Most people dream of having the “full college experience”: attending classes, partying with friends, joining Greek life and of course, moving away from home for the first time. According to my college friends, there’s just something exhilarating about being on your own. When you go away to school, you are finally free to make your own decisions without your parents watching your every move and you get to learn what it is like to be completely independent.
However, when you have to pay for college all by yourself, sacrifices have to be made and mine was not being able to live on campus.
Unfortunately, even if you do well in high school, then the chances of getting a full-ride to college are slim to none. Either your parents will help you out, you’ll get loans or you’ll have to take on the costs yourself if you really want to get a degree. In my case, I got a few scholarships, but it was certainly not enough to cover the cost of attending classes and living on campus. Thankfully, the college I chose to attend is only about 20 minutes from my home, so I was given the option of commuting to my classes every day. Since I could not come up with an extra $10,000 to be able to live in a dorm, I figured this was the best decision I could make.
When I signed up to be a commuter, I had no idea what I was in for. Gas money is expensive, but I suppose it's not nearly as expensive as living in a dorm room. Classes that start at 8 a.m. are a pain because while my friends can wake up at 7:58 a.m. and still make it to class on time, I have to be on the road by at least 7:30 a.m. Driving in the snow and ice every day during the winter is both hazardous and terrifying. Commuter meal plans are not even worth the money. But most importantly, it is incredibly hard to build a social life on campus. But it is not impossible.
The first semester of my freshman year, I was as awkward as they come. My professors and classmates scared me. The homework was difficult, but I didn’t know any classmates who would meet up to study with me. I would eat lunch by myself and once my classes were over, I’d be in my car heading back home. I truly did not think college was all it was cracked up to be; some of my friends from high school were so happy at their schools, but I couldn’t figure out why college wasn’t nearly as fun for me.
My answer came during the spring semester of my freshman year. I was finally taking classes that pertained to my major instead of general education classes, which made my professors less intimidating. I was also able to connect with my classmates better, since we all shared a similar interest in our choice of major. As I started getting to know people, I was not only spending more time on campus than ever before, but my friend circle just continued to grow. I had acquired so many friends that semester, in fact, that during my sophomore year I joined a sorority, and staying on campus late into the night became a regular occurrence for me. The problem my first semester, I realized, was that I had made the choice to be invisible when I didn’t have to; just because I don’t live on campus does not mean I cannot have a life on campus.
The most important thing to do when you’re a college commuter is to make friends early on. There is no need to be scared of anyone, to eat lunch alone or to bolt off campus the very minute your last class ends. College is not only a place to get a degree; it is also the place where you will find some of the best friends you’ve ever had, and make some of your favorite memories. So even though I will never be able to live on campus, I am still getting the “full college experience” that everyone dreams about. My experience is just a little bit different.
