5 Tips from a Commuter Student

If you commute to school, you're in good company. Here's how to have a great uni experience even when travelling to classes.

The author of this piece spent two-and-a-half years commuting back and forth from Barrie, Ontario, to Tyndale University — up to three times a week (often for 8 AM classes on Mondays), so they really know their stuff! Here's how you can get the most value out of your university experience as a commuter student:

1. Figure out how to get to class on time

This is especially important if you live out of town! If you know someone in the community you're going to be driving to, ask them about the local traffic and road conditions. Local knowledge is nearly always the best.

If you like freeway and highway driving, thinking that you can get there faster, realize that you may also end up in gridlock or stuck behind the scene of a collision. If you don't mind getting up earlier and taking the slower backroads in the morning, you might find yourself less stressed when you get to class.

2. Understand that travel time affects more than just your commute

It means less time for sleep, and for schoolwork, than if you live on campus. And if you live with your family, it means less time with them — or even less sleep for you.

That's why time management skills as a commuter student are so important. You only have so many hours in day. If you can listen to lecture recordings during your commute, or perhaps read textbooks while you're on the train, you'll have an easier time keeping up with your schoolwork.

3. Start your class readings before the semester begins

Especially if you are a slow reader (see #2 above). Try ordering your class materials from the university bookstore as soon as you receive your acceptance letter and start reading as soon as they arrive. By doing this, you might surprise yourself how stress-free the first few weeks of class can be.

If you keep it up, you might appreciate having extra time to work on your end-of-semester assignments.

4. Take the time to get to know your professors

While you might be tempted to make a run for the parking lot after your last class, it's well worth the effort to introduce yourself to your profs early in the semester, even it is only to say hello and let them know who you are, or to ask a question about an assignment (even if you already know the answer).

5. Get to know your fellow students, too!

When I graduated, my commuter classmates and I were lamenting the fact that we had never really gotten to know each other over the years. And then we drove off into the sunset one last time, while the undergrads who lived on campus were weeping on each other's necks, promising eternal loyalty to one another.

As for me, to this day I only know the whereabouts of one fellow classmate.

Building relationships with your classmates is more challenging as a commuter, but it can be done. These connections can follow you beyond university and into the workforce, so try your best to make some friends when you're on campus.