Tag: college

“May the Odds be Ever in Your Favor”

Posted on by kaytlynlaferriere
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“May the odds be ever in your favor”-Hunger Games

With it now being the second half of my college semester that can mean only one thing… it’s class registration time!!

One of the first things that was told to me when going to WSU was to wake up early because that’s the only way you will get the classes you want. That terrified me!!

It’s like:

Hi welcome to WSU. You are now going to fight to the death for a chance to land a spot in Communication Law. There’s only two time slots with 20 seats open each. Good luck and “may the odds be ever in your favor”.

And if you’re wondering, YES I did just quote the Hunger Games!!

This quote definitely stands out to me when I think of registering for classes because for me it almost feels like I’m going into battle. If you want to be the victor, you better come prepared. I also just really like the Hunger Games book/movie series all together so any way to use it in my daily life I’ll take it.

Now to others I may be over exaggerating, but as a commuter I find it can be quite challenging in getting the exact schedule you want. For starters I want to not have to come in everyday because that’s not only a waste of time for me, but also a waste of gas. If I could also get my classes as close together as possible that would also be a dream because who wants a 5 hour block between two classes. Sure you could go home, but what about those 1 hour commuters? It’s not like we can walk to our dorm rooms and take a nap.

It doesn’t help either that the classes I do want tend to only be available at one time which may or may not work with my few times a week or close in proximity desires. And don’t even get me started on needing certain classes and they’re not even available.

Needless to say, this can be a very stressful time for everyone, but I think commuters have a little bit more to think about when they are deciding what to take. For example, does it ever cross your mind that someone has to make a schedule that works around their work schedule, or making sure they’re home in time to pick up their kids from school? That’s why I think more options for different class times and days, along with more of the same classes would be very beneficial because picking you classes wouldn’t be such a bloodbath.

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If you’ve ever gone black Friday shopping or waited for a drop on a famous online store, then picking classes will seem very similar. So suit up, drink some coffee, have your classes ready, and type as fast as your fingers will let you.

And to reiterate…

May the odds be ever in your favor!

I Feel Like A Hawk

Posted on by kaytlynlaferriere

Imagine this:

You just left your house to go to school. Backpack, check, phone, check, keys, check. You turn on your music and start jamming away as you drive your many miles to get to school. You’re in a decent headspace knowing you’ve finished your test that was due today and your paper is all set and printed, until you pull into the school realizing you’re about to head into a major war zone.

“Please! Please let there be a space. I can’t risk being late again.”

All you see are cars upon cars filling up the entire commuter parking lot with tons more circling around in hopes to maybe find one empty one. I swear it’s like a bunch of hawks just circling its prey. You drive slow and keep your eyes pealed as the rest of the hawks do the same.

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Your anxiety increases as you see nothing opening up or being available. You circle once more. With luck a spot just opened up. You start to speed up a bit in hopes to get it. All of a sudden, a car coming from the opposite direction spots it too and somehow manages to get there just before you.

AHHHHHHHH!!! NOW WHAT?

This just seems to happen to you no matter what day or time; it’s always a blood bath.

I don’t know about you, but this tends to happen to me almost everyday I go to school. I can hardly ever find parking, and when I do it’s a godsend. But let me tell you, it really grinds my gears.

I shouldn’t have to fight for a spot everyday just to go to school; there should be space for everyone and then more space on top of that space.

At my school faculty and staff say that there’s enough space for all of us. They start by saying that we have 8 parking areas; which of course the biggest one being the dumping grounds for all of the residents’ cars. So even if you did want to park there, you would be parking in the far back. Have fun walking a mile 🙂

They also say to us to get to school early that way most spaces will be available (maybe don’t tell that to everyone next time).

Story of my life.

There just never seems to be enough space to hold all of us and it’s really frustrating, especially when our parking lots are also used for other cars that decide to not park in their designated parking lots. I don’t know how many times I have seen student stickers and faculty stickers on parked cars in the commuter lot; which by the way, can receive tickets for. But then again, just this week I counted at least 5 cop cars in potentially good parking spaces for all of us commuters too.

I just don’t get it. There are so many other lots they could take, why ours? We barely have enough space as it is.

Like I’ve said in past posts, we just don’t get the recognition we deserve. I think people just assume that we won’t mind that our spots are taken for their convenience when that is really the biggest thing a commuter can ask for; a parking space.

All I ask is for more space and to actually care about your commuters. It sucks when a major commuter parking lot is covered in snow because that was the only lot the school let any faculty or staff park in so the rest of the lovely lots could be plowed to perfection. Couldn’t they just keep one of the million faculty lots open for them? Did they really have to use our lot, because now after driving in the elements and risking our lives to get to school we now can find no places to park because they’re all filled with snow drifts and the school just didn’t have time to plow it; whoops, sorry. It’s not like we can park in the faculty/staff or resident parking lots either, even though it should be when you can’t find a space.

The grass patch of fury.

