My Experience as a Commuter at Barnard College
As an NYC native who commuted to high school every day for four years, I did not think there would be a huge difference to also be a commuter student in college. I remember thinking to myself, “What’s four more years going to do?” I thought this especially because I knew I would probably end up needing to commute for work after college anyways and it is a very common experience for New Yorkers. However, the experience of attending a school like Barnard is much different than going to a high school. In high school, everyone was a commuter. I often took the train with my friends after class. But, at Barnard and Columbia, nearly everyone is living on or near campus. All of my friends have been able to wake up five minutes before class and still manage to make it on time while I wait for a delayed bus even though I woke up two hours before class.
After commuting for the past four years, I can tell you that it is definitely still an adjustment, especially in terms of social life. Clubs and events typically happen late at night or on the weekends when I am expected to be home. For that reason, it was hard meeting new people and making friends during my first semester. Being a commuter student has its challenges, but it also has a number of benefits. In addition to the amount of money you can save, it is nice to come home and sleep in my own room and bed. It is nice to see my family and be able to eat home cooked meals every night. Barnard can be a stressful and competitive environment sometimes and living at home allows me an escape. I am able to actively separate my personal life from my school life which has been very beneficial in setting boundaries for my mental health.
Living outside of campus means that I have to make the extra effort when it comes to social activities, which is just an extra challenge that I have had to navigate. During my second semester of college, I decided to make it a goal of mine to join clubs based on my interests. I knew I was planning on being a Computer Science major and looked online at Columbia’s list of clubs to see if any organizations focused on Computer Science. That's how I found out about Women in CS, a club dedicated to women in the computer science space. I also wanted to be involved on Barnard’s campus through McAC, our student programming board, by helping to plan events and traditions and possibly pursue my writing interests via the Barnard Bulletin. It only takes an email to a club to express your interest, which is exactly what I did. I let these clubs know that I was a commuter student and they gave me options to meet earlier so I could be involved. There is even a commuter club called Barnard Skip Stop that hosts events for students in the commuter lounge in the Diana Center. Joining clubs was a huge aspect of finding my place in this community as a commuter student. I am also a BSAR which is another thing that has allowed me to be comfortable and advocate my love for this school.
Finding your place in a new environment is something we all face. We all try to come to terms with our different identities and being a commuter just so happens to be one of those identities for me. It is something that requires an extra step but is always worth it in the end.