This Monday is the first day of classes for most people. Everyone’s day will be different, from exploring new areas of campus to searching for friends in your classes. But for some people, the first day of classes can be a long and stressful experience, and this is especially true when you are a commuter student.
A “commuter” is a student that does not live on or near campus – for example, I live about 30 miles from campus. In a large city like Houston, 30 miles can mean 1-2 hours because of all the traffic you encounter. The first day of the semester for a commuter means leaving your house at least an hour early to make sure you get to campus on time. Unfortunately, it isn’t just about getting to campus, it’s also about getting a parking spot, which can take a while as well. It isn’t that it takes more time than usual to get there, but for some reason it is harder to actually find a parking spot. I think it might be because most people make sure to show up for the first Monday of the semester. Halfway through the semester is always better, since often people start arriving to campus later or start missing classes.
Starting a new semester is difficult as a commuter student, since that means coming to terms with the fact that you’re about to start spending a good 3-4 hours on the road every day. But honestly, it could always be worse, and I am happy to live where I live. Some people choose to commute because they don’t enjoy the idea of living on campus. I personally enjoy the freedom of having my own apartment, because that means that I can pretty much make my own decisions and behave however I’d like to. Overall, it’s a personal choice whether you want to live on campus or not, but be prepared to live with whichever choice you pick.
