Written by Rachel Berns
Many people dream of having the college dorm experience - I was not one of those people. Sure, the thought of living within meters of all your best friends is enticing, but to me, so was the thought of having a room, kitchen, and space all to myself. Some settle for commuting; I opted for it… Let me tell you why!
Something I struggled with throughout my academic career was creating separation between my school/work life and my personal life. At a certain point, it all meshed and made it hard to find a specific time for myself. When you live on campus, you go to school, and when you go home, you’re still at school. But when you commute, you have a distinct separate space that you get to choose what to do with. Having a space to decompress that is free from any social pressure or obligation helped me a lot with clearing my head after a long day on campus. I learned to love my early morning and late-night drives because I was able to find so much relaxation in the ability to scream songs at the top of my lungs at obscure hours, which I’m sure a roommate (or an entire dorm, for that matter) would not appreciate.
I am the firmest believer that where you live does not dictate how much you are able to get involved. I have never lived on campus, and I am arguably over-involved here at Chapman, so do not feel like you are at any social disadvantage. The same way there are residential dorm specific events that will take place, there are specific opportunities for commuter students to find a community within each other. Whether that be making some new friends at the commuter student social during Orientation week, or attending a gathering put on by the Chapman Commuter Club (IG: @chapmancommuterclub), you will feel just as a part of the campus culture as everyone else. Plus, you will be widely loved by your car-less peers!
I could go on and on about the benefits of commuting. Here at Chapman, we do not charge for parking passes so there is extra money saved on top of all the money you are saving not paying for on-campus housing. This past year I (by necessity) learned to get a lot better at parking, which was a skill I had been meaning to work on. I found joy in packing snacks and meals at home to take to campus, and having those handy, knowing if I got hungry, I did not have to default to getting Starbucks in Beckman Hall for the 6th time that week.
This is by no means an exhaustive list of the reasons why commuting can be way cooler than many perceive it, but I will leave my list there on a cliff hanger and encourage you to discover your own reasons for loving the commuting life. Think about it on your next drive home from campus and let me know! Paws up :)