Dealing with the loneliness.

Loneliness.

The greatest challenge that commuters face everywhere, especially if you attend a highly residential university like I do.

Since I have discussed loneliness at length before, I’m not going to mention why commuter students tend to be a more isolated bunch than others, but rather, I’m going to provide a single solution to curing such a disposition.

Think about it. You are a commuter student. All of your high school friends are busy/away at school. You know people in your classes, but they are not really your friends – just a few of the many acquaintances you meet throughout life. You see them in class, chat for a few minutes before it begins, say good-bye at the end of the period, and that is it.

College is a transformational experience for many people, commuter students included. For example, the moment I traveled to campus on the first day of classes, it struck me that a majority of people I had considered to be “friends” in high school – weren’t really friends at all. The fact that I had spent a lot of time with them only masked the fact that they were really acquaintances in disguise.

It disheartened me greatly that I realized that I never had any truly good friends in my life – and the fact that I commuted to school was going to make it even more impossible for me to find true friends there. Which became the case.

In college, I have tried both successfully and unsuccessfully – to reach out to others, be it fellow classmates, professors during office hours, even the campus cops/janitorial staff. Oftentimes, my efforts came to nothing. Eventually, I gave up. I still chatted with professors and fellow students whenever possible, but I realized that my limited presence on campus and lack of facetime outside of class limited my social appeal to others. It’s all perfectly understandable.

Yes, be aware of how alone you truly are is terrifying. But at the same time, I advise that you do not allow the issue to dominate your life, because college doesn’t last forever, and if you have any ounce of social skills whatsoever, you will make good friends. Be it at a workplace or on your own in the future.

So thus, instead of focusing on how lonely you are, put those energies into a personal passion or hobby. For me, it’s video games. I spend a great deal of time playing video games, chatting with people online about them, and while interaction with people over the Internet is far less satisfying than facetime with others, it still alleviates some of the pressure.

Additionally, if you are a pre-professional student like me (for example, I am studying accounting at the moment and hope to make it to the Big Four, if possible), focus on your future and how you will achieve your dreams. Because, naturally, the future is worth far more than the present (after all, this is why you are in college, right?)

In case you didn’t read the above, the gist is this: No one cares about how lonely you are, and you shouldn’t either. Your passions, your future, and your dreams are worth ten times the attention. As for good, lifetime friends, the time will come eventually.

Dating and the Commuter Student.

One goal that many college students wish to achieve over the course of their university experiences is to find a suitable mate for themselves. While there are many avenues with which one can find potential mates, school is typically the best option, as there are hundreds (potentially thousands) of possible mates available. (And as a digression, I do urge everyone reading this post to avoid even considering online dating, as that is an option of last resort for young professionals who don’t have the time to meet people.)

However, if you happen to be a commuter student (like me, for example), your options suddenly become far more limited, largely because commuter students are less likely to attend late-night social events on campus or even become acquainted with people outside of class in general.

So, what will be the course of action, then? The people with whom you share your classes with are generally the best bet. You see them regularly, you have a shared experience, and depending on how coursework within the class is structured, a potential study partner might become a potential mate, if you play your cards correctly.

However, let’s say that you don’t find the people in your class to be very attractive. The next best avenue? Clubs and volunteer organizations.

My school offers numerous “service trip” opportunities for undergraduates to partake in. The most prominent program of these sends a few hundred people every spring break to various inner-city locales or impoverished rural areas to improve the lives of people living there, all under the banner of performing social justice.

The last method which I will describe involves far more stomach than the two previous methods which I have described. This method involves roaming the dining halls (or residence halls, if you are really daring) and talking to those people whom you find attractive. This is also perhaps the most risky method, as it tends to invite an unseemly amount of awkwardness.

And once you meet someone you like, what next? Unfortunately, this is not a dating blog, so I will direct you to that great resource that is the Internet to seek advice on asking a girl (or a guy) out.

Hope you enjoyed this post, and I hope it has offered you guys some ideas on how to find potential mates, even as a socially-disadvantaged commuter student.

School is back in session, and you know what that means…

Yes, I am blogging again. My sophomore year began without any incident, and I hope to share some more valuable commuter student advice with the rest of you soon.

I will admit, that I did abandon this blog during the summer, but with school roaring back with a vengeance, I thought it would be a good time to reactivate this blog.

