The Homework Commute

Just when I thought I gave up commuting to class, now I find myself commuting to finish homework! Today, I visited my alma mater (hee hee--that sounds funny) and spent three and a half hours in the library trying to finish my latest assignment for my Reference Materials class. I drove over thinking that I'd be able to complete two weeks worth of homework in one visit, but it was just wishful thinking. I wasn't even able to finish all of this week's assignment. It was worth the trip, though. As much as I love modern technology and the internet, sometimes there's just nothing better than using a real book for research.

Studying for the 21st Century

I think anything that makes life easier or makes information more accessible/portable is cool. Sometimes I wish I lived in a metro area and had to take the train to get to work just so I could watch podcasts on the train; it just sounds hip!

As a commuter student, it can be difficult to manage the transfer of information from school to home and vice versa, especially when you are working on many different computers. It can also complicate studying on-the-go. You've heard about my love of old-fashioned index cards , but since I am also somewhat of a self-proclaimed technology geek, I have been looking at the many online study aids that are available to students.

SyncNotes seems to be one web application with promise. You can synchronize information between the web and all your many techno gadgetry (computers, cell phone, PDA) so you will always have access to the information you need no matter your location. You know what that means, right? No more excuses for not studying!

Hanging On

If...I....can....just...make...it....through....October....I think I might be able to survive....

Commuters...Rejoice!

Gas has now dropped under $3/gallon (at least in my part of the world). I'm so happy I could hug my Honda!

TGIF

I'm truly thankful that it's Friday and even more thankful that next week is Fall Break! It was especially hard to drag myself out of bed this morning. Yesterday, my family drove to our state's largest metro area (okay, so there are only two really official "metros" in our state...). We were attending the state fastpitch softball tournament that our school was a part of, and we went a little early to get some much needed fall shopping out of the way. It was a productive and fun trip, but it couldn't have come at a more difficult time for me. I loaded my laptop (TGFL--thank goodness for laptops!), my index cards, a pile of research I had printed off and a textbook into our already full SUV. On the drive up, I studied for a test. It was a very technical-oriented test, so it was difficult to focus between the blare of sports-talk radio, the whining from the backseat ("Are we there yet?") and the motion sickness (not to mention that I have almost zero interest in this particular subject). Luckily--or not so luckily, I'm not sure which--the ballgames were actually running almost two hours behind. While my family was sitting in bleachers with the rest of our small community, I was crammed into the passenger's seat of our vehicle with a laptop and papers scattered throughout finishing a rough draft of my research paper which was also due this morning.

We ended up getting home and in bed somewhere around 1 a.m. I reluctantly set my alarm knowing that I would have to get up early enough to get two children bathed and make sure the oldest finished her homework (she claimed motion sickness prevented her from travel study, too). I was also stressed about the amount of housework that I needed to complete especially considering that I have family visiting this weekend and visitors throughout the next week (immediately followed by out-of-state travel during fall break). Plus, it is busy season for me at work and I have lots of catching up to do.

I seriously contemplated skipping my first class (Fridays are slim class days anyway), but I didn't think I could really get much marked off of my to-do list in an hour and I really needed to be in my other classes. I did, however, arrive late only to find out later that the professor didn't even take roll (I could have missed class!!!).

Ugh--frustration and regret.

On the upside, I managed to make it through the day without falling asleep in class or at the wheel (I credit some of that to my friend, Red Bull energy drink), and now I'm off to finish my housework. And cook supper. And get started on my photography backlog.

No Parking. Literally.

I've always known that my campus has somewhat of a parking issue--after all, most campuses these days do--but I confess that I didn't know how bad it was until this semester.

You see, as a primarily Tuesday/Thursday student until this point, I have been blissfully unaware of all the early morning headaches that come from campus parking lots on the heavier traffic days of Monday/Wednesday/Friday classes.

Example: this morning, I arrived 10 minutes early to get a parking spot (I actually planned to get there even earlier, but I had to stop at the gas station first). I literally spent the entire 10 minutes circling three parking lots--one of which was so jam-packed that I could barely squeeze my tiny compact car in between the rows of rear bumpers. No joke: I had to roll my window down to make sure I wasn't going to strip the paint off of the side of my car. I ended up parking in front of someone's lawn on a side street and dashed into class with seconds to spare. It was definitely not the best beginning to my day.

After my first class, I resumed circling the parking lots like a buzzard to roadkill, hoping that some kind soul would allow me to have a prime parking spot near the building where all of my classes are located. Ten minutes later, I was obliged....just in time to dash back into the building.

Administration has implemented a $25 parking fee this semester in order to fund new parking lots in the future. Lotta good that'll do me at 8:54 a.m. Wednesday morning.

Four Hours in a Car

Today was an unusual day. I did the daily commute to school...twice. Yep, I spent four hours in the car (and at these gas prices! Ouch!).

