I know many of you reading this are commuters. You’ve decided, at least for this semester, to live at home and commute to school. As we all know by now, there are advantages and disadvantages to this. The most obvious advantage is, duh, saving money. I’m sure your parents are thanking you, especially if you have younger siblings who will also be going to college one day. But there some disadvantages, and I’m not just talking about crappy parking.

1. Late Nights

I’m sure some of you have night classes, or are athletes who practices and have games late at night. I have three night classes in the fall semesters, and it can be difficult, and I only live 20 minutes away. I have to walk across campus to my car, call my mom, and then drive home. Then take everything out of the car and take it in the house, talk to my parents, get a shower, and then start homework, and I, like most of you, have a poop-ton of it. I can’t just walk a block to my dorm and take a quick shower and start homework. I have a whole process, and I’m sure many of you do too.

2. Time Management

Because your schedule is so busy, you probably have some trouble keeping track of all your schedules. How much time should you be working? Doing homework? Seeing friends and family? What about an SO? It’s very stressful, especially when it doesn’t seem like you’re giving anyone, or anything, enough time, including yourself. You haven’t quite found that happy middle place, the perfect balance, between everything yet.

3. You mooch off people.

Because of your many night classes, you might stay over a friend’s dorm, or you SO’s apartment. Of course, you don’t just stay because it makes your life a little easier. You stay because you’re friends and wanna hang out, or because they’re your boo and love them and want to see them. But you also feel bad because it might seem like you’re living there when you're really not. Then you might worry about how the roommate likes you, or if you’re intruding in on their space and time, even though they insist that it’s fine that you stay.

4. You don’t feel like you belong anywhere.

This is how I feel. I’m not home a lot because of my class schedule and when I stay on campus. But even when I come home, everyone is tired and has their own homework or work to finish for the night, or I do. My family has continued on with their lives, as they should, without me in the picture, and now it feels weird when I come home because I’m not always here that often. And I obviously don’t live on campus, it isn’t my apartment. So I don’t feel like I belong there either, since I don’t. It’s a very strange feeling that I never thought I would experience, yet here I am.

5. You’re growing up.

Don’t freak out, this isn’t really a disadvantage. It’s just something else we have to deal with. We commuters are (usually) still learning how to function without our family and our parents around all the time. Believe me, I love the independence I have gained from being a commuter, but I also love the family ties I have kept, and now, more then ever, I feel them changing, and it’s scary. We all have to go through this eventually, and that’s great. But it’s still a big transition that we have to learn how to get through. But never fear, my lovelies. We will. <3

I know commuting seems like a pain sometimes, but it’s okay. It won’t be this hard forever, and everything will work out. Look on the bright side: you still get the college experience, but you can still go home on a daily basis to eat with your family. And see your cat. The cat is always important. :)