Let's hear from college commuters

I commuted and hated every minute of it. I went to a resident school. Very little attention was paid to commuters.

I wanted to go away to school, but I was the first born and my parents didn't want to let me go yet. They bribed me to stay home with a car. All of my siblings went away to school.

On the bright side, I paid 100% of my college education, I worked 35 hours per week and took 21 credits per semester and went to all summer sessions and between semester sessions. I graduated in 2.5 years with a 4-year degree and only $9,000 in loans. Ah, the good old days. My kids would never have been able to get out so unscathed.
 
Did you commute to college? What were your reasons? How far did you have to travel? What do you see as the pros and cons? Would you choose to do things differently today if you had a do-over?

yes,

was supposed to graduate a full year early but california passed a sweeping property tax rehaul (prop 13) that eliminated summer school so i had to go back for the first semester of my senior year to do the one class i needed. semesters didn't align between high school and the university but did at community college so original plan was to do just the one semester then start up the following fall but i found a job during that time that worked around classes that would cover my expenses so i decided i would do it 'just for community college'. by the time i was ready to transfer i had no desire for being around the fresh from high school crowd (and i liked paying as i went/having money in my savings) so i found a university i could commute to.

community college-30 minutes each way, university 1 hour 30 minutes each way UNLESS i hit the train tracks at the wrong time (tracks looped across the road at two points about 1/2 mile apart so if you got stopped by the train you ended up being stopped twice and could sit 20 minutes between the 2 :crazy:).

pros-taught me time management to balance work, commute, school, study. allowed me to graduate debt free. gave me job skills i parlayed into better jobs as time progressed.

cons-in hindsight it was dangerous when i had a couple of night classes b/c the roads were very dark and abandoned. no cell phones at the time so i don't know what i would have done with a car breakdown.

different if i had a do-over? sure, it would have been nice to not do all that driving but it sure prepared me for commuting for my ultimate career and i think i gained a level of maturity earlier than my same age peers who went and did the whole live on campus/university life (actually saw MANY of them enrolled at the community college a year after our high school graduation b/c they crashed and burned freshman year at their live at universities).


DISCLAIMER-i didn't have to deal with snow/crazy ice on the roads. even though we live w/in easy commute of many universities we were supportive of dd not living at home due to dangerous road conditions.
 
I lived at a residential college for the first two years, then I got married and moved back near home. I finished college via night school offered by a private college at a satellite campus. Classes were held at a community college and in a high school. So we were ALL commuters. It was about 40 miles, two evenings a week. There were a couple of times my husband drove me due to weather but since everyone was commuting they called it off if it was very bad. I don't have any regrets. I got to have the experience of living at college, and then saved a bunch of money finishing by commuting yet still got a diploma from a good private college.

So, based on my experience, I've told our kids that, unless they're only wanting an actual 2 year degree & have no plans to continue for a 4 year degree, they should find a 4 year college or university & enroll as a freshman.

This is sort of how I feel for my kids, especially after seeing my nephew's experience similar to yours. So I have one DD doing a 2 year degree only, and another who will start at a 4 year even though she could get free tuition at CC. Her 4 year isn't very expensive, she gets a better scholarship as a freshman than as a transfer, she already has a lot of gen eds done, and the CC wouldn't have classes in her major. She would still have rent expense, because it's too far to commute to the CC.

I agree it's a great option for some people to do CC & transfer- my other nephew had a great experience doing it (very same schools as his brother, who ended up dropping out). But they are two very different kids.
 
My husband and I both commuted for college, but we were already married. We went to Community College for a long time after high school, deciding what we wanted to do, trying all kinds of classes, working, enjoying not having too many responsibilities. Neither one of us had parents who could afford to pay for college. We got married while we were going there.

Then I transferred to a 4-year school to actually get something done. If you drive it during normal times, it's about half an hour. Unfortunately, the math classes I needed were always at 8 in the morning, and the drive could take 2 hours on bad days. I would either leave really early and get there by 6:30 or just not go at all. Luckily, I did pass even though I only went to class about half the time.
This was definitely a school where campus life was a big deal and I just never fit in or made many friends. I would have loved to go earlier in life (I started there when I was 26), live on campus and all that. Just wasn't the way things worked out.

They did have a Commuter lounge and were just starting to try to do something to make commuters feel part of the campus. It wasn't very successful for me, but it was brand new and they were still figuring things out. Hopefully it's better now.
 


I commuted. 45 minutes with no traffic. Up to 2 hours in traffic. Itbwas worth it fir the scholarship. Got a great education and had a job waiting for me in my field when I graduated. I did miss the college life but I feel lIke I went right from high school to adult without the nuttiness of college party life.
 
