If you live on campus, you most likely have been part of a slew of fun activities on campus. However, for those of you who commute to RIT and have chosen to live at home, I am here to ease your worries. I remember the summer before college started, all my friends were super excited because they would be living in dorms and experiencing campus life. I was super bummed to be commuting instead and during this time I began to believe what anyone said about commuting like “you’ll miss out on all the fun” or “you won’t make friends as easily." As it turned out, they were far from the truth! Depending on you, what you want to do and what you want to get out of your time at college, that will set the tone for the next four to five years. Think about it for a moment: if you lived on campus and you did not want to associate with anyone, you could easily get away with that. It really does not matter whether you live on or off campus! That may be a lot to swallow at first, but if you are immersing yourself into clubs and other social activities, then you will begin to build a community around you.
As odd as it sounds, by taking jobs on campus I met many other students. In addition to that I was fortunate enough to have friends on campus that allowed me to stay in their dorms overnight when there were really late night events that we wanted to participate in. Making connections with people in my classes my first year, I ended up learning about events I would not have otherwise known about. Just by asking around and talking with upperclassmen I also became aware of other on campus events.
Being local and commuting also has its benefits as well. All the local festivals such as the Park Avenue Festival, Lilac Festival, Maple Syrup Weekend, Polar Plunge, etc. I was able to attend and also spread the word about all the awesome events that Rochester has to offer to out-of-state students. You begin to be seen as a resource to students who are unfamiliar with the area. My advice is, don’t sweat it because you are not living on campus. Embrace being a commuter, try and take part in some activities on campus, explore Rochester on your own or take part in the outing club and hike around New York, and most importantly poke your head in at the Association of Commuter Engagement. They connect you with other commuters on campus and have events throughout the year so you get a chance to explore parts of campus that you would not otherwise be aware of.
Now off you go! Make the next four/five years count here! Toodles :)