The general response from commuters at large college universities is that it is lonely, hard to make friends and they hate driving in bumper-to-bumper traffic.
However, commuters on campus do not seem to think commuting is nearly as inconvenient. In fact, they appreciate the effort faculty members make by making them feel more accepted.
“The university makes a gracious effort to make me feel welcome here,” said Jonathon Gonzales, sophomore political science major.
“It is one of the reasons I chose to come here. It makes a big difference because I have attended other schools where the administration was not so supportive.”
Some professors make students feel cared for through prayer.
“I had a professor who would pray for everyone in the class and included the commuters and our drive home, which was always appreciated,” said Daisy Castillo, junior health education major.
Finding time to hang out on campus can be a challenge for commuters, who have responsibilities outside of the classroom.
“I do not always have the time to attend school functions,” Castillo said. “Sometimes, I am scheduled to work the days that there’s an event.”
While making friends is easy, spending time with them is not.
“It is easy to make friends because everyone (at CBU) seems so friendly,” Gonzales said. “Hanging out with them can be more difficult due to my schedule and where I live.”
Commuters may not spend much time on campus.
“I try to be on campus as much as possible, but with work it is difficult to stay around for long,” said Dennice Morales, junior early childhood studies major.
Despite how tough it is to get to campus, commuters feel just as much a part of the CBU community as everyone else.
