With so many students living on campus, it is easy to overlook the experience of a commuter student and the traffic of struggles they face. Traveling from home to campus every day, or even multiple times a day can complicate the lives of commuter students on top of their classes, extracurriculars and jobs.
Pipers choose to commute for a number of reasons, often to save money or give themselves more freedom. Junior Lindsay Eckelman offered a few reasons for why she lives off campus.
“The dorms aren’t very nice so I didn’t want to live there past my freshman year,” Eckelman said. “I hated Anderson food and it was too hard trying to cook a real meal in the dorms.”
One spot where many commuters spend time is the Peterson Commuter Lounge, located inside the lower level of West Hall. There is a selection of food options and study spots for commuters who need a place to sit between classes.
But what other spots on campus do commuters utilize?
“Anderson is a good place to socialize and take a break, and the library is a great place to get work done. So whatever I’m feeling like doing, both of these spots are great.” junior Grace Tesmer said.
No matter the student’s preferences and needs, Hamline’s campus offers a variety of study and resting spots.
“I like that GLC has a lot of places to study that are quiet and tucked away. I prefer being there over the library,” Eckelman said.
Is the grass really greener on campus? The decision of whether to live on or off campus can be a difficult one, especially for those returning after their first year, but this year’s commuters are here to offer their opinion.
Many students choose to live off campus as upperclassmen, but Lola Brouwer shared her struggles as a first-year commuter student.
“Being a commuter makes it especially difficult to meet and interact with new people: especially since most freshmen live on campus and make friends that way, it can be a bit isolating,” Brouwer said. “As a first-year commuter you really just need to put yourself out there to make friends, and once you do that, everything else gets easier.”
However, many upperclassmen find commuting to be a great option.
“I think being a commuter is great for when you’ve already built that system of friends,” Tesmer said. “I lived on campus my freshman year, so I was able to develop my network of friends while I was on campus. I feel like without already having this network of friends, being a commuter would be really hard to find connections.”.
Eckelman also discussed the social impact of commuting.
“It can be isolating sometimes since it’s not as easy to hang out with people who live close to campus,” Eckelman said. “[However]my mental health has improved overall because I enjoy my living space now, and it feels more home-y now that I’m off campus.”
On one side, Hamline offers a number of resources for commuting Pipers. However, some want more from them.
Students can find free food from the Commuter Lounge or the Free Resource Center (located on the first floor of West Hall), which is often a bit far from a majority of classes.
“I would like more snacks and food to be available so that I can eat or grab a quick snack in between my classes and not buy a super expensive snack from Leo’s or Starbucks,” Tesmer said.
Eckelman shares that she, as well as other students, would prefer more personal on-campus spots.
“I have friends who commute and take naps in their car sometimes in between classes,” Eckelman said. “For me, I just want a private quiet space sometimes for a break in between classes. It might be nice if Hamline offered smaller individual rooms that commuters could reserve in between classes to decompress.”
A large portion of Hamline’s students are commuters, and they are often overlooked. Even though many Pipers want more from Hamline’s commuter spaces, they are making the most of the spaces and resources available to them.