I have never lived on a college campus, not even in an apartment close by. A big part of me wishes I had to get some experience outside of my parents' house. Nonetheless, my decision not to has pros. It depends on your personality and financial situation because what may be the best choice for one person may not be so for another. It is not the same for every commuter, but I would like to share what my experience has been. Before I do, I am not blaming anyone for the cons. It is the result of my decision.
Let me start with the frustrating aspects of my commute. According to Google Maps, it takes me 37 minutes to get to school going one way, a total of 29.6 miles. As bad as that may sound to some of you, I know some people who commute an hour coming one way. And keep in mind, that is the amount of time if there are no car accidents or construction. I have tried to make the car ride more bearable by listening to podcasts or the radio. But there are days where my patience is stretched and I just get tired of having to commute that far, four days a week. With my home being further away, I have to make sure I have everything needed for each trip. I have not had an issue of forgetting school materials, but I have to carry a ton of things. I am almost always carrying a backpack and my laptop bag since I can't go back to my house throughout the day. This also means I can't go change my clothes for different occasions on campus during the same day of classes.
My commute causes socialization to be limited. When I first transferred to a four-year university, I thought that I would be able to join a handful of clubs. Don't get me wrong, I have made plenty of friends through the college and I did try out some clubs. But I could not do a consistent membership, especially since meeting times could be during class or a work shift. If you are taking five classes, you can have a tight schedule and time management is important. And if your commute is time-consuming, then you really have to be wise. I am not saying socialization is impossible, but it is difficult.
Another con that happened sometimes was family drama. If there was a family issue that did not involve me, I was still exposed to it. I personally just don't like drama or getting stuck on problems entirely out of my control. I finally started taking steps to just tune it out or preoccupy myself with something else. It actually made me want to stay on campus longer, even if it was later at night. This doesn't mean I don't care about family issues, but it is the last thing I need to think about when studying for a big exam or preparing for a group presentation.
One last con, which I know is common for almost every commuter, is dealing with professors that assume you live on campus. I don't take it personally since it can be a fair assumption, the majority of students do live on campus or in town. But there are professors with unrealistic expectations of your flexibility to attend different events or meet up with classmates for a group project. I know students on campus put up with unrealistic professors, but being a commuter on top of it makes the situation more frustrating. Sometimes I have wanted to tell professors what my commute and life is like, but I haven't because I know it won't make a difference.
On the other hand, there are pros for me commuting. I have saved thousands of dollars, which is one reason why I am debt free. Another pro is having my parents financially supporting me so that I don't have to worry about utilities or rent. I also haven't had to put up with potential conflict with any roommates. I have conflict with my parents now and then, but it gets sorted out quickly. Finally, commuting has taught me more patience and better time management. If I had lived on campus, I could have been more prone to wasting time.
Again, it is not black and white for everyone. But if you are graduating high school and have the choice to decide to live on campus or commute, those are some things to consider. For me, college worked out, but I wished I had considered my options better.
