Commuting to Grad school??

[blahblah03]

Hi everyone! I need some advice/ information to hopefully ease my mind. I have been admitted to a grad program, however, it is an expensive one. In order to save money I am planning on living with a family member who lives (somewhat) in the area. However, if I do this, I will have about an hour and twenty minute commute (by car) to school. Does anyone have any experience/ advice on if this works? I won't be getting my class schedule until so close to school, which I think is also making me nervous. 

 

Thanks in advance!

[Jolie717]

How many miles?  Could you cut your commute time by leaving earlier to avoid traffic, and perhaps leaving school later to do the same?  Could you commute by bus/train?  I think an hour twenty is a bit much, especially if you are driving yourself and can't use the time to study.  I don't have much of a commute time to my undergrad surprisingly, but I may have more of one in grad school, so I would likely leave very early (530am) to avoid traffic and get decent parking, or I might use public transportation so I can study on the way.  

[scarvesandcardigans]

Agreed with PP on a lot of points. If there are public transport options those might be things to consider, especially since 1hr20 is a long time during which you could definitely be doing other things. Also, since that's quite a commute just one way, what are upkeep expenses looking like for your car? I think that it can work if you maximize your time and resources in other areas so that, if commuting by car is the only option, then you aren't worrying about what you could be doing and what you already have done. (Side note: This is one of the times when I wish audio-textbooks were a regular thing.) Good luck!!

[thespeechblog.com]

I have a hellish commute to work. One of the reasons I'm excited for grad school is to get rid of that commute. 

If you do end up having to commute, I definitely recommend podcasts as a way to keep yourself entertained. This one, http://www.conversationsinspeech.com/, is about all sorts of SLP topics. A lot of it is over my head (I haven't start grad school yet or even finished my leveling coursework), but it is still quite interesting and makes the drive pass quicker. 

Another idea, if you are the type to record lectures, you can listen to them on the way home! 

[jpiccolo]

I had a classmate do an hourish drive during our summer term. She managed it but knew she wouldn't handle fall and spring semesters with a commute. On the weekends she went to her home an hour away but during the week she rented a place near school. Honestly it would have added so much stress for her to commute daily for that long. I know it's expensive but will saving the money be worth it? Classes and therapy plans get tiring and intense and a daily drive may just worsen that. But maybe try a semester and see if you can handle it. Otherwise I recommend finding cheap housing over spending gas money daily. 

[MangoSmoothie]

(This post was way longer than I thought, sorry!)

The fortunate thing is that, like mentioned, you always have the option of trying this out for a semester, and if it doesn't work, you can find a place closer to campus. No doubt you'll be able to find an apartment someone is trying to sublet if you decide the long commute isn't working for you.

There are a few people in my program who commute by car, but I'd say the ones who commute the most drive about an hour each way. It's been working for them, and one in particular doesn't mind the commute because it forces her to stay on campus and finish things before going home. She doesn't even need to leave her place early since her schedule doesn't require her to be on campus until around 12:00 each day, so she avoids morning and evening rush hour. We have a bit of preference in our placements for the second year, and other second years have been able to request placements near to where they live, one reducing her commute from an hour to 5 minutes. She still had to make it back to campus two nights a week for class, but it's a big improvement. My program also tends not to have classes or clinic on Fridays, which makes the commute more bearable for them as it's only 4 days a week.

This is a lot of time to drive each day, but you might find it's a good time to decompress. You need to consider the cost of gas (nearly three hours of driving each day will add up very fast), maintenance, and car insurance too. Make sure you have very, very good coverage for your car, since if it's out of commission for some reason, how will you be getting to campus? And does parking cost on campus? I've never been to a university that had cheap parking for students. If you compare the cost of living somewhere for free versus an apartment near campus (possibly with a roommate), these are all things you need to consider. You might find the difference, while still in favor of living with a family member, is not as large as you think.

A thought that also just occurred to me was working. I don't know if you're planning on having a job or not, but I would think this type of commute is going to really impact your work availability during the week, since you will have fewer available hours. You can of course work near campus, but then you might find yourself driving an hour and a half home at 11pm. If it's more feasible to work if you live near campus, consider that cost, too. Most people in my cohort have a job or two (unless they're lucky enough to have parents who can afford to support them), so it is possible to work. Even if you spend only four days going to campus, that's 10 hours you spend driving. 10 hours that could be spent at a job making money to help offset the cost of living on campus.

Potentially the biggest concern, depending on your personality, is the impact this will have on your social life. If you're moving to an area where you don't know anyone, you might find yourself lonelier than your cohort members, or not connecting as well with them. You will definitely have to make more of an effort to connect with them. While the people who commute such distances in my program aren't ostracized, they don't socialize as much with the rest of the cohort. For some, that's choice, but for others it's been a struggle. You naturally miss out on a lot of "on the fly" plans and weekend plans, especially in the beginning weeks of the program, when relationships are being formed. I've found that my cohort doesn't like planning things far in advance, which means the people who commute are more likely to miss out on these plans. It might not be fair, but it's the reality. If you have another support group nearby, or don't really care if you're friends with your cohort or not, this might not matter that much to you. But if you are trying to befriend cohort members, be aware you might be spending late nights in the city or spending your weekends driving to campus to socialize with them too, especially early on. One of the women I know who commutes wishes she had a closer relationship to people in the program, but she has resigned herself to the situation, and she tries to be ready for impromptu plans.

If you live in most areas of the US, you're probably laughing at the suggestion of public transit. If a viable option exists in your area (that doesn't also double your commute), definitely consider it, but another option to consider are rideshares. My state has a state-run rideshare program, but it typically only serves the major metro areas and their surrounding counties. I personally can't read while in a car, but you might be able to, or you might be able to take the time for a nap on the way to/from school. I had a friend do this for four years in undergrad for an hour each way, and while she's thrilled to be done with it, it saved her a lot of money. It's something you can look in to, if your state/area has one.

So in short, yes, this commute can work, and you are lucky you are able to trial it. There are more things to consider than just the savings of not paying rent and utilities, but you might find yourself with better time management and in more command of your schedule.

Edited May 16, 2016 by MangoSmoothie