The choice to commute to campus rather than live in dorms is one a majority of VCU students must make, a decision some commuters said leaves them more disconnected from campus life than on-campus students.
Time is a factor for most commuters. The amount of time it takes to commute might dictate a student’s class schedule as is the case for Kelsey Meredith, a sophomore and education major who lives about 30 minutes from campus. Meredith chose early classes during her freshman year.
“I choose an 8 a.m. my first semester, and I will never do it again,” Meredith said. “I cannot get up that early to go to a class because I have to wake up twice as early as students who live on campus just to get there.”
Bobby Ahrens, an undeclared freshman who lives at home with his parents about 20 minutes from campus said he chose his classes as close together as possible.
“I tried to get them (classes) all close together in the morning so I could have the afternoon off,” Ahrens said. “So I wouldn’t have huge breaks between classes with nothing to do.”
Not all commuters are able to arrange class schedules that allow them to spend as little time on campus as possible. Martha Harper, VCU’s off-campus student services coordinator, said some commuter students might actually benefit from spending more time on campus during breaks between classes.
“They might even study more than students who live on campus because they’re sort of locked here between classes,” Harper said.
She said commuters might also spend more time in the library or in the University Student Commons than on-campus students.
“I think my grades are better while commuting because my parents are there to support and push me to do better,” Ahrens said. “If they weren’t there, then I would probably not push myself to my full potential and slack off.”
Harper said she disagrees that commuters’ grades are higher than on-campus students’ grades.
“I think the same things that affect grades affect them for all students,” Harper said.
According to Harper, approximately 80 percent of VCU students live off-campus, either in apartments or houses within walking or driving distance of campus. About 7,000 students live five or more miles away from campus. These commuter students must drive or take public transportation to get to school, though some do ride their bicycles.
Commuter students sometimes do not get as involved because they are not always encouraged to by other students Harper said.
Aside from taking classes, Ahrens said he is not active in the VCU community.
“I do feel like I am not involved as much as I would like to be because I am commuting,” Ahrens said.
Even though commuter students often feel disconnected from campus life, many still enjoy being commuters.
“I love being a commuter student because I am able to go to school and class, do my work, and am able to get away from it all by coming back home,” Meredith said. “It is very refreshing for me.”