After a whole year of dorming, I just completed my first week of commuting. Initially, I thought that commuting would be awful and make my college life so hard. A week later, I feel the same way, but definitely not to that extent. Commuting isn't that bad, but I'd still prefer dorming because dorming just makes life so much easier.
Here are some struggles that most commuters face:
1. No place to nap
Everyone says that you can go nap in the library, but the ac is so powerful. The student center is so loud at all times. The parking authority doesn't let you nap in your car in the parking lot. You just have to hope for a friend to let you come every time.
2. Finding parking
The parking spots get filled up so fast. The Yellow Lot, which has like a million parking spots, gets filled up by the afternoon. So you have to come to the lots way before your first class.
3. It's hard to party
You have to drive home at night, so it's difficult to drink and party away with your friends. Even if you sleepover at someone else's dorm, the timings for the parking lots are so weird. You can park at night until 8 in the morning, so you have to wake up early to move your car in order to avoid a parking ticket.
4. Having to carry everything
That backpack weighs a thousand pounds. You have to remember to bring all your books and chargers because there is no going back to your room to pick them up. Good luck if you forget anything at home.
5. No late night study sessions
College life consists of staying up late to study with friends. When you dorm, everyone meets up at the library or at someone's place at night to study for exams and to do homework. As a commuter, you most likely aren't allowed to be out of the house at night all the time, so you are left on your own. Thanks to technology, you can FaceTime with the study group, but it isn't the same as being there.
Commuting is a lot different, especially when you have experienced the dorm life. But, we can all get through it and hopefully, we can dorm again another year.
