When you hear the term "college living", the first things that may pop into your head are pretty typical: small dorms, less-than-homemade food, and the all-important struggle of doing your own laundry. However, what about the students who don't live at college? According to USA Today, an estimated 51 percent of college students live with their parents or off-campus. However, most on-campus students see commuters as a complete enigma; How do they make it to their 8 a.m.'s? If it snows, do they stay home? Do they sleep in their cars? (On behalf of all commuter students going to any school just about anywhere, that last one gets a resounding sometimes). And in actuality, they really do get the best of both worlds, being a college student that gets to go back into the "outside" world once the day is done. And despite the traffic jams and huge, boring breaks between classes, commuting actually does have a lot of perks:

The most obvious being that you save money.

Besides the price of tuition these days being absolutely absurd, the cost of room and board can be just as outrageous. In some cases, those dorm fees can be almost more expensive or double than tuition alone! Due to this, commuting to that reasonably-close school doesn't sound like such a bad idea after all. Because of this, money-savvy commuters are pocketing the tens of thousands of dollars that they're saving by traveling to class every day for things like new cars, textbooks, or rent for when they finally decide to live on their own.

There are infinitely less distractions at home than on campus.

For the exception of the library, campus can get pretty hectic. Anywhere you go, there's always something that can get you sidetracked, whether it's the study group sitting behind you that's WAYTOOLOUD or the guy with his headphones on level "hearing loss" listening to his mixtape. Nonetheless, you need quiet. So, commuters know that most of the time, the best place to study is home sweet home. Sure, your family creates some hustle and bustle around the house, but it's far enough away from campus where you can focus on your work.

Another obvious one: real food.

It's almost guaranteed that your mom can make just about anything better than the dining hall. With no mandatory meal plan and your car on campus, a commuter has 24/7 access to actual, real food. Even better, commuters do not have to sacrifice any of their favorite foods or restaurants, when college comes around. And who doesn't love food?

No roommates!

It's pretty unanimous among commuters that the best thing about living at home is sleeping in your own bed in your own room. With that luxury comes a privilege that most college students do not get access to: no roommates. Sure, there have been stories of roommates becoming lifelong best friends, matches made in friend heaven. However, we've all heard at least one roommate horror story from our friends who went away for school that's made us seriously thankful that we aren't forced to share a room with a stranger. Safe to say, this reason is priceless.

Having free time when you get home is such a blessing.

Let's be real: coming home after a long day of classes at campus is actually the best feeling ever. And even though ANY free time in college is great, getting to spend your breaks between or after class at home is far better. Having some down time at home after your classes have finished as a commuter means no driving, no worrying about traffic, and you can do just about anything you want. Whether it's shopping at the mall or vegging out on the couch on a Netflix binge, breaks are a commuting student's dream.

You can work, too!

A big plus to living at home as a commuting student is the freedom to make some extra cash! Working while in college is impressive; it proves that you can manage your studies AND maintain a steady job. Plus, you get even more kudos for planning that job around a commuter schedule. So not only do you save money by commuting, but you can make money, too!

You don't have to sacrifice family time.

Yes, there are some kids that cannot wait to move out of their house and escape the rules of their parents. However, it's widely thought that by living home, commuters get to experience better communication and relationships with their parents and family members. So, commuters don't have to worry about missing any weekend apple picking trips or those family parties for your little cousins. When you live home, you never have to miss out!

When friends come home for the weekend, you're the ultimate host.

For commuters, your hometown is essentially your on-campus housing. So when your hometown high school friends are back in town for holidays, dentist appointments, or anything else that they may need from home, you're the first one to bring them to your favorite old hangouts. Whether it's the old diner or your go-to coffee spot, visits home with friends are some of the best days of the school year for commuters living at home.

All in all, commuters are the unspoken majority of the college scene. Although it's not the first situation you think of when you picture a college student, commuting can be a rewarding alternative to the typical college student norm. So even when my car is full of empty granola bar wrappers and my back seat is covered with books, or when I'm sitting in morning traffic to get to my morning class, I never regret my decision to be a commuter.