“I’ll never forget my freshman year when one of my professors told me I wouldn’t be successful in college unless I was involved on campus,” said senior commuter Dante Nelson.
Lock Haven University (LHU) students face newfound challenges as they begin living independently at college. However, commuting students often struggle with a different set of obstacles including isolation, limited meals, and driving conditions.
According to Public Safety, 363 students are registered as commuters for the current academic year. The statistic represents 13% of the campus population.
Students, like Nelson, predominantly choose to commute for financial reasons. Commuters can save up to $14,000 a year by opting out of housing and meal plans. They are, however, required to purchase a $40 annual parking pass as well as pay for vehicle maintenance and weekly gas expenses.
“I wanted to save money,” said Nelson, who commutes twice a week. “I didn’t see the point in spending extra money to be involved on campus when my family and friends are all mostly in the Bellefonte and State College area. I don’t regret my decision to commute at all.”
Other students, like freshman Cleia Stern, commute because of work and family obligations. Stern works for her parents’ small business in Lock Haven. She claims living at home is more convenient because she can help manage her family’s rental properties while going to school daily.
Despite the economic benefits, LHU statistics show commuters perform more poorly in college overall. According to the university’s website, residential students have a 13% higher graduation rate than students living off campus. The statistic is also frequently advertised in mail brochures and mentioned during open house and accepted student day events. The perceived message angered some commuters, like Nelson, who believe administration primarily caters to on-campus students.
“They sent me a piece of mail saying that students are more successful toward graduation if they are involved and living on campus,” he said. “Meanwhile I’m on track to graduate and was only ever on campus for class. Ever since then, I didn’t feel like they [LHU] supported me as a commuter.”
However, off-campus students report having higher grades. Freshman Mya MacIntyre believes commuting allows her to focus more on coursework and strengthen her time management skills.
“I think maintaining my grades and studying is easier as a commuter as I am in a familiar environment,” she said. “I can study and do my work within my home as I don’t have to deal with campus distractions.”
Junior Joel Robinson also admits that dormitory living would be academically distracting: “I wouldn’t be able to get much work done in the evenings. I think it would be hard to disconnect from the stress of the day.”
Many non-residential students recognize additional challenges as they try to acclimate to campus life. One prominent struggle is discovering a sense of belonging. Commuters typically find it harder to make friends and join extracurriculars.
“I definitely think commuting makes it more difficult to connect with people and events,” said Stern. “I don’t eat in the dining hall. I don’t have a roommate, and I don’t live in the dorms. Those aspects of the typical college experience make it a lot easier to make friends and participate in events.”
In 2018, alumna Sarah Bernhardt established CATCH, Commuters and Transfers Coming to The Haven. The student-led organization helped to increase community among non-traditional students. CATCH worked with Student Government to raise awareness about parking issues and advocate for on-campus commuter benefits, such as smaller meal plans and common lounge spaces. The club disintegrated in 2020 and has not been resurrected.
Commuters also note difficulties with food management. Most off-campus students do not purchase meal plans and instead, pack lunch, eat at Lower Bentley, or buy food from local restaurants. Robinson, although satisfied with being a commuter, claims meal preparation is his biggest hurdle as a non-residential student.
“There’s definitely some advantages that I would like to have living on campus,” he said. “I could go home and cook my meals. Yes, I can pack a lunch or dinner, but it’s inconvenient to do so every morning and evening.”
LHU alumna Tess English expressed similar sentiments. As a former member of CATCH, she advocated for commuter-specific meal plan options.
“Eating at Bentley every day is expensive and so was eating out, but [LHU] only had meal plans that made sense for students who lived on campus,” said English.
Participating in group work can also pose challenges for off-campus students. Although commuting helps maintain her grades, MacIntyre experiences the struggle of group projects first-hand. She mainly uses Zoom to meet with her peers when she is not available on campus later in the day.
Another overlooked aspect of the commuter lifestyle is winter weather concerns. Commuters are still expected to attend their classes in dangerous weather if LHU does not close its campus. Students, especially those who live farther away, have to use their best judgment about whether they should drive to school.
“Strict attendance policies made me feel anxious because anything could have happened to me and my car and I could have been straight out of luck,” said English. “[When] campus closed for snow days, it was a sigh of relief for me. It took the pressure off of ‘do I risk my life to attend class?’’’
Commuters are not excluded from on-campus activities, resources, and facility usage. The Parsons Union Building (PUB) and Stevenson Library provide locations for off-campus students to study and relax during daily class breaks.
“The PUB is very welcoming to the commuter lifestyle,” said English. “And the lobby area just to even hang out in is like a little commuter hub and [it] is amazing.” Robinson agrees with English and added that he spends a portion of his day studying in both the PUB and library when not in class or attending club meetings.
Non-residential students largely remain satisfied with commuting despite facing numerous obstacles that detach them from campus life.
“When you live with your family, you find it hard to strike a balance of home life and campus life,” English said. “Sometimes it felt like no matter which one I picked I was losing, but having both I wouldn’t trade it for the world.”
Kerri Hoover
Kerri Hoover is in her third year working on the Eagle Eye staff and currently serves as the President and Editor-in-Chief. As a Lock Haven University senior, she majors in Communication with a triple-concentration focus in Advertising & Public Relations, Electronic Media, and Journalism. With her versatile skill set, Kerri hopes to pursue a career working as a social media content creator, journalist, or video editor. On the rare occasion Kerri isn’t working in the newsroom, she can be found hanging out with her friends, working at the PUB, or creating content for the LHU Media and Journalism Department.
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