When it comes to deciding on whether or not to commute to school, there are many pros and cons to weigh out. I am now on my fourth semester of commuting and by this time I have developed a long list of pros and cons that I have cut down to just a short few.
Pros:
1. Being able to "get away" from the school environment. I think we all can agree that during most times school is incredibly stressful. Sometimes even the shortest commute off campus is all you need to clear your head. By being able to go somewhere other than school, it makes de-stressing a lot easier and a lost more frequent.
2. The money that can be saved. If you still live at home, like me, you can use this time to your advantage. Save what you can so that you can use that money to move out when the time comes. If you live in a reasonable distance and are interested in saving a lot, commuting could be the thing for you. By adjusting your schedule you can also save a good amount on gas money. I have all of my classes on Monday, Wednesday and Friday. It is a long and tiring day but having two extra days off is something that is well worth it to me.
3. NEVER HAVING TO LEAVE YOUR PETS. This is clearly the best reason to stay home. I love my dog and he is simply my best friend, so I could never leave him at home.
Cons:
1. Trying to find a place to park. Since I go to a small university, we also have very small parking lots. Unless you have an eight o'clock class, good luck finding a place to park. Be prepared to leave for class at least ten minutes early to compensate for your treasure hunt.
2. Missing out on the "college experience". This is the biggest downfall, in my opinion, to commuting to campus. I am lucky to have met a great amount of people in class but other than that I can admit I am missing out. My college experience is not typical. I don't live super close to school so I am unlikely to go out of my way to attend any school or social event.
3. Meeting up to work on class projects. We are all in school and we are all busy. Since we are all so busy, when we are in a group project, the only possible time to meet is late at night or early in the morning. Not living on campus can make this very difficult. Driving to school late at night to meet for only half an hour is not high on my priority list. Luckily most group members are understandable and flexible with those of us who commute but it is still difficult none the less.
