The status of being a college student automatically unites us. As one huge undergraduate community, college students across the country and around the world can seemingly identify with one another and therefore share a special unspoken bond. When one undergrad meets another, they undoubtedly experience the same small spark that ignites when they each realize, “This new acquaintance and I may actually have some things in common.” Suddenly a host of questions floods their minds regarding their experience as poor, eighteen to twenty-somethings who might both be living on Ramen noodles and 4 hours of sleep per night. “Where do you go to school?” “What is your major?” they ask each other. And then, the question of all questions arrives. It is the question that most of us commuters hope will never cross their mind – “Do you live on campus?” Although it comes in many shapes and sizes, this question is one that we commuters usually cringe at before answering. It sometimes takes the shape of “How are the dorms?” or “Do you like your roommates?” in which case I, personally, answer in my head, “My room at home is comfy and large and my only roommate is my dog.”
           
But the truth of the matter is, admitting to being commuter students is the hardest part of the actual commute. After the awkward silence that follows (or the “Ahh how is that?”) the explanation has to follow. For me, commuting was a financial decision and a very logical one since I live only one town and a short 15-minute drive away from the Assumption campus. “I saved a lot of money and I don’t mind making the short drive in the morning” I explain most of the time. I don’t like to rub it in that I don’t have to share a room with anyone and still can enjoy my mom’s homemade cooking everyday. “But don’t you miss out on a lot?” they usually ask, unless they commute also in which case they then just smile in comfort to know that they are not the only ones on the planet who still use their car to get to school. I used to think I was missing out, to be honest, but then I realized that driving to class instead of being within walking distance was the only thing that really set me apart from all my peers who lived in the dorms.

Although I will always be envious of those who can role out of bed ten minutes before class starts and still be on time, I truly have accepted the fact that commuting was the right decision for me and has made my college experience what it is. I have the same opportunities to make friends as everyone else on campus. However, I realized shortly after the beginning of my freshman year that it was whether or not I took advantage of those opportunities that would determine how rich my experience here would be. All in all, what you put into it is what you get out of it. If we commuters only drive to class and drive home, we will get an education at best. While that is nothing to shake a stick at and happens to be exactly what we pay for as AC students, there’s something to be said for getting much more out of life as a college student. That is precisely why it is so important to get involved in any way possible here at Assumption, especially for us commuters who have a home to go to that is not filled with our friends 24/7. Joining clubs or sports teams, volunteering through the ROC, or even going to mass are all great opportunities to meet new friends and get involved in the college community in a positive way. Making an effort to be on campus for reasons other than to go to class is what will enrich any commuter’s college experience, and Assumption offers more than enough options for us to do so. So now when people ask if I live on campus, I simply say, “No” confidently and show them how being a commuter has in no way prevented me from the experience of college life. Instead it has challenged me to get involved and make an effort, and as a result, has changed me for the better.