College commuters may face challenges when it comes to social life on college campuses. Some challenges leading to isolation, no matter the size of the campus, or the person feeling like they didn’t belong at the school they were attending. Quincy University staff and students discuss their understanding of commuters, and what could be changed to help commuters find their second home on campus.

Commuters wear many hats, and come in all shapes and sizes. Some are married, and raising a family while attending college. Some are single, or working full-time while attending classes. Some are the standard college age, who choose to commute because they live locally. There are many types of commuters, and every one you meet will have a different story.

“It’s hard because some of our commuters are non-traditional students who may even have a family at home, or they’re working full-time. We would love for more students to be involved, but sometimes they don’t have the bandwidth which we understand,” Saadia Ali Aschemann, assistant director of student success, said.

Students talking about their struggles in their college career is nothing out of the ordinary, but there are many students who are grateful for the opportunities presented to them. Being a part of something, commuter or not, is what makes students college experience worth remembering.

“I might miss out on things on campus like living in the dorms, but it’s pretty equal for me because I am on campus so much that I still get that college experience everyone else has,” Jordan O’Hara, freshman commuter, said.

Isolation can happen quickly to many commuters, especially when they don’t participate in events on campus. There are people to help change this feeling, and ways to connect with residential students. At QU, there are events taking place nearly everyday, with weekly calendars being sent out to students emails to keep them engaged and aware.

“Becoming isolated can feel easy at times on a smaller campus. Commuters can connect with residential students like RA’s to see what kind of events are happening on campus. They can also connect with Cassie Phillips, the director of student engagement. Cassie is always trying to come up with activities that students can do outside of the classroom,” Caylee Reeves, admissions counselor, said.

QU staff encourages students to participate in campus life, as it helps improve the general experience on campus. Even though staff has acknowledged that commuters are not present beyond the classroom, it hasn’t stopped their efforts to make them involved just as much as residential students who live on or around campus.

QU is a smaller campus, that values community and being involved with your peers. There’s always room for finding your home on campus, as staff, students and even alumni are here to help make that happen. Commuters are welcome to attend events happening on campus, or to even stick around in the library after class if you want to become more involved even in the simplest of ways.