When I was making the decision as to what college I wanted to go to, location really meant a lot to me. I wanted to stay somewhat close to my hometown, and I am fortunate enough to live only about twenty minutes away from a very good school.Because of the closeness of the school, and them having the major I wanted to pursue, this is where I decided to attend college. Also to save a little money and still be able to have a home life, I decided instead of living on campus like most students do, I would commute from home every day, because a twenty, maybe thirty minute drive on a bad day would not be too terrible plus, I would get the perk of sleeping in my own bed. I would also be able to keep my off campus job, and continue to make a little extra money while in school.
The more I found out about the school the more I found out that I was one of very few people who commuted back and forth every day. With my school being a private institution, having commuter students was not very common. This made it extra difficult to make new friends, especially with being an introvert on top of that. The majority of social events, study sessions, as well as anywhere one would generally have an opportunity to meet new people generally fell during the evening or late hours, which is a time most off-campus students are not on campus. When I began to notice this pattern, I started to second guess my decision to be a commuter. I even was second guessing if this was the right college for me.
For about the first two or three weeks of classes, I came home crying every day because I did not have any friends, nor was I having any fun. I talked to a few people in my classes, but I’m not sure if I really considered them friends, since I never saw them outside of the classroom. My mom told me if I still hate it that much after the semester was over, I could transfer to a more commuter friendly school, or one that was farther away, to where I would have to live on campus.
One day in one of my classes, an upperclassman came up to me, and asked if I was involved in anything on campus yet. When I said no, they suggested a few things that I should give a shot, in order to have a better college experience. This is when I finally started attending more events, and meeting new people. Eventually, I finally started to find the people I enjoy hanging out with. The next month or so was a turning point in my attitude towards school. I actually enjoyed going, and finally started to come home with a smile on my face.
It has been about a year and a half now since I’ve started college, and I could not be happier with how it’s going. I am now involved in a few different organizations on campus, including a sorority, who is extremely supportive of me. I also now have an on-campus job as well as my off-campus one. Sure, there are times I’m not getting home until almost midnight due to various meetings and other activities. However if it gets too late, or the weather’s awful, I have friends who allow me to stay with them for the night. Even though I do not live on campus, I still feel like it is my home away from home.
