Commuting to school is a familiar experience for many students — whether by a big yellow bus, a beat-up Toyota or maybe just walking. To some, the era of taking a hero’s journey just to get to school ended when they were handed the keys to their new dorm — school was not far away, but rather, right outside their front door.
To commuters, the journey to school remains an integral part of their everyday experience. Commuter Abigail Livengood, junior sociology, theology and honors triple major, enjoys the social opportunities that commuting allows her to achieve.
“I love how connected it makes me feel to my city,” Livengood said. “Even though I’m on campus, I never feel like just a student. I like commuting just for how many more faces I see throughout the day.”
Commuting is not always sunshine and rainbows. Commutes can require long driving times and heavy gas bills for students like freshman English creative writing major Anna Foxworth.
“I’m coming from Kirkland, and it takes 20 to 40 minutes, depending on the day,” Foxworth said. “I think one of the major downsides is probably the gas. Thankfully, I have a small car, so it doesn’t guzzle too much gas.”
Other students, like junior English literature and honors major Kenzie Chan, believe that the constant driving or moving around can sometimes make getting involved rather difficult.
“I think you have to be more intentional about your social life,” Chan said. “When you’re on campus, it’s a lot easier to pop over to someone else’s dorm or apartment, but with commuting, it takes a lot more effort.”
In the case of public transportation, figuring out bus schedules or getting to a bus on time can also be a challenge. To the average commuter who uses public transportation, the idea of getting stranded roadside or on a random street waiting for the next bus seems likely.
“I can never tell if I’m going to be there in 15 minutes or 45 minutes,” Livengood said. “Sometimes when I leave for the day, I have to be gone for the day. Sometimes I’ll be bringing a whole change of clothes, my lunch and my breakfast for almost the whole day.”
Whether the journey is smooth or comes with a few hurdles, students try to find a way to make the best of their commutes.
Students around the greater Seattle area utilize the Seattle Public Transportation System, while others can drive to school in their own cars.
“I do like the separation between school and life balance,” Chan said. “I live down near Seattle Center, so it’s normally only about a ten-minute drive in my Mini Cooper that I named Pip. I really enjoy the commuter life because I feel like I’m able to leave the stress of school somewhat.”
With more time spent either in cars, buses or the areas students call home, a few commuters consider the downtime to be one of the most refreshing periods of their days.
“I’m not a dorm person; I need my alone time,” Foxworth said. “I like to have that kind of meditative moment where I can really listen to loud music all the way home and all the way to school. Having a good night’s sleep at home and some alone time in the car really helps.”
A commute would not be complete without its soundtrack. Students use music from every genre imaginable to meditate or indulge in daydreaming fantasies.
“I really like heavy rock, glam rock,” Foxworth said. “I’ve been listening to a lot of The Darkness, and I really love Greta Van Fleet.”
Some integrate the soundtracks of famous shows and movies into their commuting journeys.
“I like to listen to the soundtrack of Grey’s Anatomy,” Livengood said. “It’s also a lot of alternative, 2000s-era music, but it makes me feel like I’m in a TV show.”
Between long drives and minutes anxiously waiting for the next bus, commuting excursions have opened quite a few doors for students to take those first steps of separating the world of school and the world outside it.
“The benefit of being at Seattle Pacific is that we’re literally in the middle of Seattle,” Livengood said. “Even though I’m on campus, thanks to commuting, I never feel as though I am just a student; I feel as though I am a major part of the city and my community.”
