At this point you have likely already accepted an offer from a university, and you have probably even registered for courses. So we will be talking about the differences you will experience as a commuter student and a residential student. Before starting this list I did want to mention that these points are not universal and they may not apply to your school or your experience. Personally I grew up in the city where the two major universities are commuter and very large. The school I go to however is a residential campus and has about 3,000 students, so it is really small.
Definitions
Commuter Student – This is when a student doesn’t move while they go to university, normally they continue living with their parents.
Residential Student – This is when the student moves to go to school and often times they will live on campus. Some residential students, like myself, live in an off campus house or apartment.
Freedom
Commuter: Freedom is often times a lot more limited for a commuter student since they regularly live with their parents. It is difficult for parents to allow their children the freedom they want while going to university, since to them it will feel very similar to when you were in High School or Cegep. If your parents require you to pay rent, this may allow for more freedom than if they do not. If you are worried about your parents enforcing the rules they set when you were in High School or Cegep it might be best to sit down with them and discuss it before the school year starts off. Remember that even though you are an adult now, you are still in their home so they will likely still require you to follow their rules.
Residential: Depending on the type of parents you have, moving for school could give you a lot more freedom. Of course, there will be some limitations if you live on campus. Quiet hours are a big one, every school does this differently so double check with yours, but during quiet hours you are not allowed to have loud music going or any loud talking. This isn't a curfew since you can come into the building whenever you want, but you have to make sure you are being quiet so that those that are sleeping or studying in the building are not disturbed. If you decide to live in off campus housing you will have full control over your freedom, but you of course have to make sure you are being respectful of your roommates or anyone else who lives in or around your building.
Money
Commuter: For commuter students the amount of money that you will spend depends on your living situation. I have seen two types of commuter students, though I am sure that there are a lot more than just these two. The first is someone who lives with their parents and they do not have to pay any bills, some have to pay their schooling and others don’t, if you are this type of person going to a commuter school is obviously much cheaper. The second thing I have seen is when someone lives at home, but their parents require them to pay bills. This could be like my mom’s rule where you have to pay one of the major bills, my brother pays rent and when I move home after graduation I will likely pay electricity, or it could be that your parents make you pay a part of each of the bills. Either way you will likely be saving a lot of money compared to if you had to pay each of the bills.
Residential: Moving to a new place involves money, whether you will be living off of loans, summer money, or your parents, you need to think about how much it will cost you. If you live in the dorms you do not have to think about an electricity or internet bill since it is all included but the monthly rent is normally very high, you also will have to, depending on your school and style of dorm, buy a meal plan which could be pricy. If you decide to leave the dorm after first year, or if you decide to live in an apartment first year like I did, you have to think about your rent, electricity, internet, and food.
Making Friends
Commuter: From what I have seen, those that stay home for school often do not make many new friends. A lot of the time the friends you had before you started university ended up going to the same school as you, or they at least stayed in the same area so you won't feel the need to make new friends. The best part of this is if you do keep those original friends you won’t have that feeling of being alone in a new place.
Residential: When you move for school, often times you don't know anyone. This was one of the toughest but best things that happened when I moved. I was able to figure out who my real friends at home were, the ones that still wanted to see me when I came back to visit, and I was able to meet some new people whom I consider some of my closest friends. The only down side to making friends at a residential campus that I have experienced is that in the first week or two you haven’t made any bonds so it can feel lonely, but if you get out there and work at making friends you will quickly meet some amazing people.
Frosh/Parties
Commuter: I cannot write about Freshman Orientation (Frosh) at a commuter school since I have never experienced it and none of my friends have gone to their frosh that I know of. As for parties, a commuter school is good for people who do not like change as much. If you go to school in the area where you became legal you will already know which bars/clubs are your favorites and that is likely where you will spend your party weekends. House parties at a commuter school are also an option, though from my understanding they are less talked about and seem as though they require more of an invitation.
Residential: At a Residential campus frosh week is huge, since often time’s students make up the majority of the population. I go to school in a small town so frosh is 7 days of parties, activities, concerts, and more! When it comes to bars/clubs you will have to figure out which ones you prefer, but it likely won’t take you to long to figure out which are your favorites. As for house parties I have a unique perspective because my school is so small. If there is a party going on everyone on campus will know about it and everyone is allowed to go. If you go to a residential campus in a much larger school, you may have a similar experience with house parties as commuter students do.
Extracurricular Activities
Commuter: Every school has extracurricular activities. These are clubs that students are able to take part in outside of class. When it comes to a commuter school many students do not take part in these activities because they only think of them as a way to meet new friends and as I said before many commuter students do not care about that. If your school has extracurricular activities that you are interested in, try to join them! Not only is it a good way to make friends, if that is your goal, but they look great on a resume.
Residential: On a residential campus extracurricular activities and events are a huge part of the experience, once again this is from a small school perspective so your big school might be different. On my campus it is very rare that you will find a student that is not in a club because they are such a big part of the experience.
I personally chose to move to go to school since I wanted to live in a new area, go to a smaller school then the city I live in normally offers, and I wanted to be able to experience living on my own in a somewhat controlled setting. This was the best choice for me, but that does not mean it is the best choice for you. I have known people who started off at a residential campus and decided to transfer to a school in their home town because they realized that a commuter school was for them. At this point you have likely decided which school you are going to and the point of this article is not to change your mind, but it is important to know all of your options and know the differences and what you will likely experience.
Now it’s your turn to talk! Comment on our Facebook post and let me know what kind of school you will be attending in the fall, and if you aren’t starting university yet, which kind of campus would you want to go to?