Every now and then I'll hear a couple of students complain about commuting as I pass them on campus. A few of the things I hear go along like this:
"I hate commuting, because I can't make any friends."
"Commuting sucks and I can't take sitting in traffic."
"The amount of time I spend commuting could be used for studying."
The list goes on and I think that it doesn't even have to get to the point of complaining. I am a fellow commuter and I have found a couple of ways to make the best out of it.
Making friends
When I first started to attend, as a commuter, I had the same outlook. I felt like everyone goes to class and then goes their own way. How am I going to make friends? I can go up to people and say hi? I can walk around and smile at everyone? I can join a club? Aha! I joined a club. I joined a club and met other students. We even had similar interests! Well, I realized that joining a club wasn't enough. Sure, I met other students that I connected with, but it didn't feel like a true friendship. I met people to hangout with, but it wasn't what I was looking for. If you have a skill like playing instruments, dancing, or performing, then put something together and show off your skills! I bring my guitar around and it attracts people with the same interests. Do what makes you happy and the rest will fall into place.
Sitting in traffic
It's the worst when you feel stuck in a lane behind stagnant cars. Maybe your playlist is just getting old. Maybe you are tired and want to relax. That's easy to do if you live on campus! For us commuters, it's the other way around. There's a way that I found to have worked, to make traffic a bit more interesting. Rather than listening to music or sitting in silence, try downloading a podcast series. You can learn a lot from them! Maybe even download an e-book. There are so many ways to make the most out of a dull moment. I also think that there is always a way to improve ourselves and add more knowledge to our arsenal.
Making use of study time
Now, this one is tricky. I am still trying to figure out the balancing act for study-time and sitting-in-traffic-time. You might also be on your own for this one. I'll shed some of my small insight. If you have a couple of classes throughout the day, then it is worth it to stay late. This also ties in with meeting new people! Spend time in a new area and do your homework. It helps to also beat the traffic since you're not driving in rush hour. This is something that I learned. Depending on where you live it can come in handy. Moral of the story- Stay on campus!
