Those of us that brave the commute to live off campus, either at home or in an apartment with friends, are really our own kind of people. We don't have that overly active on-campus social life. I myself find that I do five things almost daily as a commuter that I didn't do as an on-campus resident.
So.....here are five ways you know you are a commuter student.
1. Rush hour traffic to and from campus
There is nothing worse than being stuck in rush hour traffic. Let alone being stuck and running late for class! The commute to campus is always terrible, but on the day you overslept and have 10 minutes to make it 11 miles is not the day to get stuck in rush hour traffic.
2. Midday walls hit......and they hit hard.
While your peers that live on campus are able to make the quick ride or walk back to their beds for a nap between classes, you are standing in line at the cafe waiting for your second or third coffee of the day. Not being able to take that midday nap is something you never thought you would have to deal with.
3. Once your classes are over, you are gone.
There is no asking you to stay after class for dinner or some activity after a day full of classes. Once that final professor dismissed you it's a bee line for your bed because you didn't get that nap earlier in the day.
4. You have no idea what happened on campus the night before.
When something big happens on campus, you are usually the last to find out. Since you aren't there you don't check emails or the Facebook status of the few friends you have on campus. So, when someone asks you about that crazy thing that happened last night, you generally just look confused and take a guess.
5. Life outside of campus
While you may miss the campus life-style, having a life outside of school is the most amazing thing in the world. Don't want to even think about school on a Friday night? No need! You aren't busy hoping you wake up in time for brunch the next morning.
While my fellow commuters may have a different experience, I know many commuters that feel the same way. Sometimes you question if it's worth it (like when it's supposed to reach 10 below), but in the end, you know that living off campus is the best thing that could have happened.