I really haven't minded commuting. My department doesn't schedule 8 a.m. classes (God bless 'em!) and it's actually kind of nice to be stuck in a quiet car for an hour alone (if there were kids on board, that might be a totally different story). But today was one of those days when I wished that I just lived down the street. I went to class, came home and did two hours of hard-n-heavy housecleaning, threw on some fresh clothes and left for the theatre department's production of "Daddy's Dyin' Who's Got the Will" (it for for a class requirement, but I would have wanted to go anyway).

Days like this make me look back and groan. I once worked on a university campus in my early 20's (I even had free tuition if I wanted it. *ugh*). Then I moved to a small town that was only 15 or 20 minutes from a nice university. (*ugh* x 2)

I guess hindsight is 20/20....but in all honesty, I couldn't have been a student in those days (I could have but it would have meant giving up other important things that weren't worth sacrificing).

So, the commute continues. Luckily for me, I see a stop sign in the near future!

Two of My Most Favorite University Resources

The library & the gym.

Lately, I've fallen in love again with reading (probably because I don't have a ton of required reading to do this semester) and I have taken full advantage of my university's library. I bet half the students only step foot in the library to look for research paper materials and never again. That's so sad! There are LOTS of great things in the library. I am a lover of nonfiction books, so there are plenty to keep me excited. I have recently fallen in love with the audio books section. It is a new section of the library so it's not very large, but it's wonderful for a long-distance commuter like myself. They have a great variety from fiction, nonfiction, history, self-help, spiritual...you name it. Study rooms are a favorite resource for me on test days, and, of course, there's also the most used resource at the library: internet access. You can even use internet access to go to the library's web page which has a ton of useful links (card catalog, check your due dates, etc.) but you can even gain access to free e-book downloads as well. Probably the best resource in the entire library is the reference librarians. Oh my gosh---they are SO helpful! When I was writing my last big paper in the fall, the reference librarian saved me hours of research trying to dig up sources and/or information. He was even so specific, he gave me page numbers of the books I was to look up!

My other favorite university resource is the wellness center (gym). I live nowhere near a gym nor would I want to shell out money for a gym membership when I have a fantastic wellness center on campus that I can use for free! It's filled with the latest cardio equipment and weight systems plus an indoor walking track, basketball court (okay, I'll never use that one), and even a rock climbing wall. How cool is that? (I've GOT to try it before I graduate). Luckily for me, I usually use the gym at noon after I get out of class and it is pretty slow at that time of the day. That means I get first dibs on selecting the channels to watch on tv!

Did I mention that all these things are FREE??? Oh yea...I'm taking advantage while I can.

2008: What Lies Ahead

Who knows? But from my guess estimations, academically, 2008 holds for me:

*44 credit hours of classes
*132 hours of homework/reading/computer work outside of class
*8700 miles of commuting
*311 gallons of expensive gasoline
*Somewhere near $1000 of textbooks
*Somewhere near $3000-4000 of tuition
*Untold number of blood sweat and tears

Surviving the Drive

Surviving the drive--that's what I titled one of this week's articles for my newswriting class that contains tips & tricks for commuter students.

One of the reasons I hesitated in returning to college was the awful 120 mile round-trip drive that would await me daily.

Surprisingly, the commute is not all that bad. It's a nice way to start the day. It's one of the rare times when I can sit and think without noise or interruption. Some days, the drive can even be beautiful, depending on the weather. It has not been what I expected at all.

I thought I would share some of the tips that I gathered for my article in hopes that someone else might also find them useful for the dreaded commuter lifestyle:

*Plan ahead. Gather all essential items the night before leaving for campus. Check the fuel level of your vehicle to avoid having to stop at the gas station on the way to class.

*Drive safely. It is very important to get a good night’s rest before driving. According to a study done by the AAA (aaafoundation.org), a person who slept for five hours or less is up to 4.5 times as likely to be involved in a sleep-related crash. Also, always remember to wear a safety belt when traveling.

*Stock up with essentials. Cell phone chargers, pens, paper, medicine, snacks and money are several items to never be without.

*Be prepared in case of an emergency. Learn how to change a flat. Create a back-up plan in case bad weather--such as storms or snow—arrives.

*Find ways to make the drive more enjoyable or productive. One student I interviewed uses a small, hand-held tape recorder to record important information from her classes. She studies by listening to her audio notes on the way to class.

Audio books can be a great alternative to listening to the radio. Students rarely have spare time for recreational reading, so the morning commute can be a great way to “read” without flipping any pages. Audio books can also be downloaded online or checked out at a local library.


*Perform regular car maintenance. Prevention is the key to avoiding many mechanical problems. Check fluid levels and tire air pressure regularly. Also, change a vehicle’s oil every 3000 miles.

*Spend time on campus outside of classroom time. Get involved in student events and activities. Commuting does not have to mean giving up a social life.


*Find a place on-campus for studying and relaxing. My university has a commuter lounge with tables, couches, lockers, TV and even a mini kitchen for commuter students (only!) to use. Cool, huh? Other places for peace and quiet include the library, bookstore or coffee shop.