A STUDENT'S GUIDE TO COMMUTING
By RISHIMA TALWAR, MACINSIDERS
University is expensive. There are no ifs, ands, or buts about it. With tuition prices increasing yearly, and textbooks getting more and more costly, it is getting harder and harder to save money. So, deciding to live at home for the first year, instead of living on residence, is a financial choice many students have to make. Sure, by living at home, you may be sacrificing some of the college experience everyone raves about. But, at the end of the day, by living at home, you may still be able to afford those really cute fall boots.
If you decide to commute, I would like to cordially welcome you to the Commuters Club! Depending on where your home is, you may end up walking, biking, taking the bus or driving. You may also have to spend anywhere from 15 minutes to an hour travelling. Thus, travelling an x amount of time to get to school can take definitely take its toll on you. Here are a few tips to make commuting more bearable:
Listen to music: Nowadays, it seems like everyone has an iPod or a mp3 player. So why not put it to good use! You can take your iPod with you practically anywhere you go. Just grab your little device before getting into your car, jumping on your bike or walking to the bus. Listening to music is a simple and easy way to alleviate boredom and make time go by faster. A 20 minute bike ride can seem like 5 minutes when listening to music. Research has also shown that music can positively affect the brain and help ease stress. Music will make you forget all the problems and school work you have to deal with, and make you feel more relaxed. Add a scenic route to your commute, and you may end up feeling like you just spent a day at the spa!
Catch up on your reading: If you are commuting from Mississauga or Oakville, you will probably be on the road for a good 35-55 minutes, and you might as well make good use of all this time. Reading your textbook or getting caught up on your reading will be a great, efficient way to spend your commute. This one is a little bit harder if you are driving, but great for all other means of commuting. If you are driving, do not despair: if you want to get some reading done on your commute, but need your eyes to concentrate on where you are going, you can always listen to recorded books. These recorded books can range from fiction to nonfiction, and even college lectures! You can get these recorded books from most public libraries, so they won’t make a dent in your wallet.
Find a travelling partner: Pushing your way onto an overcrowded bus and spending hours stuck in traffic is bad enough on its own. So why not find someone else to complain with? A travelling partner will make commuting more enjoyable and will give you company throughout the ups and downs of commuting. If you are driving to McMaster, a travelling partner will also help you save gas money and be more environmentally friendly. If you drive to McMaster and do not know anyone who you can carpool with, you can always check out:
www.smartcommute.ca by registering on the website, you can find other McMaster commuters, and hopefully begin carpooling! As Jack Johnston says “it’s always better when we’re together.”
As a commuter myself, I can guarantee that these tips will help making commuting more pleasant. One last advice that I would like to pass on is to always be safe! Regardless of the transportation method you are using, or the length of your commute, if you can, always carry a cell phone with you. In addition, use a route that you are familiar with. Avoid using a wooded, sheltered route at night and make sure someone knows where you are. If you ever feel uncomfortable walking to your car alone at night, or if you want some company while you wait for your bus, the McMaster SWHAT team will be happy to help you. The SWHAT team runs 7 days a week, and if needed, a male and female volunteer team will even walk you anywhere within a 30 minute radius from campus and take the bus with you if you are going to downtown Hamilton! You can check out more information on the SWHAT team and their services here:
https://www.msumcmaster.ca/services-...ant-team-swhat
Happy commuting!!