I commuted to college. A four year college and I lived maybe 15 minutes from it. I worked the entire four years, had a scholarship that paid for basically everything and made money while working. I graduated from college with $10,000 in the bank, a fully paid car, and a boat. Of course the scholarship was for $5,000 and that paid for my entire college career. First semester with tuition, fees, ticket book to the football games, yearbook and parking pass cost me $235. I got $625 a semester from the scholarship. Life was much simpler in 1977.
 
I went to a satellite location of my school. It was a 3 minute drive from my high school and did feel strange at times going to college so close to home. I chose that campus to not only save money but also because the main campus 45 minutes away is not in the safest area and I could complete my entire degree at the local campus.

The major downside to the campus was almost everyone was a commuter (there were 2 small dorms) and by late afternoon, the campus was empty with really no student life. I tried attending a few events being held on campus at night like a video game tournament and no one showed up.
 


First time around, straight from high school, I lived at home and walked 30 minutes. Back then in that particular college there were no onsite student accommodation, so everyone commuted. I was considered lucky as I was local. When I was applying commuting to a different college or even getting student accommodation was never even considered, it was just automatic and taken for granted I would attend the local college.

Second time around, aged 38, I purposely chose a college that was far from where I live but near to where I work. I worked during the day and went to class straight after work, 2 nights a week for 4 years. The commute to the college from my work was 20 minutes on a city bus, but my commute late at night after college was about 70 minutes.

I could have chosen a college nearer to where I live, but when I looked into the bus routes and commute time from where I work, I would have been too rushed and there would be a possibility I could be late for class.
 
I commuted during college. I went to a small, local-ish community college about 40 minutes from home. I paid my own way through school, and it was much cheaper to live at home. I went to school during the day and worked full time 3-11 shift at a hospital that was 30 minutes from home but only 10 minutes from school.

Our oldest is a senior this year, and he is going away to school. He may end up doing a work/study program, but he will not have to work full time as both DH & I did while we were in college. We discouraged living at home and commuting to school because we think it is good for him to see that there is more out there than our little rural area has, and there are only 2 options for commuting to school here now. The first is the school DH & I attended and it has gone downhill; I'm not sure how much longer it will even be open. The second is a larger university about an hour away; he applied and was accepted there as a safety school, knowing the school was not a good fit for him.
 
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I commuted for both my BS and MA degrees. It was a 25 minute trip each way. Cost was the main reason for the commute.
 
I started out my college career commuting because I had a dog that I wasn't willing to leave. Then I got married and commuted because I lived with my husband. My commute was 45 minutes-1 hour each way, depending on the time of day.
 
Yes. I lived at home while I went to university. I got early admission to the local university which was ranked as the #1 university in Canada at the time and for a few years before and after I attended. Bussing just didn't work with my schedule, so I drove about 20-30 minutes depending on traffic. Never any thought of moving out, why waste money living away when my mum had raised us to be able to function independently of her. I started to pay mum rent $200/ month took on paying my own cell phone which I got when I started making the drive to university, my own provincial medical fee, books and tuition. I got to live and eat at home for the $200 (food and utilities were included), but if I wanted to eat out at school, that was on me. Graduated without any student debt in 5 years. Moved out when DH & I bought our home. Been there ever since.
 
I feel lIke I went right from high school to adult without the nuttiness of college party life.

While I agree that community colleges and/or commuting are perfect options for some, could the Dis please drop this thought that going "away" to college is all about partying?

The partying at my dd's high school, as well as most in our general area was WAY more intense than college. Sure, those kids likely did continue at college (one of many reasons dd wanted to stay away from our state schools), and likely partied even harder there.

But it's a lot easier to not party and not feel excluded in college than it is in high school, at least in our area. Don't get me wrong, her first freshman dorm floor was pretty bad with drugs. But figuring that out, dealing with it, and finding her own way was a great life lesson.

I don't mean to pick on you, Jennasis. You were just the most recent one that mentioned this, but it's been a recurrent theme on the commuting to college/not helping your kids posts.
 
I already said this on the other thread, but I'll elaborate a bit here.

I commuted for the last two (well, 2.5 because the 2+2 transfer plan really wasn't, but that's a different can of worms) years of my bachelors, about 2.5-3 hours, depending on what time of day I was coming and going. More in lousy weather... and this is Michigan, we get a lot of that. I did it out of necessity - this was the degree I went back for in my 30s, not my straight-out-of-high-school degree program, and we weren't about to uproot our three kids to be closer to a university.

