Should I dorm or stay with my parents?

Chopinspiano
Thu, 08 Dec 2016 02:41:09 +0000

@VeniceMate http://parkingservices.cofc.edu/parking/alternative-parking.php

That’s a link for alternative parking! I’ve never personally used the CARTA system so I’m not sure how how far it goes/where it stops but I do know that it gets crowded a lot from what I’ve seen. I’m not really sure what you’d use the CARTA for so please specify for me. All classes are within walking distance (even Harbor Walk which is about a 25 minute walk I believe). With that said the CARTA doesn’t always stick with it’s time slots because of traffic and such.

I strongly suggest living on campus freshman year. It’s how you get to know the campus and the surrounding area. Several of my upperclassmen friends live off campus(although closer by) because well it’s cheaper, but they also know what clubs they’ll be a part of for their duration at The College so they can better plan their schedule. I’ve spoken with a doctor at MUSC (fun fact: she triple majored at Cofc) who said she regrets not living on campus because commuting costs a lot of money as far as gas and food. At the very least, stay on campus for first semester and if you hate it or if for financial reasons it’s a problem, then you can live off campus spring semester.

May I ask what major are you? That can also affect commuting. If you’re a science major, freshman tend to be stuck with really early labs or really late ones (7pm-10pm)[this also applies to people who go ahead and get their science out of the way for there general ed courses].

My friend who commutes from Mt. Pleasant says she’s about 20 minutes away. Her drive is longer because she has to leave in the morning when traffic is heavy. Things to also consider:

1. Waking up earlier to go to class.

2. Coming home later

3. Rarely being able to take naps in between classes

4. Rain (traffic is the worst)

5. Not having enough time to socialize with your peers (this is a big one!!)

6. Your professors office hours

7. Time to study (my class schedule starts at 11am and ends at 4pm.[MWF]. 10:30am - 4:30pm [T] and 9am-5:30pm (Thurs).[these don't include my breaks] Let's factor in my clubs to where most days I'm not done with stuff until 5-7pm, sometimes 9pm. Those are huge traffic times.

8. Again, not socializing with your peers, whether that's partying, walking on King St, going to the beach, the movies, etc. That's important in enjoying your first year at college. Staying the night with your friends could be an option but they're limited for their overnights a month, and you can only stay two days in a row.

If there’s ever a point where you need to get somewhere that’s not in walking distance use Uber or Lyft!

Those are things that a lot of people don’t consider when commuting as freshman.