by Jaylon Brunson

There are some advantages and disadvantages that go along with being a student athlete who commutes back and forth to school and to sporting obligations.  The life of a commuter comes with creating a schedule and being committed to following the schedule. As a commuter student there is no luxury to sleep late, as you must allot traveling time to get from your home to your class, not to mention find parking. That may sound difficult but after doing it for a while it becomes a way of life and saves a commuter student money as there is no housing bill, which is even more beneficial if your family lives in the same city as the school.

Another advantage of being a commuter student athlete is that you are able to stay in the comfort of your home and not worry about having a roommate or people partying when you are trying to study.  I find this to be the biggest advantage because I can come over to the school and hang out with my teammates and then return home, which I really enjoy. However, there is an advantage to staying on campus and not having to drive home after hanging out with your teammates.      

Another disadvantage to being a commuter there are times that you do not  feel included in all the events and activities that go on at the school. It takes more effort to belong since you are not always on campus. However, I find that staff and students/athletes on campus really go out of their way to make commuters feel welcomed.

There are times as a student athlete, one may wish  they could work out more, but it would require more commuting to the school. As a student athlete who is a commuter it requires thinking out of the box to ensure workouts are done so you do not lose any advantages.    

I find the biggest advantage of being a commuter athlete is that it allows me to help care for my grandmother who is on dialysis. I am sure there are other commuters who also have those obligations and commuting allows them to take care of other obligations.

Lastly, there are pros and cons for those that live on campus as well as those who are commuters. There are some who would probably say they would prefer to live on campus as an athlete, but I am not one. I find that being a commuter and a student athlete works for me.