As my first year of grad school comes to a close, I’ve been getting some questions about how I survive commuting 45 mins to an hour to school almost every day. I didn’t think I had much advice to give on this subject because, honestly, commuting is 110% worth it to me. When I went to Temple I came home almost every weekend and I didn’t enjoy where I lived fully. Now that Ryan and I have a place in West Chester that we both love, I’m always excited to get home after a long day at school. But after thinking about it a little more, I realized I do have some tips that I think could help y’all with commuting! Here they are:
Make playlists for every mood.
I loveeee listening to music. This is a big part about why I think I enjoy driving so much. I have tons of playlists on Spotify: throwback jams, songs to listen to when it’s sunny and warm and you’re driving with the windows down, all the songs I love at the moment, rap music, EDM, etc. I make these playlists myself so I know I’m only listening to stuff I enjoy. It makes the commute so much faster!
Audiobooks.
I’m not a huge audiobook person because I have FOMO about reading the actual book but I do think audiobooks are a good option for people who aren’t that into music! I’ve had an Audible membership before but I think that it’s a littttle expensive, especially if you don’t commit to listening to audiobooks every day on your drive. Some books take a crazy amount of hours to get through. I recommend using your library and renting books through their Overdrive program! It’s free and there are usually a lot of good books to choose from!
Podcasts.
I’m a lot better about listening to podcasts than I am about audiobooks! Some podcasts I’ve listened to in the past include: Serial (season 1), In the Dark, and Undisclosed. I haven’t listened to a podcast in a few months BUT that doesn’t mean I don’t love them! I think they can be a great way to get news and keep up with what’s happening in the world, too.
Use a GPS.
This might sound weird, but I always feel like my commute is shorter when I know exactly when I’m supposed to get home. I use Waze which is awesome because it lets me know when there’s construction or traffic or other hazards on the road which is helpful when you have a long commute!
What tips do you have for people who have long commutes to school or work? Leave some in the comments!
