One full length movie, a session of P90X, and 3 episodes of Family Guy all have one thing in common: they all take the same amount of time as my morning commute to school. And although I sometimes spend more hours on the freeway than in the classroom, I still feel there are numerous advantages that result from attending a commuter school like Cal State Long Beach.
A commuter school is defined as a college in which the majority of students don’t live on campus and need to commute to school (car, bus, bike, etc.).
It’s safe to say CSULB fits right into that category; just one drive through the overloaded parking structures is confirmation enough. Being a member of this category isn’t something spoken too highly of though. Yes, attending a commuter school does have its negatives. However, it seems anytime the term “commuter school” is tossed around, the negatives are the only items being discussed.
Now, even though my gas tank takes a weekly beating, I truly believe the benefits of attending a commuter school outweigh the cons. What are the benefits of a commuter school you ask? The main benefit requires only one word: family. Being able to see the people I love most on a daily basis means the world to me. If I would have been away from home these past few years, I know for a fact the relationship I have with my family wouldn’t be half as strong as it is today.
Living at home and being able to see my family every day has not only assisted in my emotional stability, but in my financial stability as well. Attending a commuter school allows me to dodge the financial bullet known as rent.
Granted I still help out financially at home, but the amount I’m paying every month would probably only get me a one-room shack and a box of hot pockets if I didn’t commute.
This leads me to another benefit of attending a commuter school: rarely having to eat food that requires 2 minutes or less to cook.
Don’t get me wrong, I’ll enjoy a Hot Pocket or a piping bowl of Top Ramen from time to time, but if I had to eat that consistently (which I know plenty of non-commuting students do), my stomach would be begging for mercy. This might not seem like a major benefit, but eating full meals instead of unhealthier junk has definitely affected my energy, focus, and well-being.
Whether it be extra time with the family or extra time with quality food, attending a commuter school definitely has its perks. Although these may not seem like major benefits to some, they’ve all enhanced my experience at CSULB in one way or another.
So instead of losing it on those long traffic filled commutes down the 605 freeway, I just think of the reason for that drive, and it makes the ride just a little bit more bearable.
Lawrence Maybir is a senior journalism student and contributing writer for the Daily 49er.
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