Commuting to Campus

[jaxzwolf]

I know there are a couple other threads here about commuting to campus, as well as the fairly active thread on how far most people live from campus, but I was hoping some of you could speak to actually living a good distance from campus and commuting, and how you feel it affects your life as a graduate student.

I'm entering a program in the fall in an area where housing is outrageously expensive. I would prefer to live in a studio apartment, but in this particular city even studio apartments will be beyond my means living on a grad student's stipend. I could elect to rent a room in shared housing within walking/biking distance to campus. The outlying communities in the area, however, are much more reasonably priced, and I could easily afford a studio apartment outside the city. In some cases, the cost of a studio in the outlying area is actually less than the cost of a room in shared housing close to campus.

But, of course, I would have to commute. Right now, I'm looking at 15 miles/30 minutes by car. Even factoring in the added expense of a parking permit and gas money, it looks as if I'll still spend less on housing living outside the city than if I rented someplace near campus. I'll get more space for my money, but at the cost convenience and being close to campus.

Right now I commute 19 miles/40 minutes to my job, so I'm no stranger to driving the distance every day. I'm just not sure how my schedule will differ as a grad student, and whether I'll potentially miss out on some opportunities by living farther away.

For those of you that do commute, do you think it would be worth living farther away for affordable housing? Is 30 minutes too long for a grad student schedule?

[Katzenmusik]

With a car, I don't think you would miss that much -- most department events (at least at my university) are announced well in advance, and if people want to hang out at the last minute, there's no reason you can't just leave your car parked for a few hours more. It would be slightly more inconvenient for you to say, drop by the library or swing by to pick up a graded paper, but as far as social life and blending in with your department, 30 minutes away should not pose a huge problem.

Edited to add: It won't be like undergrad where everyone is supposed to exist in a bell jar for a while in order to bond, make friends, and get along. It will be a bit more like commuting to a job.

Edited July 14, 2011 by Katzenmusik

[Eigen]

You don't say what discipline you're in, I think that might make a difference.

In the lab sciences, it's much more common to have to go in at odd hours/on weekends, and that's much easier when you live close to campus. It means if I need to be in the lab to stop a reaction at 10pm, I can at least easily run home for dinner before I come back, instead of having to stay on campus the whole time.

I had a 25 mile/30 minute commute all through undergrad, and it wasn't that big of a deal- having something that long would be much more of a pain now.

Edited July 14, 2011 by Eigen

[runonsentence]

I could see it potentially impacting socialization opportunities, if your department ends up being as social as mine or your experience at all analogous to mine. While a handful of parties are announced more formally via student listserv channels in advance, most of my socialization consists of informal (which may or may not mean, last-minute) bar outings or apartment hangouts. When I only lived a 10-minute commute away, I sometimes found it difficult to rouse myself from my very comfy couch on Friday nights during the winter to go out and socialize (most hangouts seemed to be in the neighborhood a mile off campus where many grads live). I've had a much easier time of it living in walking distance of campus in the neighborhood that most other grads live.

This isn't to say that your commute has to detract from your social life. And, in fact, it could be that your grad community lives in a more stratified way that mine does, considering the cost of living you've mentioned. But if missing out on social opportunities is something you're worried about, consider whether you'd be willing to drive back to the university neighborhood at 8 or 9 on a Friday night to take part in a casual bar outing, or whether you'd be willing to jump in your car at the last minute to take part in a social opportunity. If the answer is yes, then you'll be fine (albeit maybe inconvenienced). If the answer is no, then consider whether it's more important for you to have those social opportunities or the financial peace of mind and optimal living situation the outlying areas afford.

[jaxzwolf]

Thank you all for the responses thus far.

Eigen-- I'm in the field sciences (ecology) so most of my work will be tailored to field work during warmer months, although I do imagine that at some point in the future I may end up in the lab for periods of time. But I don't necessarily expect that to happen during my first year.

