1. Why yes, you are saving some crazy cash by not living on campus but gas prices are still going up, and they keep going up, so who is really winning here?
2. Parking is one of the biggest struggles for commuter students! You may even find yourself stalking the parking lot near the Rec Center just so you don’t have to park down by the hospital or even worse, behind Honeysuckle apartments (if you have the forever despised purple decal).On a happy note, you can count your hike to campus as your cardio for the day!
3. Napping in your car has officially become socially acceptable. I mean, where else are you supposed to nap? I know what you may be thinking, you can nap in the commuter lounge, but if you can actually nap in there peacefully, then you go girl!
4. Feeling left out is inevitable and trust me if I had a nickel for every time someone said “Don’t you feel like you’re missing out on the college experience” I would be a very rich student. Don’t let it get you down. Instead, make friends with other commuters. After all, you won’t be the only one having to park in that awful spot by the hospital, so get your cardio in for the day with the person who parks next to you.
5. That being said, the only people who really understand the struggle of being a commuter student are other commuter students. Looks like you already have something in common already!
6. Becoming friends with people who have dorms or apartments is like walking into Victoria Secret and the sales associate tells you everything is 50% off that day. You basically become their extra roommate that doesn’t have to pay any rent. I do believe this is an appropriate time to jam out to some Iggy because you are going to be feeling pretty “Fancy.”
7. Scheduling is dreadful enough as it is. Half the time you never get what you actually wanted or you’re put on a waiting list and left waiting until the following semester. I can almost guarantee that just because you’re a commuter you will have, for at least one semester, a schedule that looks like MWF 8 a.m. and then a 5 p.m. Then what do you do? Unless you have a job, you will debate driving home in-between those classes.
Which then makes you debate if it’s worth it because of the cost of gas, refer to struggle #1 or try to find a nice quiet place to spend your day. The library is an option, although it is not always quiet. Hmmm, you may want to refer back to # 3. After all napping is a beautiful thing. No shame!
8. Snow storms will become your 11:11 wish during the winter months. Even though Bloomsburg rarely gets off, you still have an excuse for your professors as to why you won’t be making it to class. This is where being an extensive version of a true drama queen takes place. For example “professor whomever, I am a commuter student and I would rather not risk my life trying to drive to class today.” An excuse is better than nothing, right? Just go with it.
9. Your trunk and back seat will end up looking like Kim Kardashian’s closet exploded. You will eventually learn to have clothes and any overnight essentials on hand in case you get stuck up at campus due to weather or any other reason and have to stay at a friend’s place. You will also learn that along with that comes carrying all of your books because as we all know if we get stuck on campus on Monday, those books will not benefit us on Tuesday.Â
10. And lastly, although I could keep this list going like little kids do for Christmas, you still live at home with your parental units. This fun fact has its ups and downs. You get nice home cooked meals but your friends get freedom to come and go as they please. Mom may still wake you up in the morning so you won’t be late but your friends don’t have to come up with an excuse for their moms as to why they didn’t go to class.Â
Oh, the struggles!