Many people believe that students have to live on campus to be considered a college student, but that is not true.
Most students at Cabrini University are commuters, according to Cabrini University’s website. They live at home or in an off campus apartment. Being able to commute to school saves students money and allows students to feel more comfortable in their college experience.
Being a commuter in college comes with a lot of responsibility. Commuters have to make sure that they will be able to commute to school, adjust to traveling times, while also keeping up with their school work or job. As a commuter student, there is not an option to have class two minutes away from your dorm. Instead, students have to travel whether it is from their home or an off campus apartment.
College students choose to commute to college because it is less expensive than being a resident, multiple students on Cabrini’s campus. At Cabrini University, it costs $32,830 to be a commuter, this is less expensive compared to being a resident which is $45,420, says Cabrini University’s website. The price is significantly different but Cabrini does not treat thier commuter students any differently.
Cabrini offers a commuter lounge for their commuter students which is located in the basement of The Holy Spirit Library. This is greatly appreciated by commuter students because it gives them the opportunity to still be involved on campus. In the commuter lounge, students sometimes host commuter parties to introduce other commuter students and create a community.
Some students say that being a commuter can be boring but others say otherwise.
“I prefer to live off campus because it gives you a break from the environment and you do not have to pay for room and board which is a plus,” Atiyah Lopez, senior criminology major, said. Having an option to still be a part of the university while students live on their own also grants people the college experience. It may not feel like the average experience but it can be with the right friend group and mindset.
The advantages of living off campus vary. Student have their own space, more food options, and flexible hours. Students are not comfortable with sharing dorms and bathrooms so living off campus gives you the option to have everything to yourself or be around people you are comfortable with. This may not seem like a big deal to others but it can be to someone else. People find it difficult to connect with others so if having your own space is what keeps you comfortable and motivated, go for it.
“The only thing that I could say that I appreciate about being a residential student is that my classes are literally one minute away from my dorm, other than that, I would love to live off campus if I had my own apartment,” Isaiah Saddler, junior writing major, said.
Problems that you may run into while being a commuter is that your car could break down, class can be cancelled while you are five minutes away from school, weather conditions, you might not make friends unless you put yourself out there, and public transportation might be down. To avoid these encounters, it is always smart to leave an hour or 30 minutes before your classes start. You would want to do this because traffic can be heavy and car troubles could possibly happen. When it comes to public transportation, try to have a backup ride just in case the train or bus decides not to run on the day that you are going to school.
With making friends, join as many clubs as possible and always stay on the lookout for the school calendar. Being a commuter does not always have to consist of your going to class and always going home. If you have extra time on your hands, hang out on campus and explore the great clubs and activities that they have going on.
