By Jessica Bills
A&E EDITOR
A few stereotypes plague commuters. One is that they are introverts who hide themselves away in the library. Another is they are parking-lot lurkers who sleep in their cars waiting for the next Commuter Sidewalk Cafe.
Commuter students are not only saving a few thousand bucks, but they enjoy the separation of home and school.
Finances aside, there are several advantages to being a commuter. However, the pros are typically overlooked since commuters miss out on many social events on campus.
Leti Bernard, freshman journalism major, said, “I like how I can live in the comforts of my own home because I know that living with a group of people you don’t really know can be difficult to adjust to. It’s also a plus that I never have home- sickness,” Bernard said.
Lauren Reed, junior biology major, has been commuting for three years.
Reed said she enjoys the luxury of napping in her car between classes.
“You don’t have to worry about a roommate waking you up,” she said.
Commuting has perks of social lives that most students leave behind when they leave for college.
“I can maintain my friendships with people,” Bernard said. “I don’t have to leave them because I’m still at home—and the occasional home-cooked meal is great too, because it’s free.”
The view that commuters are not connected on cam- pus can also be false.
“If someone is super extroverted and friend- ly, they will surpass that commuter stereotype,” Bernard said.
Many would say there is a plethora of positive reasons to commute.
