As a student at Temple University, I'm very accustomed to living in a city environment. A huge part of going to a city school is having the entire city at your disposal for internships, other classes, jobs, or even just a night of fun. In a big city though, one needs a way to get to all these places, and it can be extremely difficult to have a car when you're a city student. That's where public transportation comes in. Taking public transportation is a great way to immerse yourself in the "real world" and do something that thousands of workers and students do every day. While it certainly has its flaws, I enjoy having public transportation as a part of my life. Here are 10 thoughts I've had while using public transportation here in Philadelphia.

1. "I REALLY need to take an earlier subway."

2. "Wait, it's an additional five block walk from the station?"

There are few things more deflating than finishing your subway trip and realizing you still have a lot of walking to do.

3. "I hope this is the right bus/train schedule."

4. "Do I really want to trust this fare machine with my debit card?"

5. "Can all of you people please learn how to properly use the fare machines?"

There have been quite a few occasions where I've missed a subway and had to wait for the next one because of people taking their grand old time getting their tokens or passes.

6. "THIS IS MY STOP. WHY DID WE JUST PASS IT?!"

I really try to familiarize myself with the ins and outs of routes, certain conditions, local versus express, etc. The last thing I want to do is board a bus or train that isn't the right one, so when my stop gets passed without any indication, explanation, or even just a simple "We're only stopping at this stop if someone pulls the rope," it's extremely frustrating and confusing.

7. "If the folks waiting storm in the car before I get out of it, too bad. This is my destination."

The common courtesy is to let people off of the subway, train, or bus BEFORE new patrons board. If I'm at my stop, and a bunch of people are getting on while I still haven't departed, I'm not afraid to yell and do a little shoving. Passing my stop would be extremely agitating.

8. "Did I just fall asleep? What stop is this?"

I'm often very tired as a college senior taking 17 credits and handling other commitments, so when I have an opportunity to sit, there's a chance I might doze off, only to come back to Earth minutes later wondering if I missed my stop. In fact, on subways, I don't sit even if there are seats available. Sitting and relaxing is great for long trips, but my mindset for the subway is get on and get off. No time for sitting, and no time to risk sleep.

9. "You know what, I'm calling an Uber today."

Sometimes I might have to just bite the bullet and splurge on Uber if I'm in a hurry and the public transportation seems like it will be problematic.

10. "What would I do without public transportation?"

Despite the problems here and there, I really am lucky to have public transportation at my disposal. Life at a city school would simply be more difficult without dozens of buses, subways, and trains moving patrons around like clockwork to wherever they need to be. It also makes exploring the city and going to center city classes at my school a breeze. If you ever catch me on the subway, feel free to say hi!