It's so hard for me now to try and extrapolate my lifestyle now and attempt to meld it with so many unknown factors-- what my program will be like, what sorts of opportunities for socialization with arise and when, how often I'll be expected to be on campus, whether I should be there all the time or try and treat it like a job with regular hours, etc.

I emailed the grad secretary in my department and asked if she knew if/how many students commute from outside the city. Hoping that 1) she was the correct person to ask and 2) she'll know if it's common practice to live close to campus or if more students save money and drive in.

Lots to think about...

Anyone else have any experience with commuting in grad school? I'd really appreciate any opinions!

[UnlikelyGrad]

Anyone else have any experience with commuting in grad school? I'd really appreciate any opinions!

Two of my four best friends here commute 20-30 minutes into school. One hates it, and the other doesn't mind so much.

The one who hates it lives in an area where 90% of the commuters live, and therefore has more traffic to cope with. Since she and her husband already owned a house down in that part of the metro area before grad school, , and they don't want to sell in this market, she will continue commuting until she finishes her degree.

The one who doesn't mind lives in a different part of town, near her husband's job. She gets here fairly early so as to avoid traffic (she says leaving early is necessary anyway...because otherwise, you can't find parking). There have been times when she's had to make the 20+ minute drive back, because she forgot to do something in lab, but those are few and far between. But, as Eigen alluded to, she also has to bring her dinner sometimes when she's doing a long and complicated synthesis.

I think it's a matter of attitude, really...the one who doesn't mind the commute is an eternal optimist, and always finds ways to justify her commute and make it more enjoyable. Whereas the one who hates her commute is a grumbler by nature. (She hates teaching...but when she's not teaching she hates being in lab all the time...you know the type.)

[starmaker]

Keep in mind that cars are a money sink. It's not just a matter of gas and parking. You also have to deal with insurance and maintenance. I never realized how expensive driving is until I dated, and then married, a car owner.

On the other hand, if this is an area with decent public transit, you may be able to do the commute without a car.

[rising_star]

Personally, I couldn't handle a 20 minute drive each way every day. But that's because I hate driving. I currently commute via a 10 minute bike ride to campus, which is easy and healthy. I guess it all depends on how you can use the time of your commute. Can you catch up on the news or listen to an audiobook or something while you drive? I used to commute on the bus and I'd read magazines or skim the reading for class during the 20 minute bus ride.

[ktel]

Personally, I couldn't handle a 20 minute drive each way every day. But that's because I hate driving. I currently commute via a 10 minute bike ride to campus, which is easy and healthy. I guess it all depends on how you can use the time of your commute. Can you catch up on the news or listen to an audiobook or something while you drive? I used to commute on the bus and I'd read magazines or skim the reading for class during the 20 minute bus ride.

I love driving. I love being in my car by myself listening to music. Besides, in my city it's practically unheard of to not own a car and commute. Public transit is just not that good.

[juilletmercredi]

30 minutes is nothing, as long as you don't mind driving.. Honestly I think it's better to live a little further from campus; you are more separated and more likely to develop a healthy work-life balance, lol. I lived 4 blocks from campus and I felt like I was always there.

As long as you have some workspace, I think a commute is fine. If you can bring your laptop to work on or if you have a designated computer space where you can do some research or whatnot on your downtime, it's worth saving the extra money, especially if it's in excess of $200 a month including the costs of your parking pass AND if you get more space. (And yes, I would rather commute 30 minutes than pay $200 more in rent.)

Get a printer, so you don't have to run for last minute printing.

In one of my departments everyone lives at least 15 minutes away from campus except me. Most of us live 30+ minutes away - and there are more than a few who live over an hour away. Our socialization is pretty good - we just meet up where people live instead of at school, or we put in long hours at school. But I live in NYC so I'm talking about public transit commuting, not driving.

[long_time_lurker]

I've visited here for a long time but never posted (hence my name) but really felt compelled to reply here.

Absolutely go for the cheaper place, and forget sharing. You need your own place. A half hour is nothing.

