Commuting for SLP graduate school

[TeamNoSleep]

I already asked this question on here, but I got to learn more about the program that I am interested in attending for this fall. The program that I would really like to attend is about 1 to 1:10 hour commute, however, I found out that the first semester, I only have to go to campus for classes 3x a week, and the semesters after that (in which I begin my clinical placements) I'm only required to drive to campus for classes 2x a week. They try to to work with you to get placements near where you live. I also found out that about 5-10 students a year usually commute from my city as well and heard that it's definitely doable. With all of this information, do you guys think its a good idea to commute? Thank you!

[beemissi]

I think only you can decide and commit if it’s doable. It’s only two years, so it may be bearable to know that the end is in sight.

I was making this decision a few weeks ago. My other factor also included getting my children to/from school. In the end, I decided against the long commute school. While the commute was a factor in my decision, the cost of that school was almost double of my other program and was the deciding factor. If I were a young new grad and it was my only option for school, I’d make it work. :) Good luck deciding! 1 hour really isn’t terrible - there are a lot of great SLP podcasts to help pass the time. 

[Bmay80]

I currently commute to my job 45-60 minutes, on a good traffic day. I live in Northern VA. Those commute times don’t sound bad to me. We have parents who drive over an hour to bring their child to the school I work at? You will have an end in sight? Good luck!

[Bookworm111]

If there is a way for you to use public transport instead of driving, you could use the commute time to study or get things done. I have to spoken students who use their commute time as 'study time' by going through key concepts in their mind or listening to audio recordings of their notes/lectures during driving time. If this is a possibility, it may help in making productive use of that time. If not, it is not uncommon for students to have that kind of commute, especially if you are going to be doing it only 2-3 times a week. I personally would not hesitate to take on that commute.