For commuters, the college experience doesn’t start in a dorm room, but in a driver’s seat.
By the time most students are rolling out of bed, I’ve already been on the road for 35 minutes, circled the commuter lot and calculated whether I’ll get a spot close enough to make it to class on time. My day begins before I even touch campus, and sometimes, it feels like that’s the part nobody sees.
The distance isn’t just measured in miles, but it’s in the extra planning, time and money it takes to be part of the same college community.
For me, the rhythm of the day is defined by finding spaces to belong in between obligations. On long days with both morning and evening classes, I can’t just retreat to a dorm room to rest. Instead, I piece together a map of campus survival.
Some mornings, I settle at a table in the Bishop Dougherty University Center (UC), where the chatter and movement around me become background noise as I study. Other times, I slip into the dining hall to eat.
Walsh Library is my quiet refuge, the place where I can lock in and focus, while Starbucks becomes my recharge station when fatigue hits in the afternoon.
Commuters are experts at making campus work for us, but the trade-offs are real.
A nap in a dorm isn’t an option unless a resident friend signs you in. Late club meetings mean driving home exhausted after 10 p.m. with homework still waiting for me.
By then, what feels like the “heart” of campus, the impromptu movie nights, late-evening events or hanging out in residence halls, has already passed us by.
“Sometimes I feel like I live in two worlds,” Prachet Trivedi, a senior nursing major, said. “I’m part of SHU, but I’m not always in the middle of everything happening here.”
That in-between feeling can be isolating.
You’re close enough to campus life to watch it, but far enough away that you can’t always join in. While commuters create a sense of community among themselves, the gap between resident and commuter experiences is real, and it affects how connected we feel to Seton Hall as a whole.
Still, being a commuter student has its benefits.
Living at home means saving on housing costs, which, for many families, makes higher education possible. It also provides stability, home-cooked meals, family support and a familiar space to return to at the end of the day.
Commuting also builds discipline and time management in a way that residence life doesn’t demand. When every class, meeting and assignment has to fit around a drive that can stretch an hour or more in traffic, you learn quickly to prioritize what matters.
In recent semesters, conversations about commuter life have begun to surface more on campus. SHU has added events and resources designed for commuters, but more can be done.
Late-night study spaces, expanded shuttle services and programming that includes commuters in planning stages could go a long way toward bridging the gap. SHU does offer support to make the commuter experience smoother.
The Commuter Life Office, located in the University Center, hosts Commuter Appreciation Week, Coffee and Commuter Chats, and the Commuter Mentor Program, pairing new commuters with upperclassmen for guidance. The Commuter Lounge, complete with microwaves, couches, and lockers, gives students a place to recharge between classes. There’s also free parking registration, meal plan flexibility, and events specifically scheduled around commuter-friendly hours.
The Office of Student Engagement (OSE) partners with four commuter ambassadors in the Commuter Ambassador Program who help plan relevant and inclusive events, according to OSE. SHU also has a Commuter Corner Series, which includes events such as a holiday hot chocolate bar or a grab and go breakfast.
Along with this series, they host study halls, celebrate commuter birthdays, and hold takeover events integrated into campus traditions. Commuter students can connect with SHU Commutes on Engage and follow the Student Services Instagram, where they promote commuter events.
These initiatives help commuters feel seen, but there’s still room for growth. More late-night study spaces, additional seating in the UC during peak hours, and continued inclusion of commuters in event planning could make a lasting difference
Commuting is not a setback, it's an education of its own. It teaches resilience, adaptability, and the ability to create belonging in places not always designed for you.
For me, it means knowing every shortcut to campus, every quiet corner in the UC and every friend generous enough to lend a dorm bed for a nap.
The road to SHU isn’t easy, but it proves that commuters don’t just get here—we belong here.
Ishal Chhipa is a writer for The Setonian’s Opinion section. She can be reached at ishal.chhipa@student.shu.edu.
