Catching Up with the Commuters

Walking along the sidewalks of Miami University, many students head to their next classes while talking with friends or immersing themselves in their own thoughts. As they walk past buildings, up stairs and through crosswalks, it is easy to forget that some of them do not call the streets of Oxford home.

Commuters. They are the students who travel from home to Miami for one class or many classes, knowing that they will have to brave the flow of traffic. They are the ones who plan semesters in advance.

As a second year commuter student majoring in journalism and creative writing, I decided to commute because of financial issues. I had already secured a job close to home, so I did not want to sacrifice losing a paycheck to live on campus.

While I don’t regret my decision, once I began my college life, I realized that the commuting life stacks more stress on top of everything else.

For 10:05 a.m. classes, I get up at 7:30, then I leave my house at around 8:45. I have never had the luxury of hitting the snooze button and getting another hour of sleep. I always have to make sure I have time to eat breakfast on top of getting ready and making sure that my class has not been canceled.

I cannot predict what traffic will be like. I never know if I will get stuck trying to find an alternate route or if backed up traffic will eat away at the time I have to get to Miami. Even though I leave an hour and twenty minutes early for a 30 minute drive, I still have a 20 minute walk from Ditmer (down past Western campus and Cook Field) to the Academic Quad.

I am not the only commuter who experiences these headaches. Commuters from other Miami campus branches have also dealt with these issues.

Emily Buckner, a junior majoring in early childhood education, commuted to Miami Hamilton for roughly two years before having to switch to online classes. Buckner said the 15 minute drive to the campus is not terrible, but it also comes with downsides.

Hayley Kash, a sophomore majoring in applied biology, is another commuter who travels back and forth to Miami Hamilton about two days each week. Kash mentioned that she puts more thought into planning each day.

“My class doesn’t start [until] like 10:05 [a.m.], and I could leave at 9:45 if I want to, but I leave earlier than 9:30 because I want to get there early enough,” Kash said.

Driving and getting to classes on time are not the only commuting issues. Scheduling has its own set of problems.

When first scheduling classes at freshman orientation, I made sure to not choose any 8:30 a.m. classes. I can force myself to get up early if I have to, but I did not want to deal with figuring out when I would need to wake up and leave so I could get to class on time.

I had a Spanish final exam, my freshman year, that began around 8 a.m. I had to get up around 5:30 just so I could leave around 6:30. Driving early in the morning already had me out of my comfort zone, but driving in the dark also had me on edge.

I should have been exhausted, but after focusing when driving and walking through the crisp morning air in Oxford while listening to music, I was fully awake. Fully prepared is another thing, though.

After that, I told myself that if I did not have to take an 8:30 a.m. class, then there was no way I would voluntarily take one. Although, it does not always work that way when scheduling specific classes.

One semester, Buckner said she ended up having a class schedule that left her driving early in the morning for a math class and late at night for a lab. She could not create a better schedule because she needed the math course to fulfill requirements for her major.

“I had a couple 8 a.m.’s. And I’m out that late, then I go home, get dinner, I have homework to do. It’s a mess. The whole thing is a mess,” Buckner said. Kash said that she recently found out that her schedule is going to change a lot more next semester. She mentioned that one of her applied biology classes is going to be offered at the Middletown campus instead of the Hamilton campus.

“Next semester is going to be me going back and forth [from] Hamilton and Middletown on multiple days a week. So, I’m going to have to leave the house earlier and spend more time deciding when to go to class,” Kash said.

As a commuter, it is important to remember that life is not always easy.

“You’re kind of more on your own, I guess, when you commute … You have to adjust more as an adult versus a college student,” Buckner said.

Being an adult and a college student is an adjustment. Many of the activities I want to go to I cannot because I drive home right after my classes are over. I do have a friend living on campus. Unfortunately, the moments I get to spend with her typically happen because I am already at school for class related projects.

Commuting life has its downsides, but that never makes me give up on my experiences. Instead, I look for activities, here and there, that offer relief. Whether those activities are ice skating at Miami or exploring parks around Ohio, I enjoy each one.

Hayley Kash (left) and Emily Buckner (right) each commute to Miami University’s Hamilton campus. Next semester, Kash will travel to the Middletown campus as well. Sophomore Heather Rolfert commutes to Miami University’s main campus each day from her home in Colerain. While commuting adds some extra stress and problems, she does not regret her decision.