commuting for school?

[TheCrunchfish]

Hi all. Im starting a phd program in the fall and though im very happy with my department and their research, i despise the town that its located in. its very small and im definitely a city person. luckily, there is a much larger city an hour away. Im considering living in the larger city and commuting but everyone in my life keeps trying to dissuade me from this. I know that its not ideal and that a phd program takes a huge amount of work but i also feel like you cant really do your best work if your in an environment that doesnt make you happy. Im also hoping that maybe some of my work could be done from home. i aready know i wont be in class everyday and although my particular program will require some lab work, i imagine itll also involve a lot of writing. I really do think that I can handle it and that this is whats best for me but its hard not to second guess yourself when everyone questions you. I also worry about what my adviser will think about this. It shouldnt be her decision of course, but I worry that maybe ill look less dedicated. Ive done a masters program already so I feel like I have at least some idea of the dedication that research requires (I know a Phd is a whole different level entirely but at least I have some research experience). Does anyone here have experience with doing a long commute while also doing a demanding graduate program?

Edited July 16, 2013 by TheCrunchfish

[NothingButTheRain]

I don't really have a basis to answer your question, but it might help if you described the commute.  Is it 60 miles on the highway, 30 miles on back roads, is public transit available, etc?  Just a thought that may help your decision.

[Zorah]

_{None of the faculty will care where you live, but you might just get tired of the commute. Try it out and if it becomes to tiring move closer to the school.}

[lewin]

Here are reasons not to commute:

 

1. You'll find excuses not to go in and commute less and less.

 

2. You'll get a reputation for not being around, which might be a bad thing depending on the culture of your department.

 

3. You'll miss out on spontaneous social opportunities with other grad students.

 

4. You'll miss out on spontaneous interactions with professors.

 

5. Commuting is bad for your health.

 

6. Big city distractions will lower your productivity. 

 

My advice is the opposite of the above. Move to your small town during the early years when it's most important to develop a connection with your department. If you hate it, move to the city after 2-3 years when you're doing fewer classes and networking, and more independent writing.

 

(I come from a department that's very communal and values face time in the office. Departmental culture may vary.)

[TheCrunchfish]

thanks for the replies, everyone. to the person who asked, its about a 60 mile commute thats pretty much all highway. I looked at apartments in the larger city and specifically focused on ones near the highway. i live in the south so public transportation sucks though my school's website has a forum where people can set up carpools and though most are within the small town where the school is located, i found a few that go from the larger city to the small town.

[TheCrunchfish]

_{None of the faculty will care where you live, but you might just get tired of the commute. Try it out and if it becomes to tiring move closer to the school.}

glad to hear that because thats my biggest worry. of course, i also worry about the time commitment and distraction of driving a long way but im willing to make that sacrifice if it means being happier (and i get up super early in the morning anyway so that helps). i might try to get a short term lease so that way if it doesnt work out (or if the small town eventually starts growing on me once i get to know it better), i can move closer to school

[mewtoo]

As someone who lived only 30 minutes away from my university throughout the entirety of my undergrad, DON'T DO IT. Have you ever had to commute much before? If you have you will know what an utter annoyance it is. First off, it will cost you a LOT of money in gas. Think about how often you will have to fill up your tank every week just going to class. Unless you have a car with amazing MPG, you will practically be wasting money. Then there's the problem with being stuck at school if you have gaps between your classes or duties. You'll be stuck at school instead of being able to go home for a while to relax, make your own food, etc. Also, your social life will most likely suffer. You'll be a hour away from everyone else in your program and it will make it hard to socialize. If you want to hang out with a friend or go to a social event it will become a battle between having to hang out in town or on campus for hours and hours or going home and then having to use more gas and waste more time if you want to go home first. Or you might just say screw it and go home and stay home. As someone else said, that option will become easier and easier to choose after a while and you grow weary of commuting so much. If making friends with your cohort isn't that important to you and you decide to make friends in the city, just realize that will keep you away from your program even more! You'll just want to stay in the city all the time instead of going to your program a hour away. It will become so easy to just skip everything not absolutely required because it costs gas (money) and a LOT of time. You realize you will spend at least 2 hours a day commuting? What else could you be doing with that time? Relaxing? Studying? Having fun with friends? Working on your thesis or dissertation. Do the math of how much time you will be wasting in a car each week. Also keep in mind, if you leave your house just 5 minutes late, it will usually end up compounding and make you even later. You may be a person to take care to leave early every day, but you can't plan for accidents on the road or construction or even just forgetting to set the alarm one night!

