SCRANTON — Being a commuter at a university where more than half of students live on campus isn’t easy. Here’s some advice I wish someone told me when I became a student that will make your commuting time easier.

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1. Don’t go home in between classes! Get a work study job, go to the commuters' lounge, make friends or join a club on campus so you have something to do in between classes.
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2. Keep an extra pair of clothes in your car. Scranton weather is unpredictable, especially in the winter. Keep a change of clothes and some toiletries in your car incase you have to spend the night in a friend's dorm because of weather.
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3. Try to find a friend who lives in the same area as you. If you have a friend who lives near the location you are commuting from and your schedules line up, you can carpool to campus. It’ll save you some gas money and you’ll be able to make fun memories on the way.
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4. Always have a designated phone and laptop charger in your bag. If you keep bringing the same charger back and forth from home to school, you may end up forgetting it at home and have to buy a new one or borrow one. Save yourself the stress and keep one in your bag!
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5. Same goes for headphones/earbuds. Forgetting your headphones can make a long day into a bad day. Keep a pair in your bag.
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6. Pack a lunch/snacks. Getting food on campus can get very expensive very fast, and the commuter meal plan honestly isn’t worth it. Packing a lunch or even snacks can really help you save money.
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7. Get a commuter locker. If you have a lot of textbooks or lab equipment, rent out a commuter locker in DeNaples so you don’t forget anything at home or have the risk of it being stolen in your car. It's free, but you have to reserve it and bring a lock.
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8. Get to campus early if there’s snow (earlier than you think). No one wants to park at Redington, and the top floor of the parking garage closes when it snows (and the other floors fill up faster). Get to campus early to have a chance of finding a good spot. Tell your professors you're a commuter so they'll be more understanding if you can't make it to class.
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9. Go downtown. If you really can’t find anything to do on campus, take a walk downtown. There’s a lot to do and plenty of businesses that want to see University of Scranton students. Don’t forget to ask if they offer any student discounts!
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10. Be careful of being used for your car. You should be making friends on campus but be cautious of people who you use you for access to your car, especially first-years and sophmores as they can’t have their cars on campus. If they only want to hang out to go to Target or the mall, that’s not a good sign. Find a way to steer your hangouts on campus or downtown.