Commuter life is…awesome? Not what you would typically expect to hear, right?

In the past Chapman has been called a commuter school, but what that usually means is that people live in one of the Orange houses that are local to the school or their hometown is within an hour of Chapman. 

But for some of us, real life commuting is a reality. 

"Oh! You're a commuter? Wow…that must suck."

"Commuter? Do you even have a social life?"

"Oh my gosh, you can totally sleep on my couch whenever you want, you poor thing!"

And the list goes on…
Those of us in the real commuter boat at Chapman definitely have a unique experience, but for those of you considering it, fear not! For me, it was one of the best decisions I made during college. 

I did start my experience at Chapman by living in the dorms, so I can certainly speak to both ends, but after a semester in a half, I made the decision to return home to Mission Viejo, which was about 20-45 minutes from school depending on the ever present traffic on the I-55 and the I-5. 

My first thoughts were, "Crap. I'm a commuter. People will know…they may look at me differently. They might not want to hang out with me because I carry the burden of living far away from the magical kingdom of Chapman. I feel like such a peasant."

Being a commuter was a scary fate, but I was forgetting just how much time I actually spent on campus. Being on the executive board for my sorority and a Television & Broadcast Journalism major at Dodge with two minors, kept me at school all hours of the day. Plus I was able to customize my schedule so I could get everything done on Tuesdays and Thursdays, for example, and then chill/intern on the other days.

I realized quickly that I was not living at home, I was living at Chapman; I just sleep at home. It was great! Feeling like I had to stay on campus or in the area because the drive was too much mid-day made me even more involved. I joined everything because I had the time, and I utilized all parts of the campus to relax, hang out and get stuff done when I was on breaks.

Definitely important to note that in the morning, I packed for my whole day, and then some. We're talking outfit changes galore. I had a mini closet in my car. Also important to note--the bathrooms have outlets, so ladies, when you need to freshen up your hair, pack a mini straightener or curling iron and go to town. 

Being on campus that much gave me access to be around people more than I ever could when I would just go back and be a hermit in my dorm room at the end of the day. I had no idea before I was a commuter that UPB did karaoke nights! And they offer dance, zumba and yoga in the Student Union. I could participate in all the Greek philanthropy events, just because I was usually around the area! Endless opportunities! Not to mention I was always within 10 minutes of Disneyland, which meant tons of trips in between classes. 

Now as far as living at home, well there isn't much to complain about there. I get a bathroom to myself again, my full size bed, a closet exclusively for me, quality time with my cats and zero embarrassment when I choose to lay in bed all day and not put on make-up. Plus every now and then my mom still feeds me, and I can socialize with both old friends and new ones. Honestly, this is the life. 

So believe it or not, being a commuter is awesome, and contrary to popular belief, has helped me be more involved at Chapman than ever before. Feel free to join me.