Commuters are Students Too, So Get Involved!

When thinking about college life, it’s easy to get caught up in the Hollywood ideal. Sure, Elle Woods made studying all night seem fun, and yeah, Bartleby Gains did seem to live it up while exploring education and throwing endless parties. Becca even made becoming the star of an A Capella club seem not only easy, but probable, and who could ever forget Notre Dame star, Rudy Ruettiger. Rarely, however,  is there the thought that students don’t actually live on campus. The glorification of on-campus living does a disservice to the millions of commuter students who travel back and forth to school each day. Hey, they’re student’s, too! While it’s easy to feel disenfranchised as a commuter student, there are many ways to take part in college life and feel like a valued part of your school community.

Go Ahead, Join!

Joining a club or taking part in the volunteer activities offered at almost all colleges and universities is the first step to enjoying the college experience. Yes, in the beginning you may not know anyone, but joining a club centered around an activity you enjoy assures that you will be with people who have like-minded interests. Instead of standing around awkwardly hoping that no one notices you’re new, you can strike up a conversation about your experiences. Attempting to get to know people without having any shared experiences can be tough, that’s why joining an activity is crucial - you will already have something to talk about. Even more compelling is that you won’t have to stretch your interests to find something that is appealing. Most colleges offer hundreds of clubs - from music and sports to art and even horticulture.

Work On Campus

Commuters usually commute for a reason: it’s cheaper, there are responsibilities at home, housing elsewhere is more appealing, etc… However, almost all commuters have jobs, and most often, they are off-campus. So here’s an idea: try working on-campus. If you can finagle a position at your school, your co-workers will be fellow students or even classmates, allowing you to know more people and feel more involved in the campus community. Working on-campus also assures that you are familiar with the various buildings and departments at your school, as your duties will include working in places that you may have never thought about entering otherwise. Sure, you may have never set foot in a gym to workout, but working the front desk will give you contact with many students you may not see in your daily routine.

Take Part in Campus Sponsored Activities

Every college has departments dedicated to enhancing the student experience and they will regularly host events that are free to students or can be enjoyed for only a minimal fee. These include concerts, athletic events, comedy shows, and trips to off campus sites, such as museums. As a commuter, you may have to come back to campus to enjoy these events, which undoubtedly means getting out of work early, getting a ride, or just getting off your couch, but it will be worth it. Sharing new experiences with your fellow students will only help to make you feel like you belong and will enhance your overall college experience.

Although being a commuter can sometimes make you feel like you’re on the outside looking in, there are many ways to get involved and shake the feeling of being an outsider. Getting involved in clubs, campus-sponsored activities, and working at school are all good gateways to becoming more socially adept in an unfamiliar place. So the next time you have an opportunity to join -  do it - Bobby Boucher did, and look how he turned out.

When Coffee Doesn’t Cut It: Try Different Ways To Energize

Coffee goes well with a bagel, or a donut, or even a piece of plain toast. But there are a few things it goes even better with: namely, all-nighters, 15-page papers, and final exams. Coffee is as much part of college culture as, well, 15-page papers and final exams. Although coffee goes well with school work, it’s more so that the combination is a necessity, like cereal with milk.

If you drink coffee now, you’re likely to consume even more in college. And if you don’t, you’ll probably start.  Coffee has been and will forever be not just the crammer’s drink of choice, but the preferred beverage of the everyday student looking for that boost after an 8 a.m. bio exam. Some students are unable to escape the addicting, bitter hold of a half-a-pot-a-day habit; it’s something they’ll live with for the rest of their lives.

But before you become addicted, try another means of staying energized—and no, don’t just replace the coffee with some just-as-caffeinated, chemical-laced energy drink (you’re probably better off sticking to coffee in that case).

You’ve probably heard that exercising more will actually increase energy levels. It’s understandably difficult to hit the gym when you’re tired, but in this case, peer pressure can actually benefit you. As you’ll see during your first couple weeks, heading to the gym and being active are a big part of college life. While some freshmen are probably hoping just to stay clear of the dreaded “freshman 15,” most students workout to stay healthy, go figure. And as an activity that can be social,prepare to be asked many times if you want to go to they gym; don’t forget to pack your gym clothes. Regular exercise will keep those energy levels higher, and you’re guaranteed to feel better afterward. Instead of reaching for coffee, take a 10-minute treadmill jog and compare results.  

Perhaps the gym’s just not for you, and you don’t like running and didn’t bring a bike to school. Fear not. College offers an array of different activities designed to get you moving and energized. Join a yoga club, play an intramural sport, receive credit to take a karate or swimming class. Some exercise will do you more good than a 20-oz coffee, and conversely, it’ll probably help you sleep at night.

If your dorm room is loaded up on snack foods, how much of it is actually healthy? Have anything high in protein or fiber? Most packaged, sweet snacks are high in carbohydrates, so that means quick energy and then, like coffee, a crash. Keep those snacks varied; toss in some fruit, nuts, or healthier cereal into the mix. And since college’s busy lifestyle might have you missing meals now and then, remember to actually eat! Coffee is coffee, but if it’s the only thing in your system, good luck feeling energized.

Napping, of course, is a great energy enhancer. Just try and not let those naps become six-hour sleeping sessions. Maintaining a regular sleeping schedule can be tough with classes starting and taking place at all hours of the day and evening. But don’t let your schedule rule your life. No matter if it’s late or early, go to bed around the same time and wake up around the same time. Staying up until dawn and then compensating with extra sleep will only throw your internal clock out of alignment, and  an out-of-whack body is not an energized body.