 

I also live in the south and my university was in a small town. I actually commuted from an even smaller town to it! If your town has a uni in it, I know it will at least have some forms of entertainment like movie theaters or bars so there are things to do if you cant steal two hours to go to the city. Its not like you will be living in a place like where I live now that just has 5 gas stations and some train tracks. I will be starting a masters program this year and I cannot tell you how incredibly excited I am to only be living five minutes from campus, especially since I have a dog who will need to be walked!

 

Honestly, why not just commute to the city when you want to have fun and experience the city life again? Even if you end up commuting there quite a few days a week you will still come out cheaper gas wise. You will save a LOT of time too.

 

Having experienced just a 30 min commute one way for 4 years I can tell you I've been way past sick and tired of it for a very long time. Even if you think you won't mind, just give it a month or two... you'll grow to hate it. If you really must live in the city to be happy, by all means go ahead. It's your life. I'm just giving you some more info to mull over to help you decide, and from someone who actually has some experience with it too. And as others have said, why not trial run a year living in the town and if you really can't stand it move to the city? You've been to grad school before but we never know just how the phd will treat us or how we will cope. Its always described as a whole 'nother beast! To me, living in the town for at least the first year will make it easier for all the reasons above. I wouldn't personally want to compound it with a horrible hour commute.

 

I wish you well and hope you will make the right decision for you! Just keep in mind the sacrifices you will have to make and that you can always commute to the city whenever you want to experience city fun when you are deciding!

[SNPCracklePop]

Did the hour commute thing my first two years, the gas costs alone aren't worth it, not to mention the much more frequent car maintenance (oil changes every semester, etc).  Won't recommend it.

[nugget]

You seem very keen on living in the larger city. You've read all of the good points mentioned above. If you still think less time to sleep, engage in leisure acitivities and higher transportation costs are worth it to live in a bigger city, I'd try to find a short term sublet for the first semester (that doesn't end mid-semester!) If you still prefer to live in the larger city by December, then find a permanent home over the winter holidays when you'll have a bit of free time to look for a place and move.

Edited July 16, 2013 by jenste

[MsDarjeeling]

I'm commuting over an hour to my Master's program now and I'll admit its kind of a love/hate thing.  I've done this for an entire year and here's what I would say:

 

The pros:

-I live in a city that I'm very happy in

-I didn't have to pay the penalty for breaking my lease or deal with moving hassles

-I was able to keep the job I already had & continue a variety of volunteer projects

-lots of my classmates commute (although not as far as I do) so it isn't seen as strange at all

-my car is in good condition

-my sleep, eating, exercise, and social schedules have not been affected because I plan well

-I'm able to load up classes on just a couple of days

-socializing on campus or with classmates doesn't interest me so I don't feel like I'm missing much

-because I've invested so much into making the commute work I feel obligated to be in class and have had only 1 absence so far

-its all highway where I get better gas mileage and don't have to deal with pedestrians

-I still have the ability to do research with professors

 

The cons:

-twice I've shown up on campus and class was cancelled

-all that time in the car nearly drives me crazy

-public transit isn't an option

-gas hikes & tolls

-I can't just dash to campus for a quick meeting, to get something from the library, to drop something off, etc

-if I leave something at home it may very well be the end of the world

-a wreck or construction means I have to leave even earlier than normal

-a long commute in the rain really sucks

-having to hear other people complain about how much my commute must suck and how they couldn't do it

 

So with all of that said I will be sticking with the long commute for the remainder of my program because it works for *me* and that's what matters.  Going in I had the mindset of "it's only 2 years which won't be so bad" and for the most part I agree with that.  I knew I'd be unhappy relocating to be closer to school as I'd lived in that area before and hated it.  The place just isn't me and there was no sense pretending otherwise. 

