listen to music.

Things to consider

Commuting to college requires making sacrifices all the time. The overall reason by people commute to college is to save money. Attending college isn’t cheap and that money that you need is just for you to attend that institution and have a chance at a higher education.

When you’re in High School, looking and choosing a college is crucial because that’s money that you will be spending for the next four years. When looking around there are a couple of things that you and your family need to consider.

Here are a couple of things to consider when preparing to choose for colleges:

1. Distance- in state or out-of-state
2. Cost of Attendance- tuition alone
3. Cost of living on campus- dorm and meal plan
4. How stable are your parents jobs
5. Flexibility of your parents schedules
6. Personal responsibilities
7. Employment  
8. The nearest source of public transportation for you
9. Are you licensed
10. Do you own a metro card

As a commuter student, we pay less than what an average student who lives on campus. Commuter students pay less because we only need to pay for tuition and fees. Tuition for every school is different so I won’t be able to guarantee how much money you’ll be saving, just know that dorming is expensive but because you are a commuting student you don’t need to worry about that price.

The take home message is~ Keep what I’ve mentioned in mind if they apply to you.

Apps

Apps are super useful and helpful especially since everyone nowadays are always on their phones.

Apps that I like using for school is the google app and google docs app for my work. Those apps allow me to do work while on the go and if I don’t have access to a computer. The google app is great for looking this up instantly. I connected my school email to my phone so that I can be up to date especially when I am apart of two organizations. Another app that is useful to have as a student is the weather app. You should try to get into the habit of checking the weather in the morning so that you have a sense of what it’s like outside, throughout the day, and throughout the commute to and from school.

I like using the pandora app to listen to music and to pass the time while i’m waiting for the metro. My favorite app in general is snapchat because I like to play with the filters. My favorite game at the moment is BestFiends because it’s like a puzzle game and it’s a nice distraction while you’re commuting to school or if you’re ever bored in class because trust me, we’ve all been there.

The take home message is~ Take advantage of what the app store has to offer for students because your phone gives you the quickest access to whatever you need.

Food

I don’t know how it is in other schools but in my school, commuter students are not required to purchase a meal plan. With that being said, that doesn’t mean you can’t eat on campus. There might be certain designated areas that are for meal plan students but almost everything else in the food court can be bought through cash or credit card.

As a commuter student, don’t be afraid to bring your own lunch if you don’t want to pay for food on campus. Having home cooked meals is better than some of the food that is made there. In the food courts, there is a microwave and other things that is free for you to use.

Depending on what time your first class is, make sure you have time to eat breakfast. It’s okay to not believe in breakfast being the most important meal of the day but eating something, anything is important to generate energy to get through the morning.

I recommend bringing snacks to eat throughout the day for when you’re hungry but not hungry enough to eat a meal. At almost every college, there is a Starbucks on campus. For those coffee lovers, I recommend registering a card because it acts like a debit card or stock up and save those Starbucks gift cards that you might get as a present. Ever since I got to college, I have been going to Starbucks so often that I have managed to be a golden member with my own personalized Starbucks card. I’m not a coffee person but I do like getting their ice tea and grabbing breakfast.

I didn’t get a meal plan this year but I use my bank debit card to purchase food because I never seem to have enough cash. Depending on the day, I typically only buy food on campus when I have a long day ahead of me but for the days that I finish early, I snack through my day until I come home to eat lunch.

The take home message is~ If you want to save money, make and bring your own lunch from home. Have snacks with you at all times because you never know when you’ll be hungry. Obviously, don’t starve yourself until you go home but be mindful of your time.

Clothing Ideas

It is super important to check the weather every morning before getting dressed so that you have an idea of what outfit to create and if you need extra things like an umbrella or a jacket.

It’s also super important to keep in mind the season, so that you have an idea of what you should be wearing around this time of year. For example, you wouldn’t be wearing shorts in December while it’s 30 degree fahrenheit outside.

As a commuter student and a college student, you will be walking all the time. I recommend wearing shoes everyday or at least footwear that is comfortable enough to walk in. The key is to be comfortable the whole day or until you have you go home. I recommend you check for the weather so you know whether to wear pants or shorts, a sweater or raincoat, one jacket or layers, sneakers or boots. Don’t be afraid to wear sweatpants! People don’t really care about what you look like because you don’t see the same people everyday. For accessories, a watch would be nice so that you can tell time quick enough without reaching for your phone. A scarf would be nice for those windy days. Adding accessories is totally up to you.

I normally wear sneakers everyday. My favorite pair of sneakers at the moment are my black roshe runs. I currently don’t own a watch but it’s something that I am on the hunt to find for everyday wear. Depending on how busy I am or if I have a meeting that day, I am normally in jeans or leggings. Since it is fall transitioning to winter, I have been wearing a jacket or hoodie because the morning have been getting colder than usual.

The take home message is~ To check the weather app and compare it to the current season. Dress to impress if you have meetings to attend, otherwise dress to be comfortable!