1. Sign Up For Everything

My first day of freshman year I went to my school's club fair. I signed up for pretty much every club and organization there, of course if it genuinely interested me.

The reason I did this was because even if I wasn't able to be totally active in the club, this meant I would be getting information about all kinds of events on campus and subsequently new ways to make new friends.

One club I have been active in is my school's running club, where I lead approximately two runs a week and organize events with different workout studios and running locations like hiking trails.

Another club I have been active in is a club called Spoon University, which I write about food for and have participated in many (free) food related events! If your college has Spoon, I definitely recommend joining!

A third club I have been involved in is The Innovator, which is a student run magazine focused on solutions journalism. I have been working on social media for them and absolutely love it!

The reason I tell you about these three clubs is to give an example of what kind of variety college clubs offer. There is seriously anything and everything you can imagine and the best part is, if there's something you want to be a club - you can petition to make it a club!

As a commuter, it can be hard to make friends and even harder to make events, so by signing up for tons of different things, you are increasing your chance of being able to attend events and make friends!

2. Spend Time On Campus Outside of Being In Class

Whether it be catching up on homework in the library, grabbing a bite to eat with a friend or sitting outside soaking in the sun, it is so important to spend time on campus outside of being in class.

If you just commute to school, go to your classes and then leave, it is inevitable that you will feel disconnected from campus and kind of like you're just not involved. By making even just the slightest bit of effort like spending 2 hours every week going out to eat with a friend, you will feel more connected to your school and that is really important!

Personally, I liked to schedule a break in between some of my classes, like an hour or two, so I could factor in some socialization time. I used this time to do homework in the library with friends or grab some food and catch up. This made me incredibly happier than just going to and from school for class.

3. Make An Effort For Plans

One of the most important things to note on socially when it comes to college is that a lot of plans are made last minute. When you're commuting, it isn't possible for your friends to knock on your door and ask if you want to watch a movie or bake cookies. Which is how a lot of college plans are made. You walk down the hall or call a friend and say hey let's do something in 10.

Commuting does not allow for that luxury, so it is important to let your friends know when you're free. This way you won't get a text when you're halfway home and be totally bummed. Although that still might happen here or there, if you tell your friends when you're free and make it known that you want to hang out as much as possible, things will be way easier.

An advantage to commuting, for me at least, is that I know the area around my school and have a car. This means I can drive friends to Target or bring them on adventures to new places. (I totally used this as bribery to make friends in the beginning). I mean, who doesn't want to go on a cool adventure or a Target run?

If you don't make an effort to make plans with your friends or an effort to make friends, odds are that people will just assume that you're busy and won't invite you. It's not that they don't want to hang out with you, it's that they probably assume you can't make it!

My friends and I have always exchanged schedules and even tried to take the same classes when possible. This makes connecting so much easier!

4. Always Have a Backup Plan

If I have learned anything the hard way, it is that I always need to have a backup plan. This entails many things.

First and foremost are backup chargers for your phone, computer or whatever other devices you are bringing with you to campus. Forgetting to bring my chargers to school has bitten me in the behind way too many times, so learn from my mistakes and come prepared!

Second is gym clothes and an extra set or two of clothes. There have been so many times friends have invited me to go workout and I haven't had workout clothes with me or times I could have stayed on campus but didn't have extra clothes. I now have a bag in the trunk of my car where I keep things like extra clothes and toiletries should I make any last minute changes to my plan.

Third is emergency money. I keep emergency money in my car and in my backpack for the times I forget my wallet or my card doesn't work or whatever the issue may be. Always have emergency cash somewhere!

Last is having different options for staying the night on campus. This might mean having one friend that lives on campus and one friend that lives off campus, or whatever. Always have different friends you can rely on because you not only don't want to keep bothering the same person by staying over but things may change and you may need to stay somewhere else!

5. Come Prepared

In addition to having backup plans, you need to come to campus prepared.

For me this includes a backpack filled with things like Advil, my chargers, reusable water bottle, snacks, money, perfume, deodorant, gum, tissues, TAMPONS!!!, band aids and earbuds. You never know what you may need and because you don't have your dorm, you need to improvise.