 

Now for my PhD program?  I wouldn't even consider a commute this long especially for 5 years or so.  I won't be working a regular job, but will have gta or gra responsibilities on campus so it'll make more sense for me to be closer.  I don't see myself living on campus or right next door, but it'd be nice to be within 20 minutes.  If there's nothing I like within 20 minutes the farthest I'd consider is 30 minutes and I'd hope for public transit as an option.

[juilletmercredi]

Have you ever lived in the town that you are moving to?  If not, how do you know you despise it?  I live in a very large city as part of my grad program, and while I thought I would love it I actually dislike it and want to move to a small town.

 

Anyway, it's true that you can't do your best work if you are miserable - but that comes with some balance.  Yes, you won't be in class every day, but on days you aren't you may need to be in the lab or meet with your professor.  Even if you are mostly writing, you may have a work space in the department and your advisor and the culture of the department may expect to see you there most days of the week.  I think first and second year grad students should plan to be on campus 4-5 days a week.  I wouldn't do a 60-mile commute (which is at least an hour). It is something you can consider doing in year 3 or 4, once you're finished with coursework and really do spend less time on campus.

 

And if you are not planning to get a car of your own (sounds that way if looking for carpools), then forget it.

 

I think people from cities might be surprised how much there is to do in a small town.  Some small towns - especially small towns that have grown up around colleges - can have a variety of interesting and fun things to do and even a pretty cool nightlife, depending on the town.

[i.am.me]

Well, I have a 30 minute commute to work everyday now and I despise it. Despise it despite the fact that I am commuting to go make money.

 

In my MA program, the commuter students rarely had time to interact with others. One or two of them told me afterwards they regretted living so far away because they didn't make the same kind of networks as students who lived closer (like me).

 

Perhaps, you can try living closer to schools for the first year at least to see if you can acclimate?

[TheCrunchfish]

 

Have you ever lived in the town that you are moving to?  If not, how do you know you despise it?  I live in a very large city as part of my grad program, and while I thought I would love it I actually dislike it and want to move to a small town.

 

 

Ive never lived there but ive gone up there a few times both for my interview and to look around. I was hoping id grow to like it since I know commuting isnt ideal but the more i see of it, the more i dislike it . Youre correct that there are many small towns that still have a great cultural life and many things to do just by virtue of being a college town (athens, ga where UGA is located comes to mind-very small but very cool). However, this place isnt one of them. Most of the grad students I talked to dont like the town either. Granted, they still seem pretty happy because they all like the program so maybe Ill wind up just as happy but for me, location factors in a great deal to my happiness. Some people might not prioritize it as much as I do.

 

I do have my own car, otherwise theres no way I could hope to pull this off! I was just looking for a carpool because I figured that would cut down on the expense of commuting and on days when Im not driving, I could work in the car. Someone emailed me back today about carpooling so maybe I can make this work. I have to make a decision soon. I appreciate the input you guys have given me even though some of it wasnt what I was hoping to hear. Its great to take into consideration the different perspectives as well as the experiences that people who have actually done it have had.

[NothingButTheRain]

Any surrounding towns 10-15 minutes away in the direction of the city?  That might get you away from the town enough to take the smell away, make a trip to the city shorter, and leave you with the flexibility to come/go from your PhD as needed...

[nugget]

If you really want to do it, then I say go for it! It's your university experience and you want to make the most of it since you will probably only do one PhD in your lifetime.  

