The Center for Student Activities and Leadership Development asked students to submit stories about commuting. Thoughts about their commuting experiences that might be helpful to new and incoming student are shared here.
If you would like to submit a story or experience for the Commuter Stories, e-mail bednarz@marywood.edu. All submissions will be given consideration, but inclusion is solely at the discretion of the web administrator.
Many times, commuters find themselves coming to class, and then going right home. I know how this is because I used to do the same exact thing. I know you've probably heard the saying, "Get involved!" over and over again, but that really is the key to getting to know people. When you are walking around campus, and you see all those posters advertising activities, take some time and actually read them. You might find something that really interests you. Also, don't be afraid to start a conversation with someone else. There are many other students out there that are in the same position as you. When you are sitting next to someone you don't know in class, introduce yourself and talk to them. It is definitely worth it to open up a little, try new things, and interact with people. If you meet some new people and make friends, it will make your time at school much more enjoyable.
Being a Commuter at Marywood University has been one of the highlights of my college experience. Not being from the area, I am from Binghamton, NY, I am what some say a Commuter Resident, a student who is not from the area, but lives off campus. I believe by living off campus and not being from the area, I have learned a lot about myself and have become more of a mature adult.
I believe that it is important for a commuter to be active in extracurricular activities. One of my fears when I moved off campus was losing out on my college experience, because living on campus has really made my college experience worthwhile. So, to make sure that I would not lose out of this experience I became more involved with extracurricular activities. I became Council of Clubs Prefect, which is also a member of SGA, Vice-President of the American Chemical Society Marywood Chapter, and became a Student Activities Intern, which I believe has been the most important extracurricular activity that I took up. Now with becoming a Commuter Assistant, I am sure this will be an experience that will also add to my college experience.
-John Driscoll
Waking up to an alarm going off at 7:00 am just to make it to your first class on time seems incredulous to the majority of students. But for a typical commuter student, it is an every day process. Most people think that commuter students are at a disadvantage compared to residential students, being that they miss out on the college life experience, such as living away from home and the freedom that comes with it. Life for a commuter student doesn't have to be that way. All commuter students have access to every event that is available on campus. They have the same potential to get involved in all campus activities and organizations, but most don't.
There are now resources on campus to help get commuter students involved. One of these resources is the Commuter Committee. There are also four new Commuter Advisors this semester, and I am one of them. Our job is basically to keep the commuter students informed about the upcoming activities on campus and try to get commuters involved in those activities. I was never always a commuter student. For my first three years of college I went to George Mason University in Virginia, and I was a residential student. Then I transferred here to Marywood my senior year and became a commuter. With gas prices high, and parking spaces limited, it is understandable for the irritations of commuting to school. But commuting can also have its benefits. At the end of the day we can just jump into our cars and drive home to the familiarity of family and friends, but always having in the back of our minds that at 7:00 am that alarm is going to be buzzing again.
-Sarah Williams