I also keep an extra jacket, rain jacket and umbrella in my car in case there is bad weather that I was unaware of or comes unexpectedly. There's nothing worse than having to run across campus in the pouring rain without a jacket or umbrella.

I also keep lots of snacks and granola bars in my car for the days that I forgot to bring food or just don't have the time to stop for a meal. This has saved me lots of money and lots of hungry days.

6. Stay on Campus Even When You Don't "Need" To

There are plenty of nights that I definitely needed to crash at someone's place, whether it be because we were out until 3AM partying or because I had school events until midnight one night and an 8:30AM class the next morning.

That being said, I think it is important to spend the night on campus here or there even when you don't need to. It'll help you feel more connected to school and it's like a fun sleepover which will get you out of your routine and make the week more fun.

It doesn't even have to be staying the night. This could be staying around 3 hours after class to get dinner with friends. Just doing things out of your routine to make yourself more present on campus is important, I think.

7. Understand That Commuting Means You Need To Make More Effort 

I tell this to everyone that asks me how I feel about commuting to college. If you commute to college, you need to be willing to make more effort to feel and be involved. There are so many resources out there to help commuters feel involved, but they're only effective if you actually make use of them.

I know so many commuters that hate my school because they didn't make the effort to be involved and while I understand their feelings, because commuting can be a lonely thing, it's really on them. If you don't make any effort to do anything on campus besides go to class, obviously you're going to feel lost and lonely.

I'm fortunate enough to have made plenty of different friends with different schedules and interests, so there's always someone I can hang out with or stay over at their place. That's because I've made astronomical amounts of effort to be involved and make those friends and I wouldn't change a thing. Sure, there have been plenty of nights where I haven't gotten enough sleep or days I was running all over the place doing a billion things, but that was the choice I knew I had to make and the sacrifice I had to make to feel and be involved.

8. When Scheduling Classes, Keep The Following in Mind 

Early and late classes are not a good combination. At all costs, I recommend avoiding 8:30AM classes and 7:15PM or later classes. Not only does this mean you'll be stuck in traffic or rush hour commutes, but it likely means you'll be on campus for days that are way too long and you'll wear yourself too thin.

I try to start my days around 11:30 and end around 3:45 or take one afternoon 11:30-2:15 or evening 6:30-8:45 class. The long block classes only meet once a week, which means less commuting and less scheduling, which is a plus.

As a commuter, you might want to stay away from really long blocks of time in between classes unless you have a job on campus where you can pick up a shift to kill some of that time. I try to schedule some breaks, like an hour or so to rest, catch up on work or eat with friends, but if you have a four hour long break between classes, it'll get really old really quick. There just isn't enough to do without having a dorm for four hours two times or more a week. This was something I didn't think about when making my first semester schedule and I hated it!

9. Get a Job on Campus if Possible 

I definitely recommend getting a job on campus if you are a commuter and need a job. This not only forces you to spend more time on campus, it also means less commuting. I've had a few different jobs on campus over the years and it has helped me make friends and discover new events and clubs.

I recommend getting in touch with student employment as early as possible, as the competition for campus jobs is definitely intense!

You have an upper hand when it comes to campus jobs, especially if they need people over the summer. Not only will you be available for holidays (not actual holidays but the days and weeks around them ie Christmas break) but you don't need housing for summer work, which college employers love! To them, it means you're reliable because you're always close-by.

10. Commuting To College is What You Make of It

For me, the college that was best for my major and future job meant that I would also be commuting. It was way too close to home for me to spend 20K on room and board, so the decision was easy for me. Saving that much money was really important to me and meant that I would have better opportunities in the future.

I've had weeks where I have felt totally connected and in love with my school and my situation and other weeks where I've absolutely hated everything about it. Guess what? Dorming students go through the same thing with their situation too.

I am happy with the effort I have put into my school and I am happy with the love and friends I have received in return. I have worked for so many wonderful opportunities and taken advantage of every door held open for me. Sure, there are times I wish I was there and have total FOMO, but at the end of the day I know I made the best decision for my future and that's all that matters.