It's that time of year again, time for everyone to start moving into dorms and going to school places far from home. But not everyone decides that moving is the best choice for them and they stay home and go to a local college. Here are five things all commuting students know.
- Everyone seems to think you have it easy. "You don't have to move!" "You get to stay with your pets and family!" And "You don't have to find your way around a new place!" Are all common phrases you hear.
- Adapting to college life, while not actually staying at college is difficult. You're not on campus 24/7, so you feel as though you're missing out on campus life.
- Finding friends is significantly harder. You don't have the privilege of getting an automatic friend in a roommate or suite mate. And depending on how big your college is, your classes could be too big to even be able to get to know the people in your classes.
- You have to adapt to life without all the friends you grew up with. They've been with you since day one, and life after everyone goes their separate ways is a lot more difficult than you thought it would be.
- You have to find creative ways to study. You aren't living with other college students, so your parents and/or siblings might not be as considerate of your needing quiet time.
But despite all of this you know you made the right choice, because not only are you saving money on housing and meal plans, but you also get to explore life as an adult on campus while still having security of life at home.