pros and cons of a commuter college

What is a commuter school? Well, a commuter school is a college to which your child commutes for daily college regular classes. In the case of commute school, a student travels or commutes to college as one would travel to an office or to a job. 

Usually, the College room and boarding charges cost around $10,389 a year in the school year.  These expenses are not included in the tuition fee that you pay, rather it's the additional expense. Reducing these charges will help in saving money. If your child decides to drive, you can factor in wear and tear on the vehicle as well as fuel costs, which may impact the decision.

There are several reasons why students prefer to commute over staying in a dorm.  Sometimes, finances might dictate that a student continue living at home, whereas sometimes personal circumstances might also be a reason to stay at home, or perhaps the student simply isn't ready to live on one’s own. Hence, it often depends on the students and the choices they make.

Pros of attending a commuter school

The greatest advantage of attending a commuter school is the financial aspect, you will save a lot of money as you don't have to pay for food and lodging inside the college campus.  Even though you are a commuter you can still avail of the resources such as laundry and internet access. In addition to these,  you don't have to shift from home to college campus and it saves your cost of shifting as well.

Secondly, you will never ever struggle for food if you are a day scholar or a commuter. You still get to eat food prepared at your home as you don’t have to eat mess food. Secondly, you have your family as your support system always. So, that’s a great advantage. 

Thirdly, nobody can take your space and privacy away from you. Staying in a college campus might not give you the luxury of keeping your life private. But when you are at home, you don’t have to share your room nor your bathroom with anyone. Your private space remains private. 

Cons of attending a commuter school

Given a chance many students would prefer to stay in the college campus and make the best use of it. Afterall who would like to miss the late-night group studies with friends and the fun and gossip hours in the cafeteria. Another major disadvantage is that you learn to strive and live on your own only when you come out of your parent’s shelter. Commuting to college will give a similar experience of a high school. When you live at home with your parents you never get a chance to explore things on your own and to take responsibility.

Secondly, you might have a tough time making friends and being part of a social circle as you will be spending less time on campus. It is harder to meet people when you’re not living on campus, and your weekends are likely to be less structured. Living alone makes you part of outings, clubs, and activities, but if you are living at home, you will have to make your own arrangements. 

Basically students who commute from home miss the best things of college life. The campus life, the night parties, the late-night study, group activities are a few things that students remember in their entire life. So, yes staying at home also comes with a price.

What should I choose?

Well, there is no concrete answer to such a question. It’s up to you and what are your priorities. If you are someone looking for great opportunities provided by campus and want to live on your own and have an independent life and also wish to know your college campus and have a life over there then yes, being a dormer may be the right choice for you. But if you are homesick and live without family or if you prefer to have homemade food and privacy in your life then maybe being a commuter will be the right thing for you. 

The answer always boils down to how you personally look at the pros and cons and what is most favorable for you. Sometimes, a commuter school is a necessity and in these cases, it shouldn’t be a bad thing. In other cases, a commuter school is a practical choice made after careful consideration.