Commuting sucks. It really, really does.
When I decided to attend Belmont last May, it didn’t occur to me how much commuting to college would affect my experience.
It wasn’t until after the candlelight service at Welcome Week, when I saw everyone else prance back to their dorms to mingle while I peeled away from the crowd, got in my car and drove home to my “dorm” that I learned very quickly my college experience was going to be far different from everyone else’s.
Having a dorm, a roommate, a meal plan or even a designated gazebo is foreign to me. Instead, I’m used to living with my family and dogs, carrying a lunch box and having a designated parking spot –right next to the elevator, oh yeah.
Not having the typical college experience does affect my involvement with Belmont.
I tend to not know what events are going on, miss evening convos, sports games, club meetings, group project meetings, late night cram sessions –facing traffic, staying after school for another five hours or driving across town just isn’t worth it–, and not use areas of the school, like the gym or the library.
Not being fully involved with Belmont definitely makes meeting new people and forming friendships a challenge. It’s easy to feel isolated and lonely, and it’s even easier to feel discouraged from further getting involved with the school to meet new people.
Even with the woes of commuting, I somehow manage.
Commuting, I learned, is a skill. It’s another part of my schedule, and I always need to take it into account. Commuters, especially freshman commuters, deserve a round of applause and a pat on the back, because commuting sucks.
It really, really does.
This article was written by Nina Kim.