After commuting to two colleges, I've definitely had my fair share of mishaps. Choosing to commute definitely has it's ups and downs. But because of these ups and downs, I've come to learn some interesting things.
Are you a commuter too? Or do you just want to know more about the trifles that come along with being one? If so, buckle up and enjoy the ride!
There's no such think as waking up too early
I've always been one to oversleep. And I mean ALWAYS. Like, as far back as I could remember when I had an alarm clock and my mom would have to scream at me five or more times to get me out of bed in middle school. So to this day I have to set at least two alarms to maybe get up on time. Unlike those who dorm, us commuters can't just roll out of bed and run across campus to our classes.
Coffee is your friend
Like any other college student, coffee is your savior. But, the decision you have to make is whether you want your coffee for your drive, or for during class. I prefer to have my coffee in class, but to each their own!
You'll learn to love podcasts
Now don't get me wrong, I love music. But, I live an hour away from campus, so I don't want to overplay and ruin my favorite songs. I used to think that podcasts were just plain boring until I stumbled upon the right ones. So do some digging and find some that peak your interest. You might be surprised like I was. I listen to a few of them, but my favorite one by far is the Jenna and Julien Podcast. You should check them out!
Don't schedule your classes across four days
This is just my personal preference, but I did this my first semester at SBU and I was absolutely miserable driving an hour to and from campus four days back to back. For me, it makes way more sense to cram all of my classes into two days when possible. Taking some online is a great idea too!
You won't be able to find your car in the lot at some point
Commuter lots are usually huge. You won't be able to find your car. Multiple times. I'm telling you, just face it. This is way more likely to happen if there aren't any markers or signs in your parking lot, believe me. I promise you'll find it eventually though!
You can never have too many hoodies in your car
It might just be me, but I don't always check the weather. So I sometimes don't even realize that it's going to possibly rain while I'm on campus. There have been so many times when I've been on my way to school or I just park and it starts to rain. When this happens I'm always thanking my past self for leaving hoodies in the backseat for my future, unprepared self.