You, like me, already commute to work for your job so you know the drill. Think of it as commuting to work. I'll be doing an hour to school from my morning job, and 2 hours home. That's about normal here, and I'm not worried about it, so don't sweat a half hour. In fact I envy your upcoming commute - my commute to work in the morning is a minimum of 30 minutes too, but for 5.5 miles.

It seems to me that the people on this and similar posts who recommend living walking distance to campus are people who never got out of that undergrad "college-life" mode of living on/near a campus, or people from small or college towns where housing is cheap and traffic doesn't exist (e.g. Albany).

Caveat: I'm not starting my PhD until the fall, and I'm not in the hard sciences, so no labs. However I worked full-time and commuted 1:00-1:15 for my Master's, and it was no big deal.

[runonsentence]

It seems to me that the people on this and similar posts who recommend living walking distance to campus are people who never got out of that undergrad "college-life" mode of living on/near a campus, or people from small or college towns where housing is cheap and traffic doesn't exist (e.g. Albany).

That's kind of ridiculous. Several posters who live close to campus have given very compelling reasons why they do so. Many grad students don't own a car. Some of us come from program cultures where living a commute away somewhat isolates you from the community. Some of us are in fields where we need to go back-and-forth to campus often, or at odd hours.

Others have also given compelling reasons why they do commute, and that's fine. But to characterize those who don't as, essentially, immature is silly and rather offensive.

Edited July 19, 2011 by runonsentence

[starmaker]

It seems to me that the people on this and similar posts who recommend living walking distance to campus are people who never got out of that undergrad "college-life" mode of living on/near a campus, or people from small or college towns where housing is cheap and traffic doesn't exist (e.g. Albany).

Admittedly, industry work is not the same as a grad program (though given your comment about undergrad mentality, you might give the former more credibility). But you commute to both. Anyway, my previous job was about 12 miles away from my house (I took the bus or biked). My current job is 1.65 miles away (or as I call it, "easy running distance"). I was okay with hacking the longer commute, but let me tell you, it is so much nicer being able to commute quickly, on foot. It makes me more willing to put in extra time at work, too.

I live in an area with ridiculously expensive housing and heavy traffic (wouldn't the latter be a deterrent to a choosing a long car commute, for most people?).

Some people don't mind, or actively enjoy, driving. Amongst non-drivers, some people don't mind long train or bus commutes - you get the time to nap, do work, etc. But some people don't like it, and those people are naturally going to recommend living close to work.

To get to my MS program right now, I commute for about an hour each way (by public transit, but with the traffic at relevant hours a car would not actually shorten it much). It's definitely not optimal, for social integration into the program or anything else. It makes group projects, and coming in outside of class to meet with profs, suck.

[long_time_lurker]

That's kind of ridiculous. Several posters who live close to campus have given very compelling reasons why they do so. Many grad students don't own a car. Some of us come from program cultures where living a commute away somewhat isolates you from the community. Some of us are in fields where we need to go back-and-forth to campus often, or at odd hours.

Others have also given compelling reasons why they do commute, and that's fine. But to characterize those who don't as, essentially, immature is silly and rather offensive.

Please don't take offense, as that is the last thing I am trying to do as a newcomer. However being a half-hour away isn't really even thought of as a commute for many, many people in this country (Boston to DC, LA, SF, Atlanta) so it's certainly doable for someone who spends many or non-traditional hours on campus to not live a stone's throw away. Many people who own businesses or work in professions such as real estate do this all the time. Also I never said anyone was immature - my point is that if one is married, has a kid, and/or is used to a standard of living from having worked after earning one's Bachelor's or Master's, he/she is unlikely to want to deal with having a share (or even an apartment as opposed to a house), living in an area surrounded by bars/social life, a high crime area, etc. just to live closer to campus. Most people don't live within walking distance to their jobs (including those with onerous or non-traditional hours) so it stands to reason that it is not absolutely necessary for a student to, either.

