Lovelyish

Find a good, safe place to sleep on campus (if your commute is far or you don’t have your car). I always hid up on the highest floor in the library in one of the study cubbies to nap.
Bring enough money with you to pay for both your commute and to nourish yourself, if you’re not planning on bringing food along. It’s no fun going hungry because you have to save for the ride home.
Try to schedule group meetings on days when you know you will already be at school. Nothing worse than commuting on your day off.

@starcrossedloversdivine@xanga - Thank you. I forgot the last part. I hate going into school on my days off. I also hate when people are only available on my day off, especially since I take the busy.

I made it a point to find a nice quiet off campus cafe to do work at when I had big breaks in between classes. It’s less of a distraction when you aren’t surrounded by a bunch of fellow students. 

@Ashley Nicole Anders@facebook - Joining clubs is important for your resume after college. Places look at that and see if you’re involved. I have a 3.7 GPA and I’m still involved like crazy. 

These are my experiences; I never said they were yours. No need to be oppositional

@Ashley Nicole Anders@facebook - Same here. Libraries are waaayyy toooo quiet for me. They’re so quiet that small noises end up distracting me more than if people were just talking and turning pages at a normal frequency. I like being around people but not a part of them, when it comes to studying. 

And yeah… either I have to keep the laptop off, or find a cafe that doesn’t offer wireless. 

@lilacism@xanga - One of the reasons I have gotten the internships I have, is because of all the extracurriculars I’m involved with, it shows that not only can I keep a 3.4 GPA, but I can also organize my days between different meetings clubs and such… If I wasn’t in any clubs, I’d probably still have my 3.4 GPA and I would eat/watch TV a lot more :p So I totally agree with you, doing something other than studying is extremely important

I just love how these commuter thingy posts speak only of people who stayed home and go to a local college. I left home, moved to a city that is three hours away and I never lived on campus (thank goodness!).

always bring snacks from homee!! 

all of the clubs i’d be interested in at school are at the same time. we have “common hour” on mondays, wednesdays, and fridays, and it’s the one hour of those days where there are no classes scheduled. i’m in one organization, but all the others i’d like to be in are at the same time so it’s hard to do other stuff and meet other people. and i’m already not outgoing and can’t meet people on my own. so it kinda sucks.

@Ashley Nicole Anders@facebook - It is quite difficult to work, be in clubs and be a student full time with a difficult major whilst maintaining a GPA above 3.5/4.0.  I had 3 jobs (now 2), am in two clubs and I’m finishing up two degrees. Sometimes it makes me miserable.

It’d be better to focus on one thing, like interning at a job related to your major or prospective career, rather than stretch oneself too thin.

I go to a commuter school, it’s 15 minutes away from my home of 18 years.
I work on-campus 20 hrs/week but they work really well with my school schedule. I guess I’m part of “President’s Scholars Club” by default but I don’t really participate in it.
Find somewhere awesome to nap. In the 3rd floor library’s girls bathroom, they have this like antechamber with 2 flat bed/couch-like things. I totally nap there It’s not frequented often either, so it’s really nice. This also means I can actually go #2 there if I wish to lmao, cus I feel totally awkward pooping around other people :’(

@starcrossedloversdivine@xanga - I knew someone who would sleep in their car between classes! haha! We had security & all but I would still be worried. You never know who’s watching & you can overheat in the car if you dont crack a window.

I like your idea better but what did you do with your bookbag/purse? Did you use it as a pillow? What I do is I keep my wallet & keys in a pocket you cant get to without waking me & I sleep on my bag. This was if some ass runs off with my stuff, I can get home & not worry about someone getting my important things. All they would get away with is some books & useless papers. lol

@Ashley Nicole Anders@facebook - Clubs look good on your resume. They also help with social life if you aren’t in a dorm. I’m the secretary for a club on my campus. I have a full course load and two jobs. It’s not hard to keep up with. Sure the meetings are hard to get too, but that’s just college life. Actually that’s just life. But you make do.