Since I was a non-traditional student in a mostly traditional student body, it is hard to parse how much of my general detachment from the campus environment and departmental activities was because of commuting and how much was just a lack of things in common with my classmates. I did skip a lot of the departmental networking events and guest speakers and such because it was just too hard to make sure I was on campus for those things, which mostly took place in the evenings, and I wasn't able to be involved in the pre-professional extracurriculars in my field because those were 100% designed for those who live on campus. And because the school is focused on traditional students, I had a very hard time managing my schedule to limit the number of days I had to commute, so for half my time there I was making the drive 4-5 days/week.
 
I also commuted by choice. I was lucky enough that my parents footed my entire college bill. They gave me a choice. Either they would pay for room and board or they would buy me a car to commute (yes I am spoiled). I chose the commute option and two years later I am still driving my car and I love it. I do not regret my choice at all, even aside from getting my car out of it. I don't feel like I missed out on a single thing. I viewed college as a job. I was not there to make friends. I was there to get a degree. I actually felt like I had more freedom as a commuter than I would have had by living on campus.
 
While I agree that community colleges and/or commuting are perfect options for some, could the Dis please drop this thought that going "away" to college is all about partying?

The partying at my dd's high school, as well as most in our general area was WAY more intense than college. Sure, those kids likely did continue at college (one of many reasons dd wanted to stay away from our state schools), and likely partied even harder there.

But it's a lot easier to not party and not feel excluded in college than it is in high school, at least in our area. Don't get me wrong, her first freshman dorm floor was pretty bad with drugs. But figuring that out, dealing with it, and finding her own way was a great life lesson.

I don't mean to pick on you, Jennasis. You were just the most recent one that mentioned this, but it's been a recurrent theme on the commuting to college/not helping your kids posts.
It's the same with the thought that commuters can't make friends or enmesh in the school, etc.

I guess a lot of these are based on real experiences, but they often discount that things can be different for many.
 
I like seeing on this thread that commuting, holding down jobs and paying rent in some cases, helped some of us "grow up" just as living in a dorm does for many.
 
I attended a university that was about 30 minutes from my parents home. My parents helped with tuition, and said my living options were: 1) pay my own room and board to live on campus, or live at home for free but I'd have to buy my own car pay my own commuting costs.

I chose to live on campus the first two years in the dorms. However, dorm living wasn't really "my thing," and my roommate decided she was going to move in with her boyfriend. At that point, I started thinking "Do I really want to go through finding new roommates? And wouldn't the money be better spent on a car anyway, that could last me more than just these last two years?" So I moved home, bought a car, and commuted.

I'm not sorry that I lived on campus. My son is a senior and recently made his college decision. He was considering a nearby university (within commuting distance) and one that was farther away. I suggested that he plan to live on campus the first year at either place. I think it really helps you "grow up" a little, and you're more connected with the resources on campus, etc.

I'm also not sorry that I moved home. I did it for financial reasons... and because the campus living thing wasn't for me. I think it was the right decision at the time. Sometimes I do wonder what I would have done if moving home WASN'T an option. I'm sure I would have worked it out somehow... and that probably would have been okay too.
 
When I graduated high school, I went to college 2.5 hours from home. The summer after my junior year, I had an internship 30 minutes from my home. At the end of the summer, they asked me to stay. I was lucky, my college was willing to work with me. I was able to schedule all my classes into two days a week (with one or two considered self-study and I'd check in with the prof on those days) so that I could work the other 3 days a week plus weekends at the job. I commuted back and forth two days a week. It was well worth it for the income and secure job before graduation since DH and I got married a month after graduation.

I went back to school as an adult and commuted 45 minutes to the nearest community college. It took me 3 years to complete my associates, and I was in school 4-5 days a week. This was the quickest, cheapest, and easiest way for me to get a degree while managing my family.
 
On the bright side, I paid 100% of my college education, I worked 35 hours per week and took 21 credits per semester and went to all summer sessions and between semester sessions. I graduated in 2.5 years with a 4-year degree and only $9,000 in loans. Ah, the good old days. My kids would never have been able to get out so unscathed.

I'm quite certain students at my college weren't allowed to take more than 17 credits per semester until they were juniors and had a GPA of perhaps 3.25.

I lived on campus all four years and worked perhaps 12 to 15 hours per week during semesters. I needed time to party. The summer between freshman and sophomore years I took two classes at the local branch of my university and commuted.

Older DD attended the state university about a 20 minute drive away. She commuted the first year but then wanted the "full college experience" so she lived in dorms and college-run student apartments the other years.

Younger DD commuted to community college for a year, then took a year off. She decided she'd rather live with her father in California and enrolled at a state university. It was a good 90 minute drive away. She only went part-time for a year so she commuted. Then when she enrolled full-time she lived on campus for the duration.
 

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