The New Commuter Student Checklist

Sadly enough, the lazy (or not so lazy) days of summer are going to wind to an end. A fresh batch of college students are going to set sail to their respective Universities, where term papers and ramen noodles await gleefully. However, there are many students who will not partake in the traditional idea of staying at a far off college. Especially in the current state of the economy, it's becoming more common for students to attend in-state schools and live at home to keep costs down. Commuter students also include older men and women who have decided to come back to school to take a few classes or complete a degree, but for our purposes this guide is oriented towards new freshmen. For those incoming freshmen, the college experience is obviously different as a Commuter Student than the traditional residency at the campus. But don't let that deter you; there are a few things you can do and think about to prepare for your first semester.

1. Choose a wide variety of Classes: If there's any time to experiment and discover what you're interested in and where you excel, its freshman year. Since you have to constantly drive, carpool or take a bus to and from school, make your time at your University count by branching out. If you're lucky enough to know exactly what you want to major in and where you want to go, kudos to you. But for the many that don't, taking a good mix of electives with your required courses is a good way to find out what you really want to do.

2. On that note; make sure your Class Times are appropriate: Choosing the right class times can make your college life much easier. Some of it is common sense; if you're a morning person then your snores will probably fill the air if you take an early morning class. I was always drowsy during my 9:30 morning class, but for some people that may be perfect; it's all about preference. Take into account how long your commute will take, and plan your class times accordingly. For example, if you have a thirty minute drive to campus, you don't want to schedule a class too early if you're not an early bird, or if you have to drive on roads/highways prone to heavy traffic. If you're taking a bus; make sure your class times don't conflict with the bus schedule. Of course, if you have a part-time job, then you must make sure there aren't any conflicts. Having to leave a class at a certain time to rush to your shift that's only fifteen minutes away will be very stressful. Many employers are flexible when it comes to adjusting working hours for students, so be sure to ask about it.

3. Don't miss out on On-Campus Clubs and Events: It will be natural, and probably unavoidable, to feel a bit disconnected from your University as a commuter student. It's nothing to get all sappy about; you just have to work a tad bit harder to get involved. My biggest regret during my freshman year was not joining some kind of club or going to more campus events. I missed out on too many opportunities to meet new people and have a slice of campus life and fun. Of course college isn't a cake walk, but it honestly isn't the studying or projects that are the hardest. The real difficulty of college, especially for commuter students, is achieving balance; something that most students have to experiment with to find their happy place. Strike that balance between work and play, and you'll end up much, much happier.

4. When you go to class, Make it Count: This is very important. Now if you're living at home, you don't really have the distractions of a dorm or the lack of privacy to worry about. However, there really isn't going to be anyone to kick your butt here either; you are a college student after all. Residents at the campus do have the advantages of being able to easily study in groups and having close access to professors and University resources. Because of this, commuter students need to be better at planning and time management. For some freshmen, it's just party time twenty-four seven, and for some it's studying into the wee hours of the night. Try to find the middle ground; when you go to class, actually listen and take notes. If you pay attention the first time, I can guarantee you'll save yourself many hours of playing that fun game fondly known as "catch up". I admit, I slacked off a few too many times in Chemistry class doodling while the professor was explaining a concept that took me much longer to understand studying on my own. While the people who paid attention were confident and calm while drinking iced lattes, I was always in perpetual stress; having to learn the new material while trying to completely understand the prior information. It's a vicious cycle, so when you walk into your first classes, grab them by the horns and don't fall behind.

5. Know your University: Once you know where you are going, try to find as much information about your campus as possible. Just find what pertains to you, besides the locations of your classes of course. Look for info on the Registrar's Office, Financial Aid, Professor's Offices; whatever information you feel you could use at some time. Become acquainted with your University's website and it's resources. You wouldn't want to drive all the way to some University office when what you were looking for was already online. If you want to meet with someone in some department or office at your college and you aren't already there, try to plan it out by e-mail/phone first. This way you'll be able to bring all the documents you need, and deal with your concern in one visit. Being a commuter student, it pays to be more efficient.

So dear reader, if you do these things, then by the time you go to your first class you will be ahead of the curve. College is an exciting time, and that experience doesn't need to be dampened just because you're a commuter student.