Alm4034 Posted July 25, 2018 I was just wondering what people's thoughts were on an approximate 1 hour commute to school. One of the PA programs I applied to is approximately a 55 minute drive to an apartment building that my parents own. The plus side is I could live there rent free. The cost of a one bedroom apartment within a 20-30 minute drive from the school is about $600-$700. Saving money would be nice but I'm curious what other peiple's experiences are with having a commute every day.
Prepaguy23 Posted July 25, 2018 Me personally, I would rather pay for rent. After an 8-5 day at PA school do you really want to drive an hour (I'm sure longer with traffic) just to get home? That is going to wear you out quick, monday-friday with all that drive time.
PAtoMD Posted July 25, 2018 I lived that far from my school and most of my rotations have been able an hour commute. I personally enjoy it. I get time to decompress on my car rides and listen to podcasts or talk to friends. I had to wake up earlier or stay up later to study due to the loss of two hours. But saving the money is well worth it.
MT2PA Posted July 25, 2018 I know people who did both. Some used the drive to unwind and decompress, others used it to listen to podcasts and study. Others found it worth it to pay rent and cut down on the commute. A lot of it boils down to personal preference. Personally, I hate commuting, traffic would just rile me up, and I'm willing to pay for the benefit of living close.
Guest HanSolo Posted July 26, 2018 Is it a one hour commute through the country or through dense, heavy traffic? Makes a big difference. I would say half of my class lives more than 40 minutes from school because living nearby is too expensive. Some people drive over an hour a day. In the end, there are worse things to do for a year than commute. Those 2 hours a day wont likely change your overall raw number of study hours because, let's get real, nobody is studying all the time (and you don't have to, either). However, I foresee it cutting into your personal time. Less exercising, eating quick food that probably isn't good for you instead of cooking meals, etc.
Moderator EMEDPA Posted July 26, 2018 Moderator Is public transit an option? I took a 45 min train ride into Drexel every day from outside of downtown. Single train 100 yeards from my condo. Dropped me off 1 block from school.
karebear12892 Posted July 26, 2018 It can certainly be done. Several people in my program commuted about that far during didactic year and found ways to make good use out of the time, whether it was listening to podcasts or recording lectures and playing them back in the car. Not sure what your family situation is but if you don't have to drive home to be with spouse/kids/etc every night, I'm sure as you develop friendships with people in your class, they'd be willing to let you crash on their couch after particularly long days or nights before exams. I've offered up my spare room to classmates in the past and I know others have as well. We're big on Southern hospitality down here.
Alm4034 Posted July 26, 2018 Author 1 hour ago, karebear12892 said: It can certainly be done. Several people in my program commuted about that far during didactic year and found ways to make good use out of the time, whether it was listening to podcasts or recording lectures and playing them back in the car. Not sure what your family situation is but if you don't have to drive home to be with spouse/kids/etc every night, I'm sure as you develop friendships with people in your class, they'd be willing to let you crash on their couch after particularly long days or nights before exams. I've offered up my spare room to classmates in the past and I know others have as well. We're big on Southern hospitality down here. To answer some other peoples questions it's about half of the time though the country and half through city. Public transportation is not an option. To karebear12892. My family situation is part of the reason I'm looking into this option. I'm married with 2 kids. The apartment is an hour from my hometown where my kids will be living with my parents and/or husband. This option may make it easier on the kids since they will be able to come visit more often. Ultimately my family and I know that school will have to be my first priority but I'm trying to look at all possibilities. Thanks everyone for the opinions and comments.
UGoLong Posted July 26, 2018 Two hours a day will be a drag but if your family situation requires it, it will be another sacrifice. You may also develop some friends in class and stay over the night before difficult exams, etc.Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk
StevenBrule Posted July 26, 2018 11 hours ago, Alm4034 said: To karebear12892. My family situation is part of the reason I'm looking into this option. I'm married with 2 kids. The apartment is an hour from my hometown where my kids will be living with my parents and/or husband. This option may make it easier on the kids since they will be able to come visit more often. Ultimately my family and I know that school will have to be my first priority but I'm trying to look at all possibilities. I'm married with two kids and will have about an hour commute to my school as well. Can either take the interstate early in the morning or an alternate route through the country for about the same time. I'm planning on recording lectures and listening to podcasts and enjoying some time to reflect on the day without two psycho kids screaming my head off right away...there's always a silver lining.
Kaylee272 Posted August 6, 2018 I currently drive 35-40 minutes to school so I can live for free with my parents. I haven't seen it as an issue at all (I know its a bit shorter). On non exam weeks its nice "me time" and when i have exam weeks I listen to podcasts or lecture recordings! Also factor in any help your husband would be able to provide (dinner, shopping, laundry, etc). At the end of the day I get annoyed by the drive at times, but its well worth it.
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