@Shinbi_Belldandy@xanga - I went to a school in north philly, but luckily they had campus police (better than the phila police imo) and tight security in the buildings, so I felt pretty safe with my stuff in my quiet little cubby on the 3rd floor in the library. There were people who would take up whole couches in common areas though. I don’t even know what they did with their things.

I wish you wrote this blog 4 years ago… -_- Haha. Great tips though! I’m thinking of joining a club my last semester – either tennis or chemistry. Late… but better than never, right?

@lilacism@xanga - Some people still struggle with maintaining club involvement, like me. I don’t have enough stability in my schedule and as a transfer my opportunities to get exposed to and involved in clubs didn’t really come up. Club activities aren’t the only way to set yourself apart for future adventures but they are great if you have the opportunity to get involved in something you are interested in. Study abroad, research opportunities, and especially contacting admissions directors personally (even without a full resume) are all additional ways to set yourself apart from the crowd when applying to grad school.

I agree with Ashley Nicole Anders. I know that to add a bunch of activities/clubs to my schedule would only make it more difficult for me to maintain a 3.5 GPA, which I’m just barely managing now because of all the work I have in my honors classes and science w/lab classes.

Not that this isn’t a good post for other commuters who can follow these 4 points and still succeed, but I think it can’t apply to all commuter students because some of us are more introverted than others and/or really do find it difficult to add clubs and social activities to our already crazy schedules. Aside from being members of clubs, I’m sure there are other opportunities, like the ones Jinnex have mentioned, that will be just as effective in making you stand out to a graduate school or future employer.

@Ashley Nicole Anders@facebook - I guess not all people can be well-rounded and managed time. Again this is advice. Not something you have to follow. 

Bringing lunch from home is a big help. Thrusdays I’m on campus from 9:30-5pm. I try to mix it up and bring sandwiches one day and some sort of pasta salad that won’t go bad in my bookbag. And if your campus offers free lockers GET ONE! My campus offeres laptops that you can rent for a day as well as a commuter resource center with showers and a sleeping area. But I have this thing for sleeping outside so….

I commute and have joined a few clubs but then again my gpa is subpar. 

@lilacism@xanga - That is a rude response to @Ashley Nicole Anders@facebook - . Would it be nice if I said that you have the luxury to join clubs because you are a criminal justice major? My comment sounds disrespectful, right? You should rethink what you wrote. Usually, I do not make comments like this, but I need to point out what you’ve done. You intended to provide tips to be helpful, but your snide remark is counterproductive to your cause.

P.S. The advice that you shared may not apply to everyone’s lifestyles, but they are helpful overall.

@brittany_7x@xanga - That’s how it is at my school. Makes it SO hard to get involved in more than one club.

I’m currently part of two clubs. One meets once a month and the other meets weekly, so I try to balance those two out. However, I also work so I can’t really request off just for club meetings because I need money for gas.

Oh well. I guess my 3.7 GPA and 2 customer service jobs will compensate for my lack of actual campus activity hahaha

I don’t really want to join any clubs though. Meh. I mean, I get how it definitely looks good on a resume, but if I’m not at school, I need to be working or studying. Adding on a club just sounds like another chore. I guess I’m just not one of those awesomely well-rounded people, just a skilled artist who wants to get a good GPA and maybe find time to help out at an animal shelter. (That sort of volunteer work sounds way more productive and beneficial than, say, joining Spanish Club.)

@irisbitterman- Yes, I am definitely more introverted and I have a small group of friends already. I enjoy social activities as much as the next person, shyness and quiet nature aside, but I’d rather find stuff to do outside of the school. That, and I’ll find other ways to look good on my GPA, like entering art competitions and placing well.

@Shinbi_Belldandy@xanga - I sleep in my car! It’s easy and I get my privacy. Not as easy in the summer though, it’s too damn hot. But fuck sleeping anywhere in the building, there’s too many people milling about everywhere.

I used to have two jobs and be in a few clubs before I had to transfer.  I lived on campus then.

