Every morning, my alarm goes off at 6:30AM—and that is if I am running late. I shower, get ready, pack my lunch, and check to make sure everything is ready to go before walking out to my car at 7:15. Why is my morning so early? My drive to Behrend is thirty minutes one way, and I was crazy enough to take an 8 AM calculus class this semester. No, it definitely is not my love for mornings that motivates my half-an-hour drive; for me, it is saving money by living with my parents and keeping my part-time job in my hometown. Where there are a variety of reasons to live off campus (for financial and other living preferences), it can add to the challenge of a college lifestyle. With that, here are some tips that I have picked up in my two semesters of commuting.

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First, check, double check, and then triple check to make sure you have everything. Even if you think you have everything, look again. I cannot count the number of times I had to turn my car around for something as simple as a textbook or flash drive. However, once I drive so far out, it becomes worthless to miss a class to retrieve something I have forgotten. Not only will this save time (and gas for that matter), but it will also save the headache of having to go without.

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Use the driving time wisely. I could only listen to the same song by the Rolling Stones so many times before I realized I was wasting my time. I say this with respect to my favorite artists, but I listen to music while studying, at the gym, and sometimes even between class; it seemed a little redundant to add another hour of music into my day. On drives, one of the best ways to make the time go by is by listening to a podcast or an audiobook. For me, I love reading, but with five classes all demanding that I read subject-related material, I just do not have the time. Now, I get an hour’s worth of reading just by routinely driving. Another way I like to use my time is by studying. No, I do not mean pulling out a textbook or notes and reading them while driving. This works really well for Spanish when I am trying to memorize vocabulary words or for practicing speeches. I try to verbally recall all that I remember, and it is not weird to talk to myself being alone in a car.

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Lastly, stay connected to the campus. Some of the students from my hometown who commute to their college in Erie have two interests; going to class and getting home as quickly as possible. For some people, that works. However, I was really active in extracurricular activities in high school, and I knew I would never be happy with a routine that did not include them in college. It is so important to be a part of the campus in ways other than attending class. Whether it is a sport, a club, or even just friends on campus, find a way to make Behrend still feel like home (even if home is really a drive away).