[runonsentence]

Please don't take offense, as that is the last thing I am trying to do as a newcomer. However being a half-hour away isn't really even thought of as a commute for many, many people in this country (Boston to DC, LA, SF, Atlanta) so it's certainly doable for someone who spends many or non-traditional hours on campus to not live a stone's throw away. Many people who own businesses or work in professions such as real estate do this all the time. Also I never said anyone was immature - my point is that if one is married, has a kid, and/or is used to a standard of living from having worked after earning one's Bachelor's or Master's, he/she is unlikely to want to deal with having a share (or even an apartment as opposed to a house), living in an area surrounded by bars/social life, a high crime area, etc. just to live closer to campus. Most people don't live within walking distance to their jobs (including those with onerous or non-traditional hours) so it stands to reason that it is not absolutely necessary for a student to, either.

Thanks for clarifying, long_time_lurker. Sorry for raising my hackles in my last post.

I suppose my own point is that the standard of living that is possible within a walking distance of campus (here I consider anything within a 1.5 mile distance "walkable") will vary from city to city, and that living within walking distance doesn't necessarily mean having to revert to a college-like standard of living. My own campus does have an area like you describe that the undergrad live in: it's party central, has the highest number of assaults/robberies in the area, and is a stone's throw from campus. But many faculty members, grad students, and local families live in the neighborhood I live in, which is a bit farther from campus but still walkable. It's a vibrant, well-served area with a small strip of local businesses and restaurants/bars/cafes, and has massive, old houses with tons of character sandwiched in between small apartment buildings.

But at any rate, yes, I agree that most of my colleagues with families are more likely to live further away from campus, and you're certainly right that a half-hour commute isn't bad in terms of what many do every day. (I used to commute almost two hours each way when I was working full-time in Philadelphia, between driving to the train station and training/walking to my downtown office.)

Edited July 19, 2011 by runonsentence

[rising_star]

Here's another discussion we had on this:

[jaxzwolf]

Thank you all for your input. I decided to go with the place farther from campus, and thus I will have about a half-hour commute in the fall. I decided since 1. I already have a car, 2. I'm already accustomed to commuting, and 3. I desperately need to save money on housing, that the place farther away would be worth the inconvenience of driving back and forth to campus every day. Hopefully this will remain true once I actually start in the fall!

[jaxzwolf]

I decided to come in and update this topic since things for me have changed. I moved into the place I chose that was around 15 miles from campus. I had taken it sight-unseen since I didn't have time with my work schedule this summer to make a trip out to the area and look for housing. That was a mistake.

The place was in terrible condition, and had some serious structural issues. Also, the 'half-hour drive' to campus the landlords promised was more like 45 minutes to an hour, and was not an easy drive. Luckily, the landlords were extremely understanding, realized that their location was not the best for everyone, admitted that the house wasn't in great shape, and hadn't made me pay any money upfront, so when I realized those issues I was able to look for another place immediately.

It made for an extremely stressful first week for me, trying to get started on campus, learn a new city, AND look for someplace to live. I ended up finding someplace more expensive, but only about a mile from campus, and it has been wonderful.

Lessons learned: DO make the effort, it at all possible, to look for housing in person before moving. DON'T accept anything sight-unseen unless you don't have to sign or pay for anything until you get there and check it out for yourself. DON'T expect that a 15 mile drive where you live will equate with a 15 mile drive somewhere else. DO thank your lucky stars when you find someplace new quickly and are able to settle down without a major meltdown in your first week.

[ktel]

I have quickly learned that while the subway here (Toronto) is great, buses and streetcars are ALWAYS late. So luckily I live right near a subway station, but have to take a bus past the last subway stop to get to my building. The bus runs on half hour frequencies (practically unheard of here, most are more frequent) and like I said, is always late. I had the pleasure of driving the other day, which was infinitely more convenient and there is free parking. But the subway is very convenient for me to get to rugby practice. All-in-all my location is the best it could be given my circumstances.

[UnlikelyGrad]

After 2 years of living relatively close to campus, I'm now living out ~10 mi from school. It was the only way to get a place I felt comfortable having my kids in long-term--a house, rather than an apartment. I'm paying about 1/2 of what I would to get a house close to campus.

