Commuting vs. Living on Campus
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What best suits your college experience? Should you be a commuter student or live on campus? It varies from student to student. Living on campus may seem like a pipe dream to a commuter who drives up to twenty miles a day to their university. On the other hand, the student who is living on campus might envy the commuter student, who gets to eat homemade food and has a room and bathroom. However, further, in this article, I will discuss whether a student chooses to commute or live on campus. There are pros and cons to both options.
If you are a commuting student, you can save thousands of rupees per semester by living and eating at home, as college costs are steadily rising, especially after tuition fees, hostel fees, and board fees are added to the increased college expenses. If you choose to live at home and prepare your lunch, you can save a good amount of money. However, it is not completely free, costs for fuel also come in. Furthermore, you avoid dreading dining food hall experiences while commuting because, as a commuter, you can eat your favorite food at any time; however, it should be noted that some universities have modern dining halls with delicious food ranges, which adds up to you paying more to the hostel. Furthermore, if you value your privacy, sharing your personal space with someone may be offensive. Commuters can sometimes have the best of both worlds. They can be on campus for cases and social events but go home at the end without worrying if there will be a long line. Furthermore, as a commuter, you have more freedom to do whatever you want without being constrained by time constraints. Nevertheless, commuting has its downside too; it doesn’t come without costs. Economic costs, as well as emotional costs, must be considered; for example, rising fuel prices can cause you to spend a significant amount of money traveling to university. Furthermore, if you are using the university’s bus service, due to an increase in the price of fuel, they can also increase their charges. Moreover, commuting can cost you time; depending on how far you commute, you can spend anywhere from 1 to 4 hours stuck in traffic. Just imagine your class ends at 5:30 pm and your home is 20 miles away from the university, unfortunately, you are stuck in traffic and you end up getting home at 9:00 pm, and you again have a morning class at 8:00 am with two assignments and one quiz lined up; you are going to have an emotional breakdown (at least I did when I got through this)! Additionally, there are chances of missing out on opportunities, whether they be social events late at night or other on-campus activities; commuting can lead to a sense of exclusion from the campus community. There is also less time for due assignments and quizzes, depending on what time you return. Being a commuter brings greater responsibility such as there is increasing stress of being on time for early classes etc.
Moving on to living on campus, being on your own, and learning to live in a communal environment is very important for a student’s college experience. There is a sense of freedom and responsibility, and it also gives you chances to make lasting memories and friendships. Thus, living on campus gives you that college experience. Adding on it helps on saving you from fuel expenses. However their downsides to living on campus too such as it is really expensive as living on campus expenses add to the tuition fees as well. Often, a large number of students living on campus come from outside the station, and the majority of them live in small cities. Because their lifestyles differ, they often become homesick and find it hard to adjust to the environment, and they cannot even travel back every day to meet their families. The biggest disadvantage of living on campus is limited privacy. Living on campus might present privacy challenges due to roommates and competition for the ideal study spot. There is less personal space, and it could be challenging to concentrate if a quiet area cannot be located quickly. Laundry may be difficult to find time for depending on how busy the time or day is. There are benefits and drawbacks to both options, whether you decide to commute or live on campus. If you plan to live on campus, look into available financial aid to lower your debt, and think about finding an apartment off campus with a roommate in your junior or senior year or later (most institutions don't allow students to live alone off campus before then). But there is still a lot to be thankful for, from taking part in the weekend or late-night activities to making special memories with your pals as you collectively navigate the earliest stages of adulthood. Similarly, if you commute, consider what you're obtaining rather than what you could be missing out on. Students who live on campus frequently yearn for their homes and families. There are many other events you can attend while still being able to go home at the end of the day, even if you can't make it to that 9 p.m. movie viewing. Additionally, making a schedule in advance will help you decide which events fit best with your schedule and which you should attend or skip. Whether or not you do whatever works best for you, there are many advantages to both living on or near campus and commuting.
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