Commuting to your University, while nice, is a lot harder than living in the dorms or just down the block. When you lived in the dorms it’s just a light walk to get to your class, everything was less than a mile away, you had a meal plan and nothing to worry about outside of the college area.
Living off of campus is an entirely different story. There is much more to worry about; getting up that extra hour early to get there, traffic, parking, picking the right classes, money for gas, making it to campus, and meeting up with people for group projects. It’s a lot harder than those who live on campus realize. There are, however, little things you can do to make your college commuting life much easier. It will help not only take the stress off of you but take the stress off of those very important grades.
1) Wake up when the alarm goes off and head to class. Commuters dread the drive to campus and the hunt for parking. I know, it’s a pain, but if you don’t go to class you will never be successful.
2) Make sure to leave on time. Commuting to class every morning is a pain, we know, but it is very important to get to your class on time and prepared.
3) Find an area that always has parking. Parking can be extremely stressful, especially towards the midterm and finals part of the semester. There is usually always a parking structure or lot that students don’t go to, mostly because it is very far away, make that your go to spot. A little walk is good for you!
4) Try to schedule your classes all on the same days with very little breaks. If you have all your classes on Tuesdays and Thursdays it makes commuting much easier. Not only will you be more inclined to go to class but you also have more days to focus on all your school work and study. And plus, you will save money on gas.
5) Do homework on your breaks, don’t go home! Sometimes when you have that hour or two long break it’s hard to just sit around campus. All you can think about is how comfy your bed is and if you go home you won’t have to pay the outrageous 8 dollars for a salad. But this is a big problem for commuters. Find a quiet and comfortable area in a building on campus, or a Starbucks, or a hallway of your library and make that your area. You will feel more comfortable, focused on your homework, and less likely to go home.
6) Take advantage of organizations on campus. Living off of campus can change your college experience. Make sure to join some sort of club or organization on campus. It will not only help you make friends and get more involved but it will also make you better-rounded and it looks great on a resume.
Hopefully these will help you with your commuting college experience and help you have a successful college career.
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