 

I am always amazed when I meet parents with small children who also study fulltime (and yes, some of them are grad students). When these students come home at 5pm they cook dinner for their families, do laundry, change diapers and get their children ready for bed. By late evening, they get started on their course work and stay up really late to get their work done. If parents are able to manage this workload, surely you will be able to drive a car 10 hrs a week. It is doable if you are determined to make it work.  

[TheCrunchfish]

Any surrounding towns 10-15 minutes away in the direction of the city?  That might get you away from the town enough to take the smell away, make a trip to the city shorter, and leave you with the flexibility to come/go from your PhD as needed...

there are but theyre TINY towns, even smaller than the one that my university is in. im talking one stoplight kinda towns so it doesnt seem like the best compromise for me. 

[msafiri]

So, I've never had a long commute for school, though I did for fieldwork as a master's student. I came to hate the 75 minutes each way drive that was between me and my field site. I'd always try to schedule like 2-3 interviews for the same day, or interviews plus meetings or observation or just something, just so it wouldn't feel like I "wasted" trip. And I was lucky as I had a place to stay (guy I was dating at the time) so I didn't have to do the there-and-back in the same day unless I really wanted to. As for doing it long-term, I couldn't do it. Maybe if it was on a bus or subway or train I could do it, because then at least I could read a book, answer email, catch up on the news, etc. But driving it myself? I couldn't do it every single time because it just annoyed me. 

 

I'm sort of in your situation next year. I could live in a much more interesting city than the small college town, but then I'd be driving at least 45 minutes each way or spending 90 or so minutes on the bus. I've actually decided against that, even though I only need to be on campus about 3 days a week. 

 

TBH, one of the advantages of living in a place you don't particularly like is that you don't spend as much time exploring, hanging out, etc., and thus you spend more time working. And you can't underestimate the proximity to a quality university library and the ability to just browse shelves and books to see where inspiration strikes. I dunno. I've lived in some small places (seriously, I spent 1.5 years living in a town with a population of 6500) and while yes, you get bored sometimes, I also found that they were more interesting than they initially seemed, especially once you get to know the actual community and not just the other university students. 

 

Sorry, hit post too soon. I also meant to say that I think the advice to get a 6 month lease in either place is a good idea, provided you don't mind moving 6 months from now if the location isn't working out for you. Only you know you, and you need to make the decision that's right for you, not the decision that's right for me or anyone else offering you advice here. 

Edited July 18, 2013 by msafiri

[wildviolet]

I used to commute for work (anywhere from 15-60 minutes) for many years. It was mostly highway driving, and I didn't mind as long as traffic wasn't bad. But, when traffic was bad, it was a draining experience for me (not to mention all the near accidents due to crazy dirvers).

 

So for graduate school, I decided I needed to live closer to campus. I live so close that it's a 5-minute car ride or a 30-minute walk to my building. I've saved so much money this year on gas--and during this past year I drove only 4,000 miles compared to the usual 10-12,000 miles per year, saving me on maintenance costs. My university IS the town, basically, but we are bordered to the west by the state capital, which itself isn't a major city or anything, but it does give the area some flavor (albeit not a great one!). I can't say I'm a city girl, but I did go a bit stir crazy during the long and gray winter months. There's another small college town and a huge metropolitan area about 50 minutes away. About 4 hours away is Chicago--a nice escape!

 

It works out for me to live so close--I can go home for naps, meals, whatever and come back in the evening for classes. Many of my colleagues, however, commute from as far away as 2 hours! I agree that it's harder for them to be involved with campus events. However, we're all adults now at varying stages of our lives, and people are doing what's best for them. I'm doing what's best for me and my psychological and emotional health--after commuting for many years, it's a big sigh of relief to live so close to campus. Our town isn't bad at all--I'm finding my favorite little spots here and there. But, at least for me, it's nice not to have so much to do so I can focus on my studies.