MTBer2PA Posted December 19, 2018 Share Posted December 19, 2018 So I have been accepted to a program that is ~55 minutes away on average with and without traffic, sometimes it can be as much as 80 minutes others more like 40-45. I am already moderately in debt from undergrad and will be taking out max loans for PA school. I am very tempted to live near school to save extra time for studying. I found a very cheap place that 15 minutes away from campus. Alternatively, I could continue to live at home for free and deal with the commute. My parents think it is a waste of money to move closer to school, although they dont really seem to understand the intensity of PA school. I just wanted to hear other people's experiences. I am a pretty visual learner so IDK how effective listening to recordings of lectures would be. Any thoughts would be appreciated!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hustleforthePAC Posted December 19, 2018 Share Posted December 19, 2018 Congrats on your acceptance I think even if rent is $1500/$15,000 for diatic year its still cheaper than paying to repeat a class cause of not enough time to study. You can always move back during clinical year /back in with parents post graduation and pay off debt. That extra 14 hours a week adds up. Good luck! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Packman PA Posted December 19, 2018 Share Posted December 19, 2018 I will be driving about 50-60 minutes each way to my program. I plan on using the time to listen to the lectures but understand why some would rather not do the commute and live closer. For my program I spoke to a few students that commute right now and they said they too use that time to listen to the lectures and don't feel as though they are missing time studying or anything. Again, the choice is personal and sure you will hear folks that commute and others that do not. Congrats on the acceptance and best of luck Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blynn12 Posted December 19, 2018 Share Posted December 19, 2018 I had a drive that was about an hour in traffic (sometimes more) and 35ish without. I don't care to listen to podcasts/recordings when driving - I'd rather blast music. I usually studied at home, so driving time for me was a way to clear my mind for a little bit. I don't get worked up about driving in rush hour traffic - I can't control it anyway and I'm used to driving in it, so no big deal for me. However, some people can't stand driving in traffic or driving at all so if that's you, it will add to your stress. You could always consider going in early or staying after in the library to study (and avoid traffic IF possible). Maybe you can carpool with a classmate which would make the drive less of a hassle. Being closer to school means that you can sleep in a little later. You won't have to worry about an accident on the freeway holding up traffic (I ran into this a lot, but usually left early enough that it never made me late). You might be able to go home for lunch or if a class is cancelled mid-day. Also, consider what happens during clinical year - where are most clinical sites? Will you have to secure housing for out of town sites? You'll be on campus a lot less, so might not need that apt. As mentioned above, can always consider moving back home after didactic. I personally think saving the money would be best overall, but you have to decide what will work best for you! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ejohns20 Posted December 19, 2018 Share Posted December 19, 2018 I think living at home would provide you more benefits than just saving on rent. Maybe I'm just homesick, but I'd kill to have my mom's home cooked meal after a long day! Living close to school may also come with costs for utilities, groceries, parking, cleaning time, new furniture, etc etc. Not sure your exact home situation, but, things to think about. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
boli Posted December 21, 2018 Share Posted December 21, 2018 every dollar you take in loans you'll pay back 3x over by the end of your repayment. Also, idk your living arrangement with your parents but Like Ejohns20 said, I assume included in living with them is food, utilities, internet, cable, furniture etc etc. Those add up so fast and will turn your "cheap place" into a not so cheap place that you're paying for with money you don't have. My schedule is different than some students, but I get up early enough that traffic isn't a problem on my drive. Getting to school by 6am allows me to study for 2 hours before class and get my day organized. Saving the 90min a day in your commute isn't worth the money and really won't benefit you that much extra study time. Not to mention that you'll probably lose time in the end by having your own place and needing to clean, grocery shop, etc. TLDR: your parents are right. Once caveat to my assertion is that if you're in a state that gets nasty weather driving 60min a day each way might really suck in the winter. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SeaBird Posted December 23, 2018 Share Posted December 23, 2018 Congrats on the acceptance! I can provide insight on living close to school. My program is in a big city, and my didactic year apartment was super expensive, but only a 7 min walk from our class building and 7+ different subway lines/bus stops within walking distance. In addition to literally no commute, other benefits of living near school were the increased study space options, and being able to quickly go back/forth from school to my apartment within the day to get things I forgot, drop off things, etc. I also do not study well with my family around, and would absolutely not want to risk compromising studying at this point in my career, so these factors would have absolutely outweighed living at home if I had that option. After my lease ended, I moved to a different apartment with friends from my class to a different neighborhood that's cheaper and closer to our rotations. Living in a less intense study space has been fine for clinical year, so you can certainly move back home after a 1-year lease for didactic. I personally think your commute to school is quite significant, so you'll need to carefully consider if your ability to study at home justifies the commute and money saved. Good luck! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Photograph51 Posted December 24, 2018 Share Posted December 24, 2018 Is there a train/commuter bus you can take? That way you can study during your commute. I did an insane commute during PA school. I got tired of how shocked people would be when I would tell them that I had a three state commute. I did it because I am older, a single parent, homeowner, and all of my social support is where I live. Also, I couldn't stand the area where i went to school and love the area where I live. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JD2012 Posted December 25, 2018 Share Posted December 25, 2018 I also recommend taking the train if there is one available. You can at least study while on the train and make use of those 2hrs each day. I have a good friend attending another program that is a good 60 mins each way that takes the train. Also, I know plenty of classmates who had the hour commute, end up getting an apartment near campus. One other thing is, some people are shocked I commute 35 mins to school, but 35 mins each way isn't that bad at all. Maybe give it a shot the first semester. Hopefully your first semester is the lightest one as it was with our program. People were able to test the waters with their commutes and of course study habits. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheFatMan Posted December 26, 2018 Share Posted December 26, 2018 Two hours of commuting each day spread out over 12 months is an entire month of lost time, so if you don't feel you can study while driving, I'd recommend taking the train or moving. I have a long commute to work currently, and it kills me how much time I have wasted driving, even when listening to educational podcasts etc. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest thatgirlonabike Posted December 28, 2018 Share Posted December 28, 2018 I've heard statistic that students who have a >20 minute commute are less successful in school. Of course, these are statistics so it obviously does work for some people. PA school is an investment so you are going to pay for it. I commuted an hour for work for 5 years and finally bought a house closer so I could stay there during my 4 day shift. It was amazing how much time I got back just staying in the same town where I worked 3 nights a week. Personally, I'd never live with my parents again (LOL) but especially if they lived an hour from school. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
UGoLong Posted December 29, 2018 Share Posted December 29, 2018 If you can afford it, stay nearer to school. You can focus on your job, study in the middle of the night, or go back in to review things with your study team (if that's how you work.) I met a woman several years ago who actually rented a room just a few blocks from her family home so she could study better; she referred to it as her "study cave." Then go home on the weekends and reconnect. If you can't afford it, then stay at home, recognizing that there is a cost to that as well. Best wishes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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