It’s almost back to school time and many students are considering their housing options for next year: Should I live on-campus, should I live off-campus, or should I commute?
Like commuting for work, commuting to school can have a number of advantages over living close to (or on) campus. The closer you are to campus, the more expensive your housing will be, so if you would like to save some money, living further away from campus can be beneficial.
Much of this depends on exactly what your accommodations will be, and what your living arrangement will be. For example, if you are living at home, do you have to pay for rent, groceries, and utilities, or will your parents waive those fees for you?
If you are living in shared accommodations (student house or an apartment), are your expenses going to be cheaper than if you lived closer to campus? And how does the money you save factor when you add the extended amount of time it takes for you to get to campus?
Paul Aoanan, a second-year mechatronics engineering and management student at McMaster University, takes two buses and travels up to 50 minutes to get to school everyday from the other side of Hamilton, Ont.
Aoanan’s family recently immigrated to Canada, so being able to save money while going to school was very important to him. “School is expensive as it is. I can use the money that I have saved [through commuting] to pay for books and other school requirements.”
If you are thinking about commuting being the right option for you, the most important thing you need to consider is the amount of time it will take out of your day. “You need to plan ahead and to leave early to avoid being late or caught up in something. During the winter months, commuting can be really difficult: you must tread icy sidewalks and wait for the bus during a cold afternoon. You must also endure extreme weather,” says Aoanan.
As anyone who takes public transit often is well aware, when you are waiting for your bus in the rain (or a blizzard or a hailstorm), it is going to be late or it won’t show up at all. Similarly, as soon as you get on to your bus, the sun will come out. Murphy’s Law happens all the time when you commute.
Depending on the length of your trip and the amount of transfers you have sometimes you can do some reading or other homework while you travel. If you’re prone to motion sickness however, that’s probably not a good idea!
Like many students, Aoanan primarily uses his commute as a way to veg out: “Most of the time, I just listen to the music on my mp3 player and stare out the window. This is how I meditate and mentally prepare for school.”
Aoanan has four excellent tips to pass on to students who commute:
1. Don’t rush
Keep in mind that school is a long way and that there is no turning back in case you forget something. During winter, people who commute are prone to slips and falls while on their way to their respective destination. Walk slowly.
2. Dress properly
Watch your local weather forecast and decide if you will need to bring your heavy winter coat. We do no want to freeze outside, do we?
3. Plan the trip
Knowing when and where to go is a must.
4. Leave early
Take into account unforeseeable events such as missing the bus or the need to satisfy your hunger pangs by quickly grabbing a tea biscuit from a store.
These four things will help make commuting a breeze!
For more on commuting, check out Danielle’s other Commuting Conundrum article about commuting to and from work.
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