Do you know what I most often hear about driving? How fun it is to listen to whatever tunes that comes to mind. Drivers can blast Sabrina Carpenter or listen to their favorite podcasts. I even hear about how therapeutic the experience could be, ridding whatever is fogging a person’s mind. It sounds very stress-free and calming, but those who make those claims may not endure the hour-long commute to school or experience the social isolation that comes along with it. Who knew that long-distance driving could be such an enemy to university students?
As a commuter, I only make enough time to sit in traffic with red-blaring lights in my face and drive back home with the same red-blaring lights. Sure, my music gives me some entertainment, but after hearing the same artists on repeat throughout the week, it gets boring. It’s tough not living on campus, and even harder when I need to wake up earlier than most to get to lectures on time. Being a commuter is more difficult than most would believe, and I’m sure most commuters would agree. With only enough time to get home, finding clubs or making friends is discouraging.
In my first year as a college student, I expected to join all kinds of clubs and organizations without much thought of managing my time. I struggled the first quarter because having to attend lectures, do homework, and go to work was challenging. I didn’t join any clubs then because I thought I didn’t have the time, and it became isolating to see all kinds of students conversing with friends around campus and hanging out. I wanted that experience just as much as the next student did. Despite how depressing it made me feel to not have any friends, I managed to make at least one. But even then, it was hard to balance making time for her along with my other responsibilities. I couldn’t stay on campus longer to hang out because I needed to drive in traffic back home to get enough sleep for work the next day. So, I made the decision to keep myself from stressing out more and continue my routine without the extracurriculars, but boy, was I wrong for doing that.
Eventually, I became so swamped with work, homework, and balancing my social life that the idea of commuting became such an absurd idea. I regretted my decision. Once the school year ended, I decided to cut the nonsense and do something on campus, even if it meant I would have more workload. I researched everything I could about opportunities to write on campus and eventually came across an organization that I dreamed of becoming a part of. Would I struggle a bit to keep up with assignments and article deadlines? Yes! Would I be stressed out? Yes! But, it would be worth it.
I created a routine that would help me balance between work, school, and the organization I joined. My most helpful tips would be:
- Scheduling classes that don’t conflict with your work schedule and give you enough time to do homework (ex. school would be on Tuesdays and Thursdays)
- If you work, schedule yourself in the early morning or later in the afternoons. Give yourself enough time for homework before you clock in, or after you clock out.
- Leave large gaps in between lectures to give plenty of time to study and do homework.
- Get to campus early to avoid traffic and get the closest parking.
- Join clubs and organizations that you could squeeze into your schedule (with the gaps and days off, you’ll have plenty of time)
Despite how lonely commuting can be, try to meet with friends outside of school. They could be new friends, or even old. If having a social life on campus feels impossible at the moment, then your friends outside of school might make the feeling of isolation go away. Commuting may feel like the worst thing in the world at first, but once you create a schedule and routine for yourself, it becomes less stressful and more enjoyable.Â