Traffic, long drives, and dozens of podcasts. Learn about being a commuter and how to plan out your days!
With the quarter system, you must learn how to plan your schedule fast especially if you are a commuter like me! Being a commuter, planning out the best schedule for you is half the battle. Knowing what best works for you such as when you like to wake up, when you’re most productive, or when you want to sleep will be very helpful in managing a commuter schedule. Adding in extracurriculars and studying time into your already packed schedule can be overwhelming at first, but it is completely doable when you start to plan out your days. Here are some tips that helped me as a commuter!
- Get a planner that works best for you.
Whether it be an hourly, daily, or monthly planner, having one will definitely help you plan out your days efficiently and effectively. Make sure you write what labs, lectures, or exams you have for each day so you know when you would have to leave for campus. I like to add in time blocks for driving to campus, so I know what time I have available to study on campus or at home. I also try to schedule in some breaks after commuting because sometimes driving can be exhausting!
- Get to campus early.
You want to get to your class on time, so make sure you plan how long it will usually take you to get to school while adding in time for parking and walking to class. There is always unexpected traffic somewhere, so it is always to be safe than sorry when getting to campus on time. I usually plan out how long it’ll take me in the morning and afternoon if I am leaving for campus at different times so I know exactly what time I can leave so I won’t be late.
- Find a good study area.
This goes without saying, but you will be doing a lot of studying in graduate school! Finding a good study area would be super helpful when you’re in between classes or waiting for traffic to die down to get some studying done before you make that long trek home. The library is a great place to start as it also has an entrance from the parking lot that makes going in and out super easy!
- Find a support system.
Making friends in grad school is so important! Commuting back and forth from campus can be exhausting and it’s important to have a support system that will be there for stress relief. Whether it be family or friends, make sure to surround yourself with people that inspire you and understand the obstacles you may have while being in graduate school. Form study groups with your new friends and enjoy the work hard, play hard mentality!
I hope these tips help with managing a commuter lifestyle while in graduate school. Commuting can be tough sometimes, but there are always other people to help you and support you. Congrats on joining the MBKU family!!