The actual house isn't that much bigger than the old place, but has a garage and a very large covered patio that add to the living space considerably--I've caught boys going to both places for "quiet time". (I do realize that neither will be quite as useful in the winter, though!) Plus, there's a huge yard with trees to climb etc. My boys are ecstatic at having space to spread out.

The commute is ~15 minutes, which is not too bad. I'm going counter to most traffic. Lately there's been a bit of traffic on the way home, but that's due to a construction project which will hopefully be done in a month or so. All in all, I'm pretty pleased by my choice of housing.

[far_to_go]

Jaxwolf, sorry to hear that you had to do a last-minute move at the beginning of the semester! It's a good thing that the landlords didn't give you a hassle about it, at least. And congrats on finding a new place!

I live a 15-30 minute walk from my school (depending on what building I'm going to) and I love it. It's good for my sanity and health to spend some time outside walking every day. I can also catch the bus on days when I'm running late or the weather is bad. I'm living in a small college town and sharing a house with 3 other students- my rent is a little under $400 a month. For me, even though I might be able to find a slightly cheaper living situation further away from school, it really isn't worth it, since I'd have to buy a car and deal with the hassles of car ownership, parking on campus, etc. Of course, everyone's situation is different. I would imagine that distance from campus would have a much greater impact on price in urban environments.

[long_time_lurker]

Sorry Jaxwolf to hear of your ordeal but glad to hear there was a happy ending.

Let this be a lesson to all who read this in the future: don't ever believe the landlord! Definitely visit the place and definitely do a dry run to try the trip.

Also Unlikelygrad glad for you that your move is working out so well for your family. I'm sure that makes whatever minor inconvenience you may experience on your travels small in comparison!

Hell, on Friday after I had my first 3 hour ride home of the semester, I got a smile on my face 30 seconds after it finally ended the moment I picked a butternut squash out of my garden for my ravioli! We all have our reasons for doing what we do.

[noodles.galaznik]

Currently, I've got a 20-25 minute drive up to campus. It's not too bad, since I only have class three days a week and our graduate colloquium/lecture series is every other Friday, and we're not required to go. The only problem is that it has cut into socialization a little bit, since most of the hang outs are downtown, which is about a 30 minute drive for me. The parking here is also pretty terrible, and the least crowded of the commuter zones still fills up pretty quickly, so I usually have to spend all day on campus if I don't want to spend 30 minutes driving around the garage looking for a space.

Those are the only downsides to my commute, so it could be a lot worse... but I definitely miss my commute last year-- a five minute bike ride to campus!

[Behavioral]

First day of classes is tomorrow, but I've been going into school to do a little bit of work and to attend seminars and whatnot.

It's around a 12-15 minute walk from my apartment to my office. If I can catch the shuttle to campus, then it's around 4-5 minutes. I haven't ridden my road bicycle there yet (in dire need of a tuneup and I'll probably switch out my slick tires for something more robust), but it seems to be maybe a 3-4 minute ride without stops.

Once winter hits, these numbers are probably going to go way up

[Henry Hudson]

I currently have a half-hour commute (if connections align. otherwise, about 45+ min. I generally allow an hour). I live 2 blocks from the metro, and take that halfway. The other half is bus, but in the mornings that bus is packed solid.... often with line-ups leftover for the next buses. Of the 4 routes that go to campus, this is the one that really bottlenecks, but the other 3 don't really work that well from where I live. Other than peak times, it's not a bad commute, though. The train is nice and the bus route is scenic (when you can sit down and look out the windows).

I have to do the sardine routine on Fridays (my early morning) but avoiding other morning commitments, I will now be heading in around lunchtime on other days. Doing the sardine trip several times a week got old very quickly. I have no car (and don't really need one here), and as parking is quite pricey on campus, it's just as well.

I am thinking of getting into grad housing next year, but we'll see. My U grad population is large enough that the grad residences are entities unto them selves, but apparently there is the screaming-baby issue of grads with young families.