Commuting to college is unlike anything a student has ever done before in their life when it is their first year. You need to be somewhere at a certain time with limited parking spots and the potential to be there throughout the entire day.

If you are coming from high school, you probably had a specific parking spot. There was no need to worry about where you would park. And if you have some college experience under your belt but have always lived on campus, things are not going to be as simple as hopping out of bed 15 minutes before class. There will be no dorm for you to go back to and nap unless you have a close friend who is willing to help you out.

This coming fall, or should I say next week, I enter my senior year at Monmouth University. My first three years I have commuted to school and will be doing so once again my final year. I am extremely glad I commuted. Before college, commuters had the stigma of not earning the full college experience, which is simply not true. It is what you make of it. Plus I do not have to deal with living in a small room that may not be air conditioned, all while not having to pay for room and board.

Given I have done this for three years, I have some experience under my belt in regards to the topic. Over my first three years I have come to some conclusions. Here are five of those conclusions.

1. Target Campus Arrival At Least 30 Minutes Before Your Class

One of the biggest hassles of being a commuter student is accounting for the time it takes to drive to campus. For me, it is a simple thirty minutes without having to worry about traffic 95% of the time. But for others, it could be longer and they may need to account for traffic depending on what time their classes are.

But it is not as simple as having an 8:30 class and leaving at 8 because I have a 30 minute commute. You also need to account for the walk from the parking lot to your actual classroom, which will probably be at least five minutes. Secondly you need to anticipate the unexpected. So far instance, an accident that causes some extra traffic you do not typically need to deal with.

But the main reason you need to target getting to campus early is the parking lot itself. At Monmouth, the parking lot can be a total mess. There have been times I get to campus and I spend 20 minutes trying to find a parking spot. I cannot get to class if I cannot park my car. As you go through the motions of your schedule, you will learn what times are the busy times and what times you will have no issues finding a spot. For instance, if you have an 8:30 class, you are golden.

My rule of thumb is give yourself 30 minutes (Unless it is an 8:30 class, then you can get away with 15 minutes or so). But if you have your first class in the middle of the day, say at 1:00 in the afternoon, you should be looking at 12:30 at least to be on the safe side. That way if you need to spend 20 minutes searching for a spot, you still have 10 minutes to walk/jog/run to your class.

2. Find A Spot Or Two On Campus To Make Yours

As a commuter, you are sure to have a day or two where you are on campus for a good portion of the day. I have had a day where I had an 8:30 class and also one that did not finish until 9:00 at night. I was on campus all day. When you commute, you do not want to waste gas going back and forth between home and school multiple times a day.

So, you need to find a spot. Or even better, several spots. Now I am not just talking the student center where everyone is. That is because that is a hot spot where everyone is going to be. Spots like these will get loud and you will get sick of them if you are there all the time.

I am talking those nice and quiet spots that not many people know about. Those lounge type areas in an academic building where you can hang out, listen to music, do some homework and get things done. These types of spots are absolute gold.

I know I like to use a computer in my down time, so anywhere I can utilize one of those is a plus. Monmouth has a commuter lounge, which is really nice becasue it has a handful of computers. It can be a bit of a hotspot at times, but overall it is still a nice spot to hangout between classes.

Also you may have some friends who happen to live on campus. If they are off from class at the same time as you, hanging out in their dorm is another solid option. This allows you to spend some time with friends and have some fun.

3. Know When Events Are Going On That Could Take Up Parking Spaces

There is no feeling worse than arriving at campus at a time that is usually nice and quiet in the parking lot, only to find it totally packed. Once you find a space and start your walk, you overhear some people talking, only to realize some event is going on.

When an event is taking place, you best believe parking is going to become more difficult. Do a little extra thinking when you hear about a career fair, Mondays at Monmouth or a basketball game. Do not just shrug those things off. Ask yourself what times they will likely be impacting the parking situation and will that impact you.

If your answer is yes, then you need to come up with a plan. Whether that is getting to campus sooner or trying a smaller parking lot that may not be impacted as much, you need to have some sort of plan. And those thirty minutes I mentioned earlier, you best believe they apply right now.

4. Bring Snacks

While some commuters have a meal plan, most tend to pass on that option. And if you fall in that category like me, then you will be buying food quite a bit while you are on campus (or just off campus).

When you add up all the times you buy food, it can be a pretty penny. Do not rely on buying food for every time you get hungry or you will go broke. Bring yourself some snacks and drinks to have during the day, especially if you are going to be on campus most of the day.

Whether you pack a full lunch or just snacks, have something. The more times you bring something from home, the less times you will have to buy food. The less times you buy food, the more money you save.

For me, I usually bring an actual lunch about twice a week. One day a week I usually do not need to eat lunch on campus, which means there are only two days I have to buy a lunch. And on those types of days, bringing snacks can still help as it could mean you do not have to buy an extra like a bag of chips. And if you bring a drink, you can save there as well.

5. Don't Overwork Yourself If You Are Working Off Campus

If you commute to college, there is a chance you will also be working during the school year. Having done that for three years, I can say you do not want to overdo it with work hours on top of school.

Every person has their own limits. They know how much time they need to study and do homework. They know they want some time to spend with friends. They also know they need to make some money. With all of that put together, you will find the ideal amount of work hours for yourself.

For me I know I need three days during the week with no work so I have time for school things. This amounts to work hours in the mid to low 20's each week. Now this may be a bit much for some people, as everyone is different. But for me, it is a number that I have found works.

It is this happy medium that any working commuter must find. You need time for school. You need time for friends and family. And you need time for work so you can pay for things. It is a complicated formula that is not always easy to balance. Start smaller on the work hours and add to it if you feel you can. The one thing you do not want to do is have work become the dominating force in that equation. That is the quickest way to burnout and your grades could very well suffer as a result.

This list could probably go on and on. A few more tidbits include: Do not drive to campus if it is bad snow (if you are new you will learn classes do not get canceled very quickly. But it is not worth it even if class is not canceled), find a friend who lives on campus (or very close) so you can crash in a dorm at times, try to park close to the building your last class is in and not necessarily your first, finding a back way to/from school to avoid major roads and do not be that car that parks like a total jerk.

Having three years of commuting under my belt has given me a pretty good idea as to what to expect and how the make the most of it. So while I may hate getting up for an 8:30, especially since I need to get up earlier to build in commuting time, it sure pays off with not needing to go parking spot hunting.

Whether you are a freshman or a first year commuter, just know commuting is a totally different ballgame when it comes to school. You cannot just role out of bed in the morning and drive to school with a guaranteed parking spot. You also cannot just get up and walk to class like you did your freshman year when you lived on campus. Commuter students have their own set of rules to play by that those living on campus do not need to concern themselves with.

So if you are now a member of the commuter community, welcome! And if you happen to be a member of the Monmouth University commuter community, I will see you in the parking lots!