Interview with Sam Casimir, Rutgers University Senior - Commuter
1. Why
do you commute?
a. I commute because it's my most economically
efficient option. I'm able to save money by not living on campus, and I only
live 30 minutes away. Living on campus would double the cost of going to
Rutgers, and since I plan on continuing my education, I would rather put off
loans and save money.
2. Do you like commuting?
a. Commuting have its pro and cons, and
overall, I would rather not. Honestly, I hate commuting.
3. Given your commuting experience, if you
were given the opportunity to live on campus, would you?
a. Hell yes!
4. What are some challenges you face as a
commuter?
a. Driving back and forth take up a lot of
time. Some days I spend more time in my car, than in classes.
b. I see my parents too often.
c. Not being able to be as involved on
campus. There's a lot that goes on when you don't live on campus that you end
up missing out on.
d. It can get lonely, especially the first
year at a school. It's harder to meet new people and you don't build
friendships in the same way as someone who lives on campus. You don't have an
established social network! You don't have a roommate, housemate, floormate, or
whatever else there is. A lot of the connections you make are through people
you meet in class (which a lot of people may or may not go to).
e. Sometimes access to certain resources is
dependent on being connected to RUWireless.
f. The library isn't a walk or a bus away,
it's a drive away. This means that it's not always the most practical location
to study, although I wish it was. It also means that if I'm studying late on
campus, I have to be conscience of how tired I am so I can drive home.
g. I spend a lot of money paying for gas,
especially since I drive an SUV.
h. Bad weather, tough luck. If it's starts unexpectedly
raining, I better hope I have an umbrella, some boots, and probably a sweater.
i. When I have large gaps between classes, I
don't have a dorm to go back to and relax.
j. Living at home means all the fun of having
responsibilities to the family.
k. The reaction people have when they realize
you commute… you might as
well be a unicorn.
l. If I have an early class on a campus other
than the one I park on, I have to factor in the time it would take to drive,
and also the time it would take to take a bus from one campus to another. The
bus system is unreliable and has screwed me over so many times… It goes from saying 5 minutes to
arriving. And not every professor is understanding when it comes to commuting.
m. Food is also a struggle. When bringing food
from home, I need to microwave
it… Which means the container needs to be microwavable, not to mention
utensils. It's also a pain carrying around a container of food all day,
especially if I'm going to be on campus from 10am to 11pm.
n. You're less likely to be involved on campus
events.
o. You're most likely not to involved in the
party scene.
p. I can go on and on about the disadvantages
of commuting…
5. What are some benefits you think you have
as a commuter, if any?
a. At the end of the day, I get to sleep in my
own bed.
b. I'm saving money.
c. It's not a huge deal if I lose my RUID
card.
d. You don't have to worry about sketchy
roommates.
e. Free housing and privacy.
f. Basic people get to be jealous of my car.
6. Have you changed the way you commuted now
in your senior year versus your freshman year? If so, how?
a. The way that I commute now, as a senior, is
definitely different.
b. Freshman year, when I had large gaps of
time between classes I would drive back home. Now as a senior, I know different
places where I can either relax or get work done. Also, now once I get to
campus, I stay on campus till I'm done.
c. I avoid rush hour at all costs, and plan
when the best time to drive is. I also know which roads to take when the traffic
is bad.
7. What have you learned/had to adjust over
your years of commuting?
a. Over the past 4 years, I've learned how
much of a pain commuting can be.
b. I know a ton of good places to get food
around campus.
c. Be prepared for any situation: rain, snow,
unexpectedly hot day, business-causal event, or even a gym day.
8. Would you say that you are fully engaged on
campus as much as a residential student it? If not, why do you think this is?
a. I'm definitely not as engaged as the
average residential student. A lot of events and clubs take place at night. At
the end of a long day of classes, I want to take a nap… which I can't really do without going
home. Or, if I end early, the last thing I want to do is wait 5 hours for
something that's going on later. Or, sometimes it comes down to: do I want to
spend the next 2 hours I'm going to be on campus for going to this random
event, or chill with friends?
9. Do you think commuting has a negative
impact on your academics and/or ability to do well in school?
a. Commuting can have a negative impact if you
let it. Not only is it so much easier to be late to class, but it's so much
easier to slack off. Like most people, I can't get much work done from home
(which is why I spend so much time on campus). However on weekends, the worst
part is leaving home to go to the library. I literally waste some weekends
because I can't get myself out of the house. Not even because I don't want to
do work, but I can't bring myself to drive to school… It's a pain.
10. Do you feel like you “miss out” on the college experience because you commute?
a. Definitely. I think that living on campus
is a different experience. Rutgers becomes a home away from home for a lot of
residential students. I haven't had that. A prime example is that I've been
going here for 4 years and the first Rutgers football game I've gone to was
last week. How many residential students can say the same? I don't feel a sense
of "Rutgers pride". It's the place I go to for classes, to chill, and
get multiple parking tickets.
11. Is there any other comments you would like
to make about the subject based on your experience?
a. While commuting does have it's
disadvantages, it's what you make of it. While it's not as easy to get involved
and meet new people as it is for a residential student, just sticking around
for an hour or so after class can make all the difference.
b. Being a commuter has definitely been a
growing experience. In order to meet new people and find my circle, I've had to
branch out of my shell and actually talk to people. (Which is always fun for an
introvert)
c. Lastly, I think one of the great things
about living on campus, is that it forces you to be independent… you don't get that as much with
commuting.
I interviewed Sam because I knew she was a commuter student. I also knew that she would
provide me with accurate and truthful answers to my questions. Her responses are quite
valuable to my paper as they highlight some of the key points that I address.