As commuter students on Rowan University’s campus, many of us think about what life would be like if we lived on campus. While we gear up to head to campus an hour ahead of our class time to find parking, drag our feet through the snow and mud across campus all day, and nap in our cars between classes, we wonder to ourselves why we don’t just move to Glassboro. 

Many of my friends in classes and organizations I’m involved in have also expressed to me their desire to become a resident of Glassboro and end their struggles of commuting. A common pattern I’ve found with many commuter students including myself is them commuting for two years and then deciding to live on campus for the rest of their time anticipating graduation. 

I find this to be a tale of many commuters who become involved on campus with clubs and internship opportunities. As students are eager to be a part of the Rowan community, they also can become overwhelmed with the commute for these activities. 

It can feel like a struggle for students to make the drive out to all of the events hosted by the clubs they are a part of and on-campus jobs. As a full-time student who is actively involved in three organizations on campus, I have found it challenging to drive back and forth from home to my classes, and then later to my club activities.

As commuter students, we are sometimes left with limited opportunities. For many students commuting it can be a struggle to take the initiative to stop the constant loop of only driving to class and driving back home. 

In the first semester of my freshman year, I felt nervous about joining clubs on campus. It was hard for me to go alone to events as a commuter who would drive myself to the meetings and join these clubs by myself. I’m proud of other commuter students who go out of their comfort zone and join student organizations because I know how challenging it is. 

I truly wish that commuter students felt more inclined and comfortable joining clubs on campus. It is a concern that I feel goes quite unnoticed. Many of my peers I’ve spoken with who commute have voiced that this is a prevalent issue and I hope that all student organizations take into account commuters’ schedules when creating their meeting times and choosing the buildings they meet in. 

While I have debated long about how I could balance being involved on campus while being a commuter student, after weighing all of my options I truly believe that living on campus is most beneficial for me as a student. I am finishing my last spring semester as a commuter on campus and I will be moving into my off-campus housing this summer. 

As I have thought about what my life would be like living on campus these past few years, I’m excited that my visions have become a reality and I won’t be a commuter student anymore. I’m thrilled to create new memories and new connections on campus. 

The idea of changing my typical commuter schedule may be a bit scary, but I know that being accustomed to change will help me in my future career as a journalist. While I spend my weeks dedicated to covering the stories on our campus, not being a resident has always made me feel set back from reporting on as many stories as I truly want to. With this move, I’m excited and determined to tell the stories of our Rowan community. 

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