Staying Connencted To Campus As A Commuter Student
Introduction
Students who commute to their campus on a daily basis often have to face a major challenge of staying connected with everything which is happening inside the campus. But by taking some wise decisions and a bit of an effort, you can easily be part of all extra-curricular as well as social activities which take place within the campus.
Live close to the campus
It is not necessary that you will have to stay off campus, and then it is not necessary that you will stay far away from the campus. Within the US, quite a few colleges have apartment buildings and houses on rent which can be at a stone's throw from your class room. Living in such an accommodation will help you save a sizable amount which you would otherwise spend on food and lodging. Moreover, you won't have to spend money separately on travel expenses as the place where you would be staying will be within walking distance from your college.
Get an on-campus job
You can work part time so as to make judicious use of the off periods between the different classes. Quite a few colleges in the US offer tutoring programs or positions in their admissions office or works associated with volunteering. While taking admission in such an institute, you need to collect beforehand whether they offer these types of facilities to students or not. One of the plus points of having an on-campus job is that you can have first hand information of all academic as well as social events which are happening within the campus.
Volunteer off-campus
Volunteering for all activities which are happening within the campus is fair enough. But to feel an integral part of the student community, you need to be part of a club, social welfare organization, or any activity which happens outside the campus. You can represent your college, teach orphans, and meet students from other colleges all at once. Stay in touch with everything that takes place within the campus through Associate Students or the Graduate Student Association.
Stay on-campus during the weekend
During weekends, you can go to the campus, instead of studying or wasting time in your room. You can go to the library and come across some of your friends there, exchange notes as well as ideas. Once you have completed the assignments, you can accompany them to coffee or drinks, which you would normally never do if you were staying at home alone.
Conclusion
The more you get involved with the activities happening in the campus, the more will be your knowhow. If for instance, your college organizes a special event during a specific time period of the year, and be a part of the organizing committee, then you will learn to handle the finances, manage other volunteers and also to make the necessary decorations.