Commuter life: Saying my goodbyes to living on campus

    The life of a commuter is much different than the life of an on-campus resident. I can say this with understanding because as a sophomore I spent my freshman year on campus and am a commuter this year.

    In my opinion, being a commuter is rough. I guess I am one of the lucky ones because I only live 15 minutes away with traffic.

    But that is still 15 minutes of driving here and 15 minutes driving back home. Not to mention the fact that I have to return to campus a minimum of three nights a week for writing center and community choir. It would be so much easier if I did not have to commute to make this happen.

    While on the topic of driving to campus everyday, lets talk about parking. Being a commuter and trying to park is not fun. I usually have to drive around for a while to find a spot in the Thaw/Fayerweather parking area.

    My classes are in Anderson and Fayerweather, so it is much more convenient to park there instead of walking from Clayton. Sometimes I have to rush to get to Anderson or Fayerweather from Clayton, and let me tell you, it is not easy or fun. I get to class, and I am sweating or my feet are wet from the grass or this or that. It is always something.

    While we do have a fairly commuter-friendly campus, in between classes it can be hard to find somewhere to go. Of course there are the places like the library and the commuter lounge and the sitting room in Bartlett.

    From my experience, the commuter lounge is always full at lunchtime, so it is not the best place to do homework. That is fine; I could always just go to the library, right? No, that is not right. You can not eat in the library, so if you want to do homework and eat during your break then you are out of luck.

    Looking at being a commuter from a different point of view, however, it does have its advantages. I get to sleep in my own bed. I get to have my own bathroom. I get to snuggle with my dogs and cat everyday. I am very close to my parents, so it is nice that I get to see them everyday. FaceTime, phone calls, and text messages were just not enough.

    I struggled last year to only see my parents on the weekends. Sometimes it was two or three weeks before I would even have a chance to go and see them.

    I do miss the freedom I had while on campus, but I love the fact that I get to spend time with my parents.

    Also, I do not have to worry about over sleeping and missing classes. My mom is a live alarm clock. I am a heavy sleeper, and last year I slept through numerous 8 o’clock classes. While sleeping in is nice, catching up on missed classes is not.

    Being a commuter has its ups and downs, but living on campus does too. Nothing is going to be perfect, but I am making it work just fine. Look forward to reading the nitty gritty details of my experiences as a commuter, and follow along as I adjust to this new life in the Highland Echo.