Everyday I see empty faculty lots staring me in the face along with a big open field just waiting in my opinion to become a parking lot. I get it nature is important, but getting to the class I paid for is too. Sometimes I wish we could do something about that, because an extended parking lot in my opinion would be very helpful.

Well… maybe there is something we can do about it.

Like I’ve said in a past post, Commuter Services is a great place to talk about your concerns about anything commuter-related. So if there really is a problem at your school about parking, like mine, bring it up because maybe a change will happen. Maybe you could get another parking lot or having a better way of handling the wrong groups of people that park in your parking lot.

If we continue to complain about parking and do nothing about it then nothing will change because to everyone else nothing seems to be wrong. Take action.

To all of you parking lot survivors out there, I understand your pain and I wish you luck at your next battle. As to all you residents, faculty, staff, and random visitors out there, GET OUT OF OUR PARKING LOT!! Thank you 🙂

Are You Giving Us Your 100%?

Posted on by kaytlynlaferriere

I couldn’t believe my eyes. There are colleges that have approximately 85-100% of students who are college commuters!

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Now I know what you could be thinking. Yeah there are tons of colleges out there that have students who are 100% college commuters; they’re called community colleges.

That’s true…

But I have never heard of a college where it’s not a community college and it still has over 85% or more of the students being commuters.

It sounds crazy right? Especially with the amount of regard college commuters seem to get.

91% students at the University of Massachusetts at Boston are college commuters. Along with 96% at Berkeley College in New York, New York. The list goes on and on….

To me these are some pretty big schools with even bigger commuter numbers than I ever expected. Maybe it’s because of college costs these days. Room and board can get pretty expensive on top of tuition, books, and everything else that sort of sneaks it’s way into our bills; I’m talking about YOU gym fee! So maybe more students are opting for a commuter option. Welcome to the dark side haha.

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So with more colleges having a bigger number of students who are commuters, where is the recognition we deserve? Where are the changes to help accommodate us?

Where is the love am I right?

Of course I can’t speak for every colleges’ stance on their commuters. I’m sure there are some schools who really do take the time to accommodate and try to do what’s best for their commuters. Hopefully UMASS Boston and Berkeley College are some of them. But for the majority of what I’ve seen and heard, commuters tend to be overlooked most of the time. Which is why I ask, “If we’re giving you an approximately 100% commuter student body, then where’s your 100% dedication to us commuters?”

Even if the student body was under 50% as commuters (like my school where the commuter population is 40%) we still should be taken into account, more than we already are or even if we are. We are a part of the school just like everyone else.

The focus should not just be about student parking or finding the best ways to get to the school, but finding ways to have commuters connect more with their fellow college-goers, getting them involved, helping them with their mental heath, etc etc.

So I want to know… Do you think your college gives you and your fellow commuters their 100% because if not I don’t think you’re getting your money’s worth or what you deserve.

There’s No Place Like Home

Posted on by kaytlynlaferriere

Learning to be grateful instead of regretful.

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I find at times I can be a bit negative about my college situation. You know with being a commuter and all. Or just college in general.

I get mad that I have to drive in everyday. Not finding parking- literally THE WORST!!! Receiving a bunch of homework. Not getting enough sleeeeeepppfahheghrug …. The list goes on and on.

People keep telling me that I just need to be more positive. Take it day by day. Don’t worry so much and enjoy the little things in life. Easier said then done, am I right?

But with this constant push of positivity thrown in my face, I feel I should at least try to change my mindset.

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This is when I started to think about gratitude. What could I say about my life that I am grateful for. Well a lot of things. The one I’m thinking about and the one I want to touch upon is my home.

I’m grateful that I have a place to drive to every night after school. A place that I can call my sanctuary. A safe place. A place I can go to hopefully leave those stressors of school behind, even though they tend to follow me.

What I’m trying to say is that I’m sort of happy I don’t live on campus because I can kind of distinguish the places of school/work and home/relaxation separately in my life. I feel when you’re a resident you can’t really get away from school. Yes there’s parties and no you don’t live right in your psychology classroom, but you walk 5 minutes and your dorm room is right there. It’s sort of a blessing and a curse, in my opinion.

Sure for me I have to drive 30 minutes to get home, but it allows me to decompress from my day and sort of get into this different mode where I’m like, “Yes I’m home now, I can relax and feel 100% me”. I think I just like being able to leave the space. It’s kind of like a 9 to 5 job… except I still need to do a bunch of work at home, “bosses” are emailing me left and right, and where’s my paycheck!?

I’m not saying a dorm can’t be your little oasis from school because it totally can be, and you should be grateful for that. A home is what you make of it. But for us commuters I’m trying to say, don’t regret not living on campus because you don’t have a 5 minute walk to your bedroom or that you’re missing out on all the action. Instead I encourage you to be grateful for the things you do have. Like your OWN bedroom with a bed that hasn’t been used by 20 other people over the last who knows how long. It’s probably been the same since the college was founded.

