Campus commuters speak out

The clock reads 7:30 a.m., only a little more than an hour away from the first exam of the semester. While most students are in their dorm doing some last minute cramming, eating a tasty breakfast or sneaking in as much sleep as possible, there are a few students who are still miles away from campus, stuck in traffic.

Commuters can be found on the majority of college campuses. However, students' opinions of commuting tend to be negative. Many students believe that commuting limits the college experience.

Mark Mallory, a first-year Biology major, prefers to live in dorms on campus.

"I've got my own system worked out. I get a little more freedom," Mallory said.

Hena Joshi, a first-year Biology major, agrees.

"I really enjoy it here. I just think commuting would take too much time, and with all the work we have to do, it would just make things harder," Joshi said.

Tray Williams, a first-year Mechanical Engineering major and campus commuter, tells a different story. On average, it takes him 40 minutes to get to Tech every day, which adds up to roughly seven hours of driving a week. So how does a commuter find time to study and get involved on campus?

"It's kind of hard [to get involved] sometimes. You have to force yourself to stay [longer at Tech] to get involved instead of having it naturally happening," Williams said.

Third-year Civil Engineering major Matt Staley said he is glad he commutes to Tech. He lives 15 minutes away and shares an apartment with many close friends.

"It's like our own student community. Also, I am not restricted to the areas at Tech.For instance, I can go to a Wal-mart that is two minutes away. You get lots of options and accessibility. I sometimes play sports with other students at Georgia State and Tech," Staley said.

Of course, not all commuters have the luxury of living with their closest friends in an apartment relatively close to Tech. Distance is a huge factor in the commuter's experience, and longer drives tend to make it harder.

"Honestly, I'm trying to get on campus second semester. So much stuff [happens] on campus that I miss out on, and I think I will be able to keep up with classes better on campus. The worst part is Atlanta traffic and...getting up at 7 a.m. to make it to a 9 a.m. class," Williams said.

Besides reaping the advantages of not having to drive every day while living at Tech, there is another bonus that students living on campus have and commuters do not-a dorm room. This can be especially hard for commuters trying to find a place to study. While most students can study in their residence halls, commuters are forced to find their own study niches, such as the library or Student Center.

However, Staley has figured out some alternative places outside of Tech to go when he needs to study.

"I can get a nice, quiet study environment [elsewhere]. Plus, I have access to libraries that are newer, cleaner and less crowded than the Tech library," Staley said.

Another issue commuters have to deal with is maintaining a social life on campus. Non-commuting students have an advantage in this regard since they can easily make friends with their roommates and with other students living in their hall. Plus, because they are on campus all the time, they can hang out with friends any time of the day on any day of the week. However, this does not mean that commuters cannot have an active social life on campus, especially if they are proactive and initiate friendships. Additionally, commuters have the opportunity to have a life outside of college.

"If you had a girlfriend or job out of school, you don't have to leave them," Williams said.

The commuting experience is different for everybody. Some have found it to be much better living off campus, while some still feel like they're bumper to bumper every day, trapped in the commute.

"On the road, watch out! It feels like I'm livin' fast and furious," Williams said.