Written by Kelly Ma, Jocelyn Cruz-Garcia, and Alfredo Cruz-Garcia
Please read these three student perspectives below:
Kelly Ma, Class of '22
After graduating from high school, I was really excited to start at Chapman. It was an opportunity to learn more about myself and to break away from relying on the people I’ve known most of my life. I really wanted the dorm experience for college and to learn to be more independent. However, it just didn’t work out, and I was so nervous about it because I thought not living in a dorm would make it hard for me to make friends. However, I quickly learned that it didn’t matter at Chapman.
When Orientation Week came around, I put myself out there and reminded myself to just have fun and talk to people. At the Affinity Session, I met three people I quickly became friends with and am still close to. Although we came from different backgrounds, it was the differences that made our friendship so valuable. We also major in different areas but always find a way to connect. Orientation was one of the rare moments I could easily make friends with people from different majors during my first year.
After Orientation, I was afraid the magic would fizzle, and I would be alone again. However, I found that there are so many more people to meet, that you aren’t just confined to one group and it’s easier to just do your own thing, and be yourself! I ended up getting a commuter meal plan, which gave me a chance to hang out with my friends more often. Throughout my first year, I kept putting myself out there and tried to get involved in different campus areas. This helped me integrate on campus a lot better. The small class sizes at Chapman also contributed to helping me make some of my closest friends.
If I could do my first year as a commuter all over again or give advice to incoming commuters, I would say:
To attend more events
To not be scared parking at another structure other than Lastinger (Barrera is great too!)
To not go home right after your classes (Stick around, you might make friends while catching up on work in the library!)
Do not be afraid to initiate a conversation
Even though I am only a 20-minute commute away from home, I still consider Chapman to be my home away from home and hope future commuters can too.
Jocelyn Cruz-Garcia, Class of '21
I am a rising senior graphic design major with an honors program minor and I have been a commuter all four years and I’m from Placentia, CA. The street I live on is coincidentally, Chapman Ave lol. My typical commute is 15-20 minutes (13 minutes on a GREAT day), and I have felt all the emotions being a commuter student, however, I would say that the first year for SURE can be the most isolating, however, it doesn’t have to be that way. I knew I was going to be a commuter student when I committed to Chapman because it made the most sense financially for my family and also logically because it really only is 15 mins away. But for me personally, there was also the element of being a first-generation American and college student. My parents didn’t really know what it was like to go to college, especially in America and there is a VERY big culture divide. I knew I wasn’t going to have that dorm room experience to make friends, I made sure to make myself stay onto campus and hang out with my friends that I did make. I involved myself with my college, on-campus organizations like UPB and Delta Kappa Alpha, and did my studying in the library. My first year also consisted of having to check-in with my parents at times just to let them know that I was okay and letting them know when I would be home, which sometimes would be after 10 PM. The second-year get easier because friends moved off of campus and then suddenly most people are commuting anyways! Commuters have a special bond with each other and we see each other and know that we have similar experiences.
4 Top Commuter Tips
ALWAYS bring a couple of snacks and pack a lunch for your big class days, the best part of living at home is the food so take advantage of it.
Have a jacket or a small change of clothes in your car in case you need it! Has def saved me a couple of times.
Don’t be ashamed of being a commuter, communicate with your friends and I promise you people who are worth surrounding yourself with do not care.
Never feel like you can’t be somewhere on campus, you are just as much as a student at Chapman than someone who lives on campus. The gym, student union, and study spaces are just as much for you. The only difference is that your bed is just a short drive away.
Yeah long story short, I LOVE BEING A COMMUTER STUDENT. It wasn’t always that especially the first year, but if you have any commuter students who want to know what it’s like I will be more than HAPPY to talk to them. I know that was a little bit of a lot but let me know if there are any specific topics that you would like me to touch on in particular!!
Alfredo Cruz-Garcia, Class of '22
Hey, my name is Alfredo and I live in Placentia which is about 15 to 20 mins away from campus, I've been a commuter student for the past two years and will continue to be one this year. My first year I found it pretty difficult to make connections because on top of being a commuter I was also a spring admit, so a lot of times after finishing classes I would just end up going home since I really didn’t have a reason for being on campus. Going into sophomore year I joined a few different groups on campus, like becoming an Orientation Leader and joining Greek Life, and being a commuter did not affect my ability to be involved in these groups. Joining organizations like these gave me connections and great friends and although I commute daily getting involved in things on campus has given me a great college experience and makes Chapman feel like a second home. My one piece of advice for incoming students would be to not be afraid of stepping out of your comfort zone and making new experiences because that’s what I did and it’s made my college experience more fruitful. Feel free to reach out to me on ig @_alfredo_cruz :)