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I know it can be hard to not think negatively or think about the things you don’t have; I know, I’m still learning and it’s not going to change overnight either. But what I’m asking of you is to maybe think of one thing that you are grateful each day. It could be not getting homework in a class or finding a parking space. HALLELUJAH!! Whatever it is, hopefully it will put you in a better mindset and be happy of who you are and what you have.

Today I am happy that I have a place I can call home. My home lol 🙂 And that it’s far enough away from campus where I can feel like I can decompress and compartmentalize that this is home and that’s school. I don’t know about you, but I think for once I was actually being positive!

Can You Hear Me?

Posted on by kaytlynlaferriere
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Being a commuter can pose many different challenges. Two of them is being seen and heard. Sometimes when you are not a part of the majority it can be hard to feel like you are getting the recognition you deserve or an outlet to express your feelings.

“Can I get an Amen up in here!”-RuPaul

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For example, even if there are plenty of activities and clubs for everyone to participate in, it can be hard for some commuters to feel like they belong. In my personal experience, I find most activities to be late at night. By then I’m already home and don’t feel the need to go back out, drive to school, and hope I know someone there that I can hang out with at that given event. It’s just not worth it to me which can be frustrating. When do they ever consider the commuters, besides the fact that these events are open to all?

But that’s just the tip of the iceberg. There are plenty of concerns that we as commuters want to speak about because changes or things that happen on campus can affect us too. But how can we? Where do we go to express our concerns, feelings, or maybe a new club idea?

Many campuses have what is called Commuter Services. Luckily for me my campus has one. This is where commuters are the priority; where questions and concerns about commuting, commuter life or just college in general are heard and taken into account.

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Happy Dance!

This is the group of people that try to put our best interests first. They are the ones that want to make our college experience great! They realize commuting can be a struggle not only in the social aspect for example, but getting our voices heard too.

At my school, Commuter Services tends to do a lot of activities such a free meals or fun little events. Just last week, there was a Valentine’s Day Candy event and today we could get a free meal where we could socialize with other commuters. There are even workshops to help us thrive in college, such as meal prepping or eating on a budget. All of these events are also great opportunities to express your concerns or questions.

Another great tool that I recently saw implemented was the use of a commuter survey. This allowed commuters to not only get a chance to win some school cash (HOLD UP! Cash! SIGN ME UP!) but also have their voices heard. No one can really help you unless you speak up. And as being a minority group in a school setting, this is a great way to make changes that we need. This is our stage to finally voice our opinions. This is where you can hear me!

So to all of you who feel like no one cares about us, that no one has our best interest, that no one wants to hear what we have to say, maybe look into your school directory and find Commuter Services. Talk to them, get to know them, and express your concerns. This may be a great opportunity to tell them ideas for making a college commuter experience worth wile. And if you’re not sure what needs to be done, but feel like you need some changes, maybe ask them about creating a survey. Get the help from your fellow commuters to voice their opinions and concerns. There are plenty of surveys out there that can help hone down what should be taken care of to make a college commuter experience the best it can be. And if there isn’t a survey that fits your school best, you can always create one. Surveymonkey.com is a great place to create a survey that fits your needs.

I know feeling left out or not being heard can be a struggle, but maybe you’re not as alone as you think you are. Maybe all you need to do is a bit of searching and you will find the community and platform that you were meant to be a part of all this time. Don’t be shy, go out there and get what you deserve.

On a lighter note please enjoy this #relatable #me #collegelife post! 🙂

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No time for games

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Why Commute?

Posted on by kaytlynlaferriere

Why commute? More specifically why do people commute? In a general sense, it’s because people need to get back and forth from some place whether it be work or school. If they didn’t commute then they would just be stuck in one place. In my publication, I’m focusing on college commuters.

So to reiterate, why do college students commute? There are many different reasons towards this question. Some commute because they live close by. Some commute because they prefer living off campus. Some also commute because they don’t have the money to live on campus. And some well… just don’t have a choice. I’m sure there are other reasons my fellow commuters could come up with as to why we commute. Personally, I commute because I only live 25 minutes away from my campus. I would rather save the money I could spend on a dorm and put it towards other things such as school tuition or gas money.

Even though commuting is a choice just like living on campus is, it seems that my choice gets more of a stigma around it; why is that? Why is living off-campus so bad, or is it? Is living off campus really that different compared to people who live on campus? In some ways the answers to these questions can go both ways.

I am a college student just like everyone else, I just have to drive into school. I probably go through very similar things that everyone else has to do, such as eating meals everyday, but there may be some differences between us too. My point is, there is more to us than being just a commuter. Sure we may drive because we don’t have the money in some cases, but there is way more to us that people need to explore; if only they gave us the chance.

If more people took the time to understand our side of things, a commuter’s point of view, then maybe people would just see us a students and not just commuters. Instead of people saying, “Oh you’re a commuter,” maybe they should ask, “Why do you commute,” and then continue to explore who we are, what we go through, our ups and downs, our passions, etc. and maybe they will see that we have more in common than they thought.