And as always, if you have any experiences or feedback you want to share, you can always send an email off to thecommuterstudent@gmail.com.

Until next time, cheers!

Your Experiences as a Commuter Student

I know I have not posted on the blog in a long while. It’s not because I have been busy or have lost interest. Instead, it is because I have more or less ran out of topics to write about. So, I would like to hear from some of you guys and your experiences as commuter students.

Please send an email to thecommuterstudent@gmail.com citing your interest in telling your story, with your name (just first name is fine) and which school you current attend as a commuter student. If I get an email from you, I will send you a list of questions that you should answer succinctly and with reasonable detail. Once I get a response to those questions, I will post your responses directly on this blog, interview-style. However, I am open to ideas and you may propose other ways in telling your story.

Furthermore, to protect your privacy, you may request that I use a fake name and not disclose the name of the school that you attend. If that is the case, please cite that in the email, or otherwise, I will mention your name and school in the post.  However, if you should contact me, I would like you to include your real first name and the name of the school that commute to regardless of your preferences on privacy.

I look forward to hearing from you. It is time that commuter students start telling their stories, as ordinary as they are.

How to be the ultimate mobile warrior.

As a commuter student, you are the ultimate nomad. You are constantly on the run, ever aware that unlike your residential peers, you spend more time walking/taking the subway/sharing a bus ride with smelly old people than anyone else on campus. In this post, I will give some tips on how you should maximize your productivity on the go.

1. Get a laptop.

Computers are already a necessity for everyone in this century, and as a commuter student, there is little excuse for you to not possess a laptop. The advantages are many and the disadvantages are few. The advantages are very obvious, so I will dwell little on them. Any brand or model will do, as long as it can access the Internet via WiFi (this detail is very important, you don’t want to be hindered by cables, now, do you?)

2. Travel as lightly as possible.

Perhaps, in high school, you carried an immense backpack every single day to school, filled with heavy textbooks and all other sorts of school-related paraphernalia. But, alas, you are probably more than eighteen years of age now, so it is time to apply all your intelligence and wisdom and not carry a heavy bag to school everyday like you used to.

To do this, avoid carrying textbooks with you. In college, there is much less emphasis on having an actual textbook in class, so try to do all your homework at home this time around (unlike in high school, most of you probably did all your homework in the study period before class, right?). This goes a long way to decreasing the amount of weight you have to carry each day.

To decrease the amount of weight even further, take only the materials for the classes that you will be attending that day. For example, let us say that your biology class meets only on Mondays and Wednesdays. If that is the case, don’t bring your biology notebook with you on Tuesday! Leave it at home, no matter how light it may be, unless you need it to study for something.

And lastly, clear out your bag of any useless trash that constitutes dead weight in your bag (i.e., old tests, homework, bubblegum wrappers, etc.)

3. Get a smartphone/PDA.

Ok, so I have mentioned previously that you should always have a laptop on your person at all times. But however, there are times when pulling out that $1,000+ MacBook in front of many envious eyes are less than advisable. It is in those situations where having a small handheld productivity device is most useful. If that is the case, you should consider either replacing your cell phone with a smartphone (like an iPhone, or a BlackBerry), or purchasing a PDA (personal data assistant). Note, however, that many PDAs (like the iPod Touch and the Zune HD) can  function to their fullest potential only when WiFi is present. Otherwise, no Interwebz for you!

Through following some of these tips and more, you can be the most productive commuter student ever witnessed, even if you have to travel more than three hours each way per day to get to class. Until next time, ciao!

Should you commute to school?

For those of you are not in college yet, and will be attending a college or university in the future, there are many questions that you seek answers to. They range from questions about what to major, whether to double-major or not, how to squeeze some more money out of the financial aid office, etc. However, this blog being a blog about commuter students, I will be answering only one question: Should you commute to school, or, should you live on campus?

Well, the answer is, it depends. But, before trying to answer this question for yourself, consider the following:

1. How much money will commuting save you?

This is the first question that you should be asking yourself (and your parents), and for 95% of you, it will determine whether you will be commuting to school (or not!) Really, it’s that important? Of course! If you are financially unable to live on campus, you will most likely not be living on campus anyways (unless you want to borrow a hefty sum from either the government or the bank.) Thus, asking this vital question first will determine your residency status almost immediately.

