Commuting to your college or university can either be a challenge or a really great thing.

You can spend anywhere from an hour to two in your car alone, but it's worth it! (Maybe) You can do so many things while you're in your car that you may not even think of: find new music you love, listen to podcasts of things you may have read for school, discover new routes home, brainstorm paper topics, create mental checklists of all you need to do, and so much more.

The thing, however, that I have found I love so much about commuting is it gives you a great downtime between studying, writing, reading, and just being busy 24/7. For an hour a day, I get to have time that isn't about what anyone needs me to do, unless I choose for it to be.

With all those positives being said, there can be some downsides to being a commuter. And if you're thinking of traveling from home to school you really should take the time to consider what you want to do.

It can be harder to make friends at school since you aren't there all the time to hang out or just see people down the hall from you. That doesn't mean you won't make friends; it just means you may have to try a little harder to do so. You are less likely to do your work at home than you are at school. Unless you're someone who can really pressure yourself to stay up late and crack down on the books, you may need to stay on campus a little later to work on what you need to finish.

I have found that going to school earlier than my classes seems to work best for me. The gas money can be outrageous if you're paying for it yourself. Luckily, sometimes parents or guardians may chip in or even pay for all of it - but if that's not the case for you, a part-time job will probably be in store just to pay for gas.

There is a lot to being a commuter and plenty I left out, but the basis is, it can be a really nice thing to go home and see your parents, pets, or whoever/whatever is home waiting for you. However, there are some not-so-fun things to take into consideration as well.

Take time to make the decision and don't jump into anything too fast.