As a freshman, I didn’t get the traditional, desirable experience that freshmen long for. When I transferred to Rutgers, I found myself having the experience of a lifetime. I truly branched out, but at the same time, I was still trying to figure out who I was. The only thing that posed a challenge was the fact that I was commuting.

Of course, living in a college dorm means dishing out a ton of money to pay for it. My biggest reason for commuting was that I didn’t live terribly far. And I didn’t want to break the bank when I could easily make a quick drive and do what I need to do. Simple, right? I questioned my friends who chose to live on campus from the beginning and often argued that it was a waste of money.

If you live close to your school, you may find yourself having similar thoughts and feelings. But everyone’s college experience is going to vary and universities across America all have the potential of landing on different ends of the spectrum. For example, my previous school was definitely a backpacking school. In turn, I found myself having a hard time making friends and went home every chance I got.

As someone who goes to a school where the spirit never ends, where there is always something to do, and where seniors say they never want to leave, it’s hard to not feel like your college years are wasting away if you don’t live on campus. Beyond “the college experience,” events on campus tend to be tailored for those who live there, and those who don’t eventually get lost in the dust of it all. It’s hard to be as involved as everyone encourages you to be when your classes end at 3, and who wants to sit around and wait until 10 pm for a meeting?

It is unrealistic to persuade every student to live on campus, money simply won’t allow it. However, if you’re determined to make the most out of your four short years, picking up a part-time job to help out with the costs is well worth it. Ultimately, you will find an array of benefits to both commuting and living on campus. The choice is yours to make.