After commuting for a whole quarter to the University of Washington, I have picked up some tips and tricks to make the morning commute a more pleasant experience. Whether you bike, bus, train, drive or everything in-between, here are five tips just for you, the commuter.

1. Set out your clothes and bag the night before

When you get up super early to commute, do you really want to spend 10 minutes just deciding what you are wearing? That wastes so much time you could use to get ready for the day. And this could cause so much stress. It is nice waking up to having all your clothes out and ready to be put on.

My advice, on the night before, look at the weather for the next day and plan your outfit accordingly. It is nice waking up to having all your clothes out and ready to be put on. Set up your bag with all your belongings in it and have your keys and cards in pockets/zippers that are easy to get to when you leave the front door of your abode.

2. Charge your phone and other electronics while you sleep

What sucks more than wasting your time in the morning? Not having a fully charged phone. How can you listen to music or work on that paper while you are commuting if your electronics are at 20%? Charge it up as much as you can before leaving your place.

3. Have a backup plan to get to your destination

I have suffered so many times by oversleeping and missing a bus to school. I knew if I waited for the next bus I would be more than 30 minutes late to a lecture. So I took a different bus and then from that bus stop I took the link straight to campus. Just my luck, I was 10 minutes early to lecture that day too. Utilize all the types of ways to commute.

4. Bring snacks and a water bottle

Who wants to spend $5 for a water bottle on campus? Save some money and bring a reusable water bottle. Also, on the bus ride home I always get hungry, that's when that nice chocolate chip Cliff bar I packed that morning comes in handy.

5. Download a bus, train, link and other commuter apps

You know how I created that backup plan? By using a commuter app I had on my phone. Do some research or ask around your fellow commuter squad to see if you can find some cool apps that include bus, link and train times. They make your life so much easier and you may find a quicker and shorter way to get to campus.

Alright my fellow commuter, I hope these tips were helpful. Good job attempting to make it to all your lectures everyday. Commuting is not easy. But it just shows how savvy one can be with the public transit system. Have a happy commute!