From the Dorm Room to Morning Rush Hour

For most college students, living in the dorms is the perfect opportunity to live alone, create a home away from home, and learn how to function as an adult. Where going to early morning lectures, even in bad weather, are a breeze because the convenience of living in dorms makes it possible to sleep in a little later and still wake up in time to make it to class. But, as is the case with many colleges that offer residence life, it's not cheap and not easy to maintain when going to a 4 year college. Then, dorm students will need to make the transition from living on campus to commuting to campus. Unless students are going somewhere close to home, just hearing the words commute and college are enough to make any student go crazy as they catastrophize planning classes schedules, looking up nearby bus and train routes, and whether or not they'll have time for breakfast. But as hectic and nerve wracking as all of this sounds, it's not as nightmarish as its made out to be. It's all just a matter of preparedness, careful planning, good time management, and remembering to pack a lunch.

To start, if students are attending a college that's a bit out of the way from where they live, it's probably a good idea to look up bus and train routes; along with schedules over the weekend, or on a school night to plan how early they have to wake up if they want to make their ride and get to school on time. This is especially true for problematic weather where mass transit is running behind schedule and may take an extra ten minutes to reach a stop. For example, if a class starts at 12:30 PM and there's a two and a half hour commute between now and then, waking up at 8:3O and preparing to catch a 9 AM bus to reach the train station and make to the bus going to school may be a way to go.

Next, for students have morning classes, but aren't morning people, they may want to look into some form of powdered vitamin supplements to help perk them up in the AM. One trusty powered supplement that's chalk full of anti oxidants and Vitamin C is Emergen C, no pun intended. Not only does it dissolves quickly in water, but it comes in delicious flavors that even the most finicky eater can enjoy. Sure, coffee is great, but to try and make it before leaving the house, or even wait for it to be made are time consuming ,compared to just grabbing a bottle of water, a pack of Emergen C, and preparing the mixture from the comfort of the bus or train.

Then, there's the matter of bringing a packed lunch. Sure, buying food from the cafeteria, or nearby 7/11, is quick, but after a while it becomes costly, especially if students need to pay for carfare to get on the train or bus. As a way to save a few pennies, students should pack a lunch to bring with them to school. Sandwiches, pudding cups, juices, the skies the limit; so long as its enough to fill an empty stomach and get students through a full day of classes.

In a like manner, students can also pre plan their outfits for the day, or for the week if they so desire. Most dorm students have no problem heading tp their classes in their pajama bottoms or a pair of sweatpants, but for anyone making the transition from the dorming to commuting, it may be time to be a bit more consciences about outfit choices, especially in bad weather that eats right through pajama bottoms and sweatpants. But that doesn't mean personal style takes a backseat to practicality!

Making such a drastic change from living on campus to traveling to school isn't a walk in the park for anybody, especially If they're taking on a full load of classes. But on the upside, it's also a good way to brush up on learning to travel long distances and time management for when it comes time to find a job and make those lengthy commutes. An experience that's going to shape the way students approach and operate in the real world.