Commuter! Ugh, how would I ever start to branch out and make my own way if I wasn't going to be living on campus? I hadn't even started college yet and I had already set myself up to fail because I let an insignificant status try to hold me back. Upset and seemingly defeated, my friend who was also in the same boat as I, spoke over scalding coffee about how our college years would be a continuation of high school and how our social life would be non-existent. How could I possibly become part of a community that at the end of the day returned to dorm rooms to try and build new friendships? I wish I had known how quickly my views on commuting would change when I actually started my first weeks of college.
I would like to say that this video is an accurate portrayal of a commuters lifestyle (and for some it might be), but it's not. The first weeks of going to classes I understood the importance of packing the important items for surviving on campus without a dorm, keeping track of things like keys and money. While I did bring books with me to classes, I made sure to not over load but instead just pay attention to what my professors said we would need. Whether this is wrong or right I dressed for fashion and comfort making sure to not resemble a kid lost in the Antarctic when it was warm or like a girl on a Hawaiian vacation when it was cold. But at the end of the day everything still came down to the social life for me when the educational things were up.
I learned rather fast that if I planned to make new friends in college I would need to get involved. Being a commuter I swore this would be a hard task, but if anything I would find that I had made better strides in the social arena than many of my friends living on campus. I made sure to actually attend different club functions, become an active member of the Rutgers community, and get involved in programs that peaked my interest so that I could start building lasting relationships. Unlike some of my high school experiences, I didn't let not having friends come with me to different activities hold me back and I decided to be more outgoing and open so that I would try and enjoy the new experiences that college had to offer. I swore to myself that my days on campus would not end with my last class and instead chose to really become part of the mixing pot in every way.
Months later I can proudly say that I have really managed to balance my school and social life, and that commuting has in no way impeded my progress. I am part of many different communities on campus and my group of friends has grown because of this. While I do love coming home to my bed and seeing my family, I also enjoy crashing on a friend's floor and hanging with my second family #teamdon'tjudgeme even more. So if anything never let that commuter status deter you on your adventures in the college arena!
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