For commuter students, the struggles of driving to campus can make it challenging to participate in on-campus activities, which are an essential part of the traditional college experience and key to social success for many college students.
Commuter students at SDSU inevitably face challenges that range from finding parking to forming long-lasting connections. Despite these obstacles, on-campus involvement is considered crucial in order to feel a sense of belonging according to the SDSU Center for Commuter Life and commuter students themselves.
Vanessa Hurst, a third-year commuter student at SDSU, said the most challenging part of her commute to campus is finding parking.
“The parking lots are way too overcrowded,” Hurst said. “I’m very passionate about this because it’s so frustrating.”
On busy days, parking can add an extra 15 minutes to Hurst’s commute.
In order to remedy this situation, Hurst said SDSU should limit the number of parking permits it distributes.
“As far as I know, there’s no limit at all,” Hurst said.
According to the SDSU website, first-year students who live on campus are not allowed to bring a car during their first year studying at SDSU.
Ava Layon, a second-year SDSU student and former commuter, said she was initially planning on taking the trolley to campus because she was unable to obtain a parking permit until a week before school started.
“I would’ve definitely loved to have priority as a commuter,” Layon said.
Additionally, Heather LaPerle, a General Advisor and Retention Specialist at the SDSU Center for Commuter Life, said parking can be a major concern for female commuters who want to park in certain spots due to safety concerns.
The SDSU Safe Ride program is offered to any student, faculty or staff member who may feel unsafe while walking on campus at night, according to the SDSU website.
Safe rides can be requested to 30 different on-campus locations on weekdays from 7 p.m. to midnight using the SDSU Safe app.
While parking can serve as a roadblock for commuters who drive to campus, the clubs, organizations and events offered at SDSU give them the opportunity to get socially involved on campus outside of a classroom setting.
Hurst and Layon are both members of Kappa Alpha Theta, one of the sororities at SDSU. Layon joined Kappa Alpha Theta during her first semester at SDSU.
“I wasn’t in the dorms, so I didn’t get to make those college roommate friends,” Layon said. “Without Theta, I fear I would have no friends.”
Hurst joined Kappa Alpha Theta during her second semester at SDSU after initially struggling to make friends. Hurst said that she considered transferring after her first semester, but after joining Kappa Alpha Theta, she was introduced to people she never would have met on her own.
“It completely changed my experience on campus,” Hurst said. “If you’re a commuter, you should join something.”
Layon said she would recommend greek life for commuter students who may be struggling to make friends and feel a sense of belonging on campus.
However, Layon also said that the SDSU Center for Commuter Life is a community within itself.
The SDSU Center for Commuter Life encourages students to find communities on campus, but LaPerle said that it is often other commuters who are most influential in getting new students involved.
“It is often a student-to-student connection that gets commuters to want to try something out,” LaPerle said.
Commuter Life Academic Mentoring is a program that provides first-year commuters with student mentors who assist them in matters such as getting involved on campus and meeting other students.
The Commuter Resource Center, located on the second floor of the Conrad Prebys Aztec Student Union, holds a variety of on-campus activities that commuter students are invited to participate in, such as learning how to create a LinkedIn profile, decorating cookies, making bouquets and crafting.
“This is a judgement-free zone,” LaPerle said. “In the end, I just want to make sure commuters have everything they need to focus on the hard stuff, which is school.”
For more information about on-campus, commuter-specific activities, visit the Center for Commuter Life Instagram, @sdsucommuterlife.
