14 Struggles All Commuter Students Will Relate To | The Odyssey Online
Start writing a post
Student Life

14 Struggles All Commuter Students Will Relate to

One word: traffic.

136
14 Struggles All Commuter Students Will Relate to

In This Article:

1. Being surrounded by bad drivers

Giphy

These become your biggest pet peeve every time you're on your way to and from college. Those ridiculously slow drivers who convince you that you'll be late if you don't get out from behind them right now, idiots who switch lanes without a signal and make you fear for your life, the speedy zig-zaggers who weave in and out of lanes like they're in a "Fast and Furious" movie...you've seen them all and HATE THEM ALL.

2. Traffic

Giphy

THE BANE OF A COMMUTER'S EXISTENCE.

3. Getting to class is a whole ordeal

Giphy

You have to wake up much earlier and leave early so you can budget for travel time, potential traffic, parking, and actually walking to the class. Meanwhile, your on-campus classmates can roll out of bed, grab some breakfast, and be at class in about half your time.

4. If you forget something, good luck.

Giphy

The biggest downside of living off campus is always when you forget something at your place. There is no running back to the dorm and grabbing whatever it is you've forgotten.

5. It can be harder to make friends

Giphy

Because a) you don't live on campus, and b) you tend to be busy outside of class, there's not always as much time to make friends when you're a commuter. When all the people you meet either live in different cities or live on-campus, it can be harder to make friends to regularly hang out with. But the friends you do make? Now those are some solid relationships.

6. Constantly filling up on gas

Giphy

Weren't you just at the gas station yesterday? No wait, that was last week…now if only these prices would go down *serious side eye at gas industry.*

7. It can be harder to partake in on-campus activities

Giphy

Joining a group, activity, Greek life, etc. can be harder when you don't live right there. You have to make the extra commutes just to be a part of events.

8. Having to bring food with you...or pay ridiculous prices for on-campus food

Giphy

Campus food is ridiculously pricey. Let's recall that our money needs to go towards gas, plus groceries/bills/rent if you have an off-campus place.

9. All your money goes towards gas and parking

Giphy

And we all know how expensive those can get. Speaking of parking...

10. WHERE DID ALL THE PARKING SPOTS GO?!!

Giphy

If you don't get to campus at the start of the day, it's a serious struggle to find a parking spot in the garages. That ish can turn into the freaking Hunger Games over finding a spot -- and when you do, getting to it before someone else does. And thanks to this, you have to budget an extra 5-10 minutes into travel time to campus. All this BS for the insane amount parking passes cost.

11. You try your best to avoid long breaks between classes

Giphy

Unfortunately, this sometimes becomes unavoidable. Cue the unwanted extra time at school in the library with those handy snacks you brought along.

12. The wait between selecting classes and actually enrolling is THE WORST

Giphy

You have to schedule your classes around driving time and/or shuttle times, on top of leaving time to work. Waiting to finally enroll is significantly more nerve-wracking than it can feel when you live on campus.

13. It's harder to be in the know about on-campus happenings

Giphy

Unless someone tells you about it, you happen to see a flyer on-campus, or you're in a Facebook group for your class at the college, you tend to miss out on a lot of on-campus things.

14. You sometimes feel like you may be missing out on the full college experience

Giphy

Sure, it may be more cost-effective to live at home or have an off-campus place. But you're not having the typical experience high school and entertainment media has hyped up over the years. You don't get to just roll out of bed and walk to class, hang out in the dining halls with your campus friends, and become besties with your freshman roommate. (Not that the latter is a bad thing, since it doesn't actually always happen. Trust me.) Your days aren't spent in the library or chilling in a campus building doing your homework, because you probably have to work outside of classes and let's not forget commuting time.

BUT. Just because you're not have the typical "college experience," doesn't mean your experience is any less valid. It certainly doesn't mean that your experience is any better or worse than that of the people living on campus.

Here's to the commuter life!

Report this Content
This article has not been reviewed by Odyssey HQ and solely reflects the ideas and opinions of the creator.
Procrastinator Station
Gabriel D Wilson, DeviantArt

So your teacher assigned you a colossal load of homework. You know the warning that comes with that: “You can’t leave this to the last minute!” Suddenly, you have a choice- one that will determine your fate until the assignment is due. Will you get started right away and spread the work out over several weeks, or will you hear your instructor’s word of caution and think

Keep Reading...Show less
Kardashians
W Magazine

Whether you love them or hate them, it's undeniable the Kardashian/ Jenner family has built an enormous business empire. Ranging from apps, fashion lines, boutiques, beauty products, books, television shows, etc. this bunch has shown they are insane business moguls. Here are seven reasons why the Kardashian/ Jenner family should be applauded for their intelligent business tactics.

Keep Reading...Show less
friends
Photo by Elizeu Dias on Unsplash

If I have learned one thing in my lifetime, it is that friends are a privilege. No one is required to give you their company and yet there is some sort of shared connection that keeps you together. And from that friendship, you may even find yourself lucky enough to have a few more friends, thus forming a group. Here are just a few signs that prove your current friend group is the ultimate friend group.

Keep Reading...Show less
ross and monica
FanPop

When it comes to television, there’s very few sets of on-screen siblings that a lot of us can relate to. Only those who have grown up with siblings knows what it feels like to fight, prank, and love a sibling. Ross and Monica Geller were definitely overbearing and overshared some things through the series of "Friends," but they captured perfectly what real siblings feel in real life. Some of their antics were funny, some were a little weird but all of them are completely relatable to brothers and sisters everywhere.

Keep Reading...Show less
Lifestyle

11 Types Of Sorority Girls

Who really makes up your chapter...

4533
Sorority Girls
Owl Eyes Magazine

College is a great place to meet people, especially through Greek life. If you look closely at sororities, you'll quickly see there are many different types of girls you will meet.

1. The Legacy.

Her sister was a member, her mom was a member, all of her aunts were members, and her grandma was a member. She has been waiting her whole life to wear these letters and cried hysterically on bid day. Although she can act entitled at times, you can bet she is one of the most enthusiastic sisters.

Keep Reading...Show less

Subscribe to Our Newsletter

Facebook Comments