The thought of living in the dorms your first year at college sounds awesome, right? All the parties, late night conversations, sleepovers, and freedom are what every incoming freshman expect. Unfortunately, not every student has the luxury of getting the opportunity to dorm. Maybe these students decided to stay home for college because they realized housing was too expensive, or just did not like the thought of sharing a room with two other people. I decided to stay local for college right after I realized how much room and board cost, but I never realized how long the commute would be.
Every morning I have to take two buses and BART which takes a good hour to commute to school. Now that does not sound too bad, but imagine waking up two hours early before your 8 AM class. First world problems. It is such a drag, especially if BART has delays, then you know you will be there for more than an hour. Of course, let's not forget about Muni; the fare is always increasing and the waiting time is inaccurate. Sometimes when I have a test to study for or homework to finish, I have to think about how long my commute would be if I take the bus at a certain hour in order to get there on time. The worst part is when I have to go home late from school, Muni is scary so I spend my money on Uber.
Commuting, in general, can be a pain in the a**. By the time one enters college, every Muni bus is engraved into your mind. Take it from a girl who has never had a car or parents who have never driven in their entire life.
Want to go the Mission District? Take the 14, 14R, 49, or the 48!
Want to go to Haight and Ashbury? Take the 43 or 7!
Commuting in San Francisco is not always bad either. Taking the bus and BART is super convenient because San Francisco NEVER has parking spots and the meter is insanely expensive. I would know because every time my family and I go to Fisherman's Wharf, parking is impossible to find. Which is why San Franciscans have the wonderful Clipper, a beautiful blue card that works for both BART and Muni and only $94 a month! I know you might be asking yourself right now "does she really spend $94 a month just to go to places?" No, here is another surprise! Children of ages 9-18 can have a free Clipper card which is what I use all the time and my school gives me free Muni passes every semester.
I'm in college I learned to live my best life on a budget.
At the beginning of my freshman year, the fantasy of having the "full college experience" consumed me. It was the stupidest thing ever because who am I to complain about a tiny room and bad cafeteria food? And college is about getting your degree and studying hard. Yet I finally came to a realization that I could have all of that by simply involving myself more in school and socialize. It is pretty simple. My parents also have worked very hard and paying room and board is way too much for them. They have done more than enough for me and that kind of debt can be easily avoided.
Do not get me wrong, living in the dorms still sounds fun to me, but I would rather save money and focus on what I am really here for. After all, I am not in college to have fun all the time, I am here to graduate with a degree and make my parents proud. Think about it, getting the "full college experience" is worth nothing anymore, but walking that stage and receiving that diploma is worth EVERYTHING.
