Commuting: nothing new
As a commuter student from Chicago, I’ve used public transportation all my life before coming to Naperville. The distance wasn’t an issue, so I made my decision because I didn’t want to pay to live on campus. Being a commuter, however, can sometimes be complicated. Apart from financial reasons, I also decided to commute because I did not want to leave my home.
Transportation and Rideshare experience
Looking back at my first year of college, I noticed some differences in my experience as a commuter. Before enrolling at NCC, I attended National Louis University in Chicago. My commute to National Louis only involved taking a bus, a train and walking for about three minutes. I would rarely use Uber, but when I did, it was affordable. Additionally, I had a flexible schedule with classes only two days a week. Now my commuting experience involves taking an Uber to Union Station, getting on Metra and walking five minutes to campus. I don’t mind the transportation, but having to spend $20-$45 almost every day is irritating. A car seems like a solution to issues with commuting, so I decided to interview commuters who drive to campus.
Upsides and downsides of commuting
Cristian Moreno, ’23 drives every day to NCC from Romeoville. His commute takes 20 minutes, sometimes more because of traffic. Moreno said that he personally wishes he could be a resident student. However, that desire disappears because of his dog at home. He also added that it’s easier to concentrate on his academic work at home, whereas he can’t find the perfect study place on campus. Moreno’s decision to commute to campus was due to financial reasons.
“I decided that picking up a loan didn’t make much sense to me for the amount of money left over, and if I had a dorm at college the cost would be much higher,” Moreno said.
After he completes college, he wants to attend graduate school and is aware that it’s not cheap, so he wants to make sure he won’t be in much debt.
Moreno doesn’t have major issues with commuting, but he dislikes having to wake up an hour and a half early to get to classes on time. His downside to commuting is not being able to engage with other students because of the limited opportunities.
Justin Moore, ‘22 is a resident assistant who used to be a commuter. It used to take him 30 minutes to get to campus. For him, one of the benefits of commuting was the financial aspect of it. When he decided to be a student at NCC, he felt that living on campus would be expensive. Moore also has younger siblings that he has to take care of after arriving home.
“Some of the annoyances with it were definitely making friends when I first got here, I found it really hard to acclimate myself with campus culture because I would just come here for classes and then kind of leave right after,” Moore said.
It took Moore some time to be involved on campus. He is a first-generation college student and got involved with Cardinal First. The program aims to help first-generation college students succeed in their years of college.
Situations that convince commuters to live on campus
For Moreno, he would consider living on campus if he lived far and did not have to worry about dealing with financial issues. Meanwhile, Moore, who is now a senior, said it is his second year living on campus. His main reason for now living on campus is because he got hired as a resident assistant which allows him to have a room for free.
“The free housing was pretty much the only reason which made me live on campus,” Moore said.
Work and school balance
Moreno was working full-time while commuting but he could not handle it and ended up being stressed out. As of today, he only works on the weekends. Moore’s experience balancing work and school relates to mine as a student working two jobs in the past and falling behind in classes.
During the first year at NCC, Moore was able to manage his school and work life; he would work on days without classes. In his second year, however, his schedule involved classes almost every day, so he could only work on weekends. Moore also added that the commuting experience is different for every student. Some may live in Naperville and have a short drive, while others may be farther away from school and prepare to arrive on time.
Commuter Assistance Program
About 40-45% of students commute to NCC. Dr. Rachel Pridgen, director of student involvement, provided details on the Commuter Assistance Program. Pridgen explained the program was created to build community and advocacy for both commuters and transfer students.
The main objectives of this program are to build community, provide resources and be the voice for commuters. It aims to fully make them feel that NCC is their home. Some challenges the program has faced are encouraging commuter students to stay and utilize resources that can help them succeed.
“Residence life has this this structure built within their office to allow for students to meet each other and to be able to feel a part of the community, and there’s not really anything for commuters, so we wanted to build something that would allow for that same type of goal for our commuter students,” said Pridgen.
Some of the resources that commuters can use are commuter lounges, which can be found in the Boilerhouse Café or the Wentz Science Center. Refrigerators and microwaves are also available to students that decide to bring their own food.
Cardinal Operation Hope and Help
Cardinal Operation Hope and Help is a program that enhances the achievement of students by assisting with basic necessities, such as food, clothes, shelter and education. I first heard about this program through one of my professors who recommended that I reached out to them because I needed financial support for transportation. When I submitted an application for the funds, I met up with a care coordinator to discuss why I needed funding. Other students who commute that are also struggling financially should apply to receive financial support.