Remember, you shouldn’t have to quit coffee cold turkey. You’ll know when you’re drinking too much, and that’s when it’s time to look into other means of energy. Still, allow yourself a cup or two when you’d like. It can be a great study aid, just don’t over do it.  

Call Your Parents More Than Just When You Need Something!

As busy as you may become while in college, there’s always time for a quick call home, right? You might think so, but you also might be guilty of calling home only when you need something … like more money! In all honesty, hopefully you think of your parents for more than that reason, but finding time to call home can be tough. College life isn’t very conducive to calling home, as college life’s schedule is defined by lack of a schedule. You might be up studying, at a night class, or out to a party, leaving you without a chance or a regular time to call home.

Then, when you do have to call home, there will usually be a reason behind it, a reason other than just to see how mom and dad are doing (although you can bet they’ll be wondering how you’re doing!). If you do get into the habit of calling only when you need something, you can really surprise them by calling just to check in. It will be an appreciated call.

There are, of course, parents who call too much. You wake up, mom’s on the phone. You brush your teeth, dad’s on the phone. You get to class, mom’s calling again … cause she forgot to say “love you” when you hastily hung up the first time! Calls from parents can get a little excessive, so it sometimes helps to make a schedule. As mentioned, it can be tough sticking to a day-to-day calling routine since college life can be so chaotic. Still, if you plan to talk every night, or even every other night, in the evening, you’ll have looser guidelines that will still provide a chance to talk.

While being busy can be a somewhat legitimate excuse for not making a call home when you know you should, there’s no reason you can’t keep that call brief. With the five or ten minutes it takes to walk to class, you can make that needed call and waste no time at all! (And if you need a reason to get off the phone, well, we don’t think your parents will object to you wanting to get to class on time.) Sometimes, too, even though you’ll be doing new things every day, it can feel like there’s not a lot to talk about. The truth is, it doesn’t matter that much! You’re just talking to your parents. You can say pretty much anything, it’ll keep them happy.

The only tough part can be if they ask about a sensitive subject, such as grades. While there’s no need to lie about things, there’s also no need to get into the exact numbers if the numbers aren’t so great. But you will be lying if you say that you’re trying and you’re not! So be sure you’re putting in some effort academically.

The bottom line is, it’s a universal rule that parents like when you call. It doesn’t have to be for a long conversation and it doesn’t have to be for any specific reason. Just make the call when you’re not in need of something, and it’ll make their day. Now, even if you didn’t have the best relationship with your parents, what’s a quick call compared to having to live with them? It isn’t too much to ask, and it will be an appreciated effort.

How Much Should You Study In College?

You’ve undoubtedly heard plenty of stories about college students staying up until all hours of the night in attempt to study for some big exam the next day. Between all the coffee consumed and spaced-out states of conscious experienced the next day, it hardly sounds like an enviable undertaking. Yet, it’s inevitable for all college students, right? You’ll be stuck staying up extra late in preparation for a test the next day at least a few times during college.

The best answer, realistically speaking, is: probably. Even if you’re diligent about studying

and don’t procrastinate, since college life will have you busy, there will most likely be an occasion or two when you have to stay up the whole night or almost the whole night to cram in your studying. It sounds obvious then that plenty of studying is required to succeed in college. While that’s true, the extent of studying required shouldn’t frighten you, because if you take the right steps, you’ll be well prepared, even without suffering through an all-nighter the night before.

While we could tell you about the benefits of studying steadily as opposed to trying to cram everything in in one night, you can probably figure those out on your own. You simply won’t study your best six hours in at 3 a.m., no matter how much coffee you’ve consumed. But the amount of studying needed in the first place can vary. Don’t think that there’s some secret formula to succeeding in college without ever studying, because there isn’t. Yet by studying effectively, you won’t need to study as much.

The first step to studying is actually undertaken right while you’re in class. If you look around the classroom, whether it’s a big lecture or a small class, you’ll be surprised to see how many students are just sitting there or are doodling or even playing computer games! If you want to study more effectively and ultimately study less, you should be taking notes. By writing something down, you’ll be naturally more inclined to remember it. And, while this is obvious, you’ll need your notes to study later on.

You’ll hear many professors tell you that it’s best to review your notes shortly after they’re taken. So many say this because it’s, well, true. If you review, even if only for a few minutes, after you’ve taken notes in a lecture, you’ll help build a better foundation for remembering material. This results in less time spent studying before the big test and also makes you feel more prepared as you go. By staying up on your notes and the material, you’ll also follow along more easily with consecutive coursework. Like any class, the material builds on itself. So by staying attuned to the basics and last week’s material, you’ll be ready for the new stuff.

While it’s tough to put an exact number on how many hours you’ll need to study per class, there’s another way to lessen the overall time spent: do your reading! Teachers will constantly bring this up as well. Once again, there’s a reason for that: it works. By doing the reading for a class, you’ll be more familiar with the material presented in a lecture. No, you won’t be able to read a couple dozen pages and magically be an expert on a topic, but you will be better prepared for the next lecture and you’ll gain only more familiarity with the subject. When review and study time come around, you’ll ultimately be better prepared and know your stuff better thanks to the reading.