However, it is important to note that if you plan to live at home with your guardians, your university may levy a significant “maintenance fee” and undercut your ability to save money via commuting. (For example, the University of Chicago charges its commuter students a “maintenance allowance” of $4,097 per year.)

2. Does the school require its first year students to live on campus?

Some schools require their students, at minimum, to live on campus for their first year. Other schools can be even more strict with their residency policies, requiring their students to live on campus for both their freshman and sophomore years. And finally, there are schools that require their students to live on campus for the entire duration of their undergraduate careers (which can be a drag).

If the answer to this question is “yes“, the question about commuting is pretty much moot until you are a sophomore (or a junior if your school is really strict about its residency policies).

3. How far do you live from campus? How will you commute to school?

Generally, if you are thinking about commuting, I am assuming that you live less than fifty miles away from your school. If you live any farther away, I strongly recommend that you just swallow the bill and live on campus. College tends to be a drier experience when you are commuting, and spending more than two hours in traffic twice every day will simply turn you into a grinch.

But, even if you live just ten miles away, let’s say – you also must consider the nature of the commute. Are the highways that lead t0 your school usually clogged with traffic in the morning? Do the trains and buses arrive on time? Can you walk to school? If your commute will take ninety minutes or more each way, then you may want to consider living on campus. Life is already too short, why waste it waiting for a traffic jam to clear up?

So, hopefully, this post has answered some of your questions on the subject of commuting to school. See you all next time!

Why I don’t have any school pride.

The measure of pride by the students of any college or university is usually deeply rooted in a school’s age and history, the success of its varsity sports teams, and how closely the student body and faculty can relate to a school’s mission statement.

When it comes to school spirit, my school certainly has plenty of it – it is home to a decent football team (our record was 8-5 last season, not earth-shattering but still decent), and a myriad of other modestly successful varsity sports teams. The school newspaper is more than ninety years old, and the school has been in continuous existence for more than a century. Furthermore, one of the university’s mission statements (which I will not directly mention because it may actually identify the school I attend) serves to remind everyone that the university has had a great history in serving others less fortunate. This mission statement doesn’t actually ring hollow either – as a matter of fact, many students actually volunteer and some join the Peace Corps or Teach for America as soon as they graduate.

And, as a commuter student, I daresay that I express little to no pride in my school whatsoever. But, it must be noted that my lack of school pride is not necessarily an isolated symptom in and of itself, but in fact a very common symptom amongst most commuter students. I have friends who commute to a nearby state school sharing the same sentiments – what is there to be proud of? It’s just another school…

Lack of school pride highlights how isolated and distant most commuter students are from their respective institutions. First and foremost, we lack the ability, the time, or the will to attend on-campus events. For example, I have attended only one football game so far in my time as an undergraduate. (I honestly didn’t have very much fun, since I sat next to people I didn’t recognize, who were chanting school slogans and singing fight songs that I was barely acquainted with. But nonetheless, it was worth experiencing.)

What can universities do to make their commuter students feel more welcome and encourage them to be part of the community? First, they must acknowledge the existence of commuter students and the problems that they face. I spoke with my university’s Dean of Students not too long ago, and she promised me that she was trying to resurrect both the old commuter student newsletter and the school’s commuter students group. Both of these programs have been extinct for nearly five years. While there is certainly a lot to be done, I appreciate the Dean of Students’ efforts so far.

While these steps will never evoke the level of pride seen in residential students, it can at least bring out a smile.

Blizzard of the century raging outside? Sorry, you still have to go to school!

The best thing about being a high school student is that school often gets canceled if the weather is particularly nasty outside. That may be case here tomorrow.

But, if you are unlucky enough to be a college student (and be a commuter student at the same time!), it should come to your attention that snow days do not exist in college, most unfortunately.

What? No snow days? No shit? Yes, there are no snow days in college. Whether you live on campus or commute three hours from home, classes are never canceled en masse due to something as seemingly trivial as *gasp* a blizzard! Bring a parka and stay warm, they say. But, beyond this pitiful little bit of advice, classes carry on regardless.

But thankfully, most professors do not take attendance in college. So, unless if it is a class that you can’t miss, it wouldn’t hurt to stay home for just one day until the sun shows itself again, right?