At my current school, I live off campus and have to take the bus.  I don’t have any jobs and I’m not a part of any clubs.  I just don’t have the time.  I’m still trying to get used to the area, this school, the way the professors work, etc.  I’m barely surviving and that’s without being involved whatsoever.  

During my week, I spend about 14 hours driving, 34-40 hours at work, at 17 hours at school.

I’m at school/work 6 days a week, and 4 of those 6 days I have 12 hour days between school and work.

And I have homework ontop of that.

Clubs?  No thank you.

holy pet peeve… there’s alot of g.p.a.s being thrown around.

@cheesecakeloverk@xanga - I’m with you. I’m in community college now, but I spend a lot of time driving, back and forth mostly. Time at school, I work 23 or so hours a week, at my real job, I tutor two nights a week, plus my homework. and I have an online class. Clubs would be nice, but right now, my transfer school wants the GPA and the test scores, not what clubs I was in. Besides, the program I want to get into is at a satellite location and selective enough to make the clubs and whatnot not worth it. They’re only accepting 12 people into that program next fall.

how do you manage so many clubs/activities? that is crazy! between courses and work and my internship, i barely have free time to myself.

@lilacism@xanga - Mostly good advice to make the most of your commuter college experience!

However, I’d hate to burst your bubble but extra-curricular activities aren’t that impressive to employers.  If it gives you a leg up, it’s extremely minimal. When I was in college I was the vice president of my co-ed service fraternity, was part of the campus television station, was active in my “FOCUS” discussion groups, volunteered for Habitat for Humanity and even joined the college string band as a violinist for a short time.  I omitted all of those things when I applied for jobs; it just took up extra space where I should be filling in my applicable skill set. (I even omitted my English Literature minor because I majored in Electrical Engineering and my career counselor told me they’ll just get distracted by it.)  

For jobs you need to focus on marketable skill sets. Granted it depends on what you want to do – if it’s an editting job then maybe saying you are involved with the campus newspaper is good. Like for example, while I omitted all those extra-curriculars above I added my volunteer work with Engineers Without Borders, since it’s applicable to my career. However, it’s not like that involvement gave me any real leg up.  They cared more about what I can do, if I’m proficient in CAD applications for engineering design and if I can program in C++.  Ask yourself what would an employer would want in an employee. A campus newspaper gig won’t impress an employer looking for a registered nurse etc…

Overall though, extra-curriculars are a great way to meet friends!

@AmeliaHart@xanga - You need to join clubs that help with your major. For example, I’m a criminal justice major, looking to go to law school and potentially have a role in the federal government. All of my extracurriculars help with that and a lot of places look for leadership roles. I feel like you’ve been misinformed.

@cheesecakeloverk@xanga - @blackspiders@xanga - @TakingxOverxMe@xanga -  No offense, but these are just my experiences and it says MAY help you. MAY is a key word, and yes, extracurriculars are good. I don’t get what the hell the big deal is.

@lilacism@xanga - No I’m just telling you how it is. I’ve been working for almost 5 years now and have been through the interview process many times for full time career gigs.  Extra-curriculars are generally considered fluff by most employers.  Internships are vital and applicable, tangible skills are what you should focus on when it comes to getting a job.  Most career counselors advise you to take them out unless you do not have a lot of relevant experiences for your career and then you keep it in.  What I often focused on was the technical projects I did in school when I first started going for internships.  The more specific and detailed you are on your skill set the better. Vague claims of “leadership skills” aren’t too impressive to employers.

But extra-curriculars are a great way to enhance your college experience, to gain new friendships and have fun learning experiences.  Don’t get me wrong; I encourage people to get involved. But it doesn’t really help you to get a job.  And after a year or so of working you basically wipe them completely clean from your resume anyway.

@lilacism@xanga - Didn’t realize I was making a big deal.  I was just sharing my experience on the post.  I wasn’t trying to say, OMG they’re bad.  

I know that extracurriculars are good.  I used to be able to participate when I went to a different college and I loved it..  But now, I don’t have the time and my mental health can’t handle it.  
But that’s MY experience.  Sorry if that offends you.