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Commuter Column: Why Do It?

By Travis Fortounas

Staff Writer

Whenever I flash back to the moment I decided to be a commuter, I wonder if my decision paid off and if it was the right choice. Now in my junior year of college, I’m glad to know that this was the right decision for my future.

Owning a car at an early age certainly gives you a taste of freedom, being able to do what you want, when you want. Picking up friends, driving to parties or just going for a drive are a few amenities a 19-year-old guy like me was able to enjoy.

Living in your own home can be more beneficial than sharing a small dorm space with somebody. Who doesn’t enjoy showering for as long as they want without a roommate banging on the door wondering when you’ll be done?

Just thinking about living on campus can be a headache for me. It would be hard to get used to living in a school environment for months at a time and not being able to hang out with friends and family from home.

Cruising and blasting music for over an hour on your daily commute can be the highlight of your school day; or, if you’re like me, my daily commute is where I find most of my critical thinking is done.

Dondre Lemon, a senior journalism major, connected commuting to college with the real world. “In the work world, we can’t dorm at our job; we eventually have to leave at the end of each day,” Lemon said. “It’s important to get used to what the real world is like so were better prepared in the future.”

Lemon commutes from New Rochelle in Westchester, and his 45 minute commute seems effortless, though it also has its draw-backs: traveling on multiple highways and bridges and paying for tolls can be taxing.
“I pay $11 a day to cross the Throgs Neck Bridge, and between tolls and gas, it certainly hurts the wallet a bit,” Lemon said.

Commuting can be stressful, but in the long run, it can better prepare you for the future.

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