It was a chilly Friday morning when I got out of my car and walked quickly into the PAC Building. My legs were a bit stiff from the forty minute drive here. Nevertheless, I briskly made my way inside, checking my watch every couple of seconds to ensure that the time hadn’t gotten away from me again.
I had already missed coffee with a friend that morning due to running late for what felt like the hundredth time that semester. My only class for the day had been canceled, and if I hadn’t needed to get my last chapel credit, I wouldn’t have been there at all.
I’m a commuter student who still lives with her parents. From the time I made the decision to attend Union, I knew I wanted to commute. After all, my parents used to only live twenty minutes away from the campus. But that distance was doubled before I started my second year here.
Being a commuter student isn’t for everyone. The most common question I get is: “Aren’t you afraid you’re missing out on the college experience?” My answer is always a firm “No.”
There are plenty of good things about being a commuter. The more practical things include saving money and having your own space. If you live with your family, then a big pro is being able to spend more time with them before you enter the dreaded “real world.”
Laura and Evan Thompson were both commuters to Union in the past. Now, the couple lives in married housing on campus. They shared with me a couple of the struggles they faced as commuters.
The ability to have a stable meal schedule, or a meal schedule at all, was a big issue for the two.
“It was always really hard for us, because we wanted to save money so we didn’t want to go out to eat, but we lived thirty minutes away,” Laura explained. “Which doesn’t seem bad, but when it got down to it, if we had work that night that was two or three meals where we were like ‘How do we plan for this?’ So a lot of the times we would skip meals.”
The reality of being a commuter is that you have to plan for all sorts of possibilities throughout your day. Seeing a single threatening cloud in the sky can prompt me to carry my raincoat along for the entire day. Sometimes, things that are out of your control can happen, like having a flat tire or being stuck behind a tractor going 5 miles per hour on your way to a final exam.
“Things like traffic even effected coming to classes,” Laura shared. “One time a car wreck did happen, and I was going to be forty minutes late to my class because I literally couldn’t get out of it, and I missed the whole class because of it.”
When people ask what it’s like being a commuter, I often tell them it’s a lot like living out of your car. Without a dorm to spend your spare time in, your car becomes a couch, a desk, a closet or anything else you may need.
Sophomore Dani Beth Moffett, who was a commuter for a year before moving on campus, also had this experience.
“There were times when I hated that ‘living out of your car’ feeling though,” Moffett said. “I didn’t like keeping all of my books in my car and trying to figure out when I could grab the next one or what I needed for a long period of time, but it wasn’t bad. It was just a little inconvenient.”
Along with the more practical challenges, there are also some social obstacles that a commuter can face. Being the one student out of a group that goes home at the end of the day can be alienating for some. Especially if your schedule doesn’t allow you to join any organizations on campus.
Even now that she lives on campus, Laura still feels the effects of this.
“It was really hard for me to connect with people; even now I only know people I’ve met in classes.” Her husband Evan, on the other hand, was able to connect to the Union community through organizations like the symphonic band. According to Laura, “There were always people who contacted him as a commuter because they don’t want you to be disconnected.”
Moffett also shared ways that she was able to connect to the community. For her, Greek life had a large impact on her ability to form relationships on campus. “Greek Life especially gave me such amazing connections and friends that I wouldn’t have otherwise, so I am truly grateful,” Moffett said.
The friendships that commuters form can be the key to becoming a part of the Union community. Even if they are unable to join any organizations, having a group of people to make them feel included can change the entire dynamic of being a commuter.
“Being a commuter made it a little harder to do spontaneous things, but I got lucky enough to have friends who love me so much that they wanted to include me regardless,” Moffett said. “I am endlessly thankful for the new friendships I have made and will hopefully continue to make in my time here.”
So when I rushed into the PAC lobby that Friday morning, I didn’t worry. Instead, I quickly scanned my ID and walked to the right side of the chapel, where my friend had saved me a seat in our regular spot by the big glass windows. This is the same friend that has practically shared her dorm with me and allowed me to use as many meal swipes as I’ve needed throughout the months. She greeted me that morning with a coffee.
Being a commuter isn’t always easy, and while there are plenty of inconvenient parts, there are several good parts too. At the end of the day, the commuter experience is really defined by the relationships we form on campus, and those who take us in as their own.