If that is the case, then you, as a commuter student, may be better off staying at home and doing the listed work on the class syllabus. That way, you can still keep up while missing a class or two.

Cheers. If you live where I live in the Northeast, stay toasty tomorrow.

An average day in the life of a commuter student.

There is no such thing as an “average day” for a commuter student, but the themes remain the same: getting to class on time, attending extra-curricular activities, traveling home via mass transit while studying for midterms, etc. But, for reference, I will offer my experiences on an average Monday:

6:30AM: I wake up, eat breakfast, brush my teeth, and get dressed.

6:50AM: I leave my house. Depending on the weather, I either take the subway or walk. On this particular chilly Monday morning, I decided to take the subway.

6:50AM-7:25AM: I wait for the train. Eventually one shows up and dumps me about 100 meters from the main entrance to campus. I walk past several residence halls and cut through one of the main administrative buildings to get to my destination. On the way, I pick up my complimentary copy of The New York Times.

7:25AM-8:00AM: I arrive at the lecture hall. The class isn’t due to start until 8:00AM, so I read the paper until then.

8:00AM-8:50AM: Class begins at 8:00AM sharp. The professor drones on about the Industrial Revolution. I take notes on what I decide is important.

8:50AM-9:00AM: I walk to my next class, which is a short distance away.

9:00AM-9:50AM: Class. The professor lectures on how to program macros in Microsoft Excel. It is pretty dull stuff and I understand most of the material already. Instead of listening, I do my homework.

9:50AM-12:40PM: I go over to the library, heading over to a cubicle nearest a wall outlet so that I could charge my laptop. I spend the next three hours either studying or surfing the Internet my on laptop. Damn, do I love all this free time in between class!

12:40PM-1:00PM: I pack up and go to my next class. On the way, I stop at the vending machine to purchase a small package of animal crackers. This should last me until the end of the day.

1:00PM-1:50PM: Class, yet again. This time, basic courtroom procedures on lectured upon. I listen intently and scrawl notes on my notebook where applicable.

1:50PM-2:15PM: I leave campus and take the subway home, just as I did that very morning.

There you have it, a very average day to say the least. Stay tuned for more content!

Dining as a commuter student.

You may be on campus for far less time than your residential peers, but unless you have scheduled your classes in such a way that you spend less than four hours on campus each day, but hunger will eventually come calling, even if you eat breakfast on a regular basis.

There are several solutions to assuaging your hunger; some options involve less time and money than others. I will list several options here:

1. Dining hall food

Ah, the classical dining hall. This option provides the greatest variety of meals, but it is also perhaps the most expensive option. Where I go to school, the cost of a meal depends on the value of the dishes that one picks up. Main dishes cost x dollars, desserts cost y dollars, etc. Unfortunately, depending on how much one eats in a single meal, meals here may cost an upwards of $15-$20. Also, if you attend a school that offers commuter-only meal plans, it may be worth your while to consider such an option.

2. Food from home

Depending on how much time and effort you put into preparing your day’s lunch, this may be an even more palatable option than eating in the dining hall. In most cases, it may also be the least expensive. Unfortunately, if you generally pack Pop Tarts and candy bars like I tend to do, it can easily become the least healthiest of options. This option is highly recommended, but, be careful of what pack with you.

3. The vending machine

Most colleges and universities are home to dozens upon dozens of vending machines, offering everything from bottled water to chips to prepackaged danishes.

Although vending machines offer the most convenience when it comes to dining, I would not make trips to the vending machine a regular habit as a commuter student, because they offer mostly junk food. As you should know, junk food is high in refined sugar and saturated fat. But, if you are hungry and forgot to bring something from home, it may be worth it – but only once in a while.

4. Eat nothing

Depending on how well you physiologically respond to hunger, it may be the best to wait until you get home to eat a full meal instead of subsisting on snacks throughout the entire day. However, if you will be away from your home for more than six hours at a time on any given day, it may be wise to hit the vending machine or bring something with you to soothe your stomach until you get home.

So, there you have it. Dining as a commuter student is far more “quick and dirty” when compared to dining as a residential student, but the mantra of keeping oneself fed with the least money possible hasn’t changed. Good luck in your eating adventures!