Commuting is your own choice – now, step up!

We all  know that student who commutes from hours away to university and still claims that he or she will make it to every single lecture and seminar.

We were all pretty shocked when that person suddenly did not show up any more, right?

No, I didn’t think so.

Kingston University has done research suggesting that more than 50 per cent of undergraduate students are commuting from outside of Kingston Upon Thames.

Some of those students travel around two hours to get to university for a couple of hours of lectures, before travelling hours to get back.

If I lived hours away I would definitely stay at home for the most part, convincing myself that checking in on Canvas once a day is equally as educational as going to lectures.

But living a couple of hours away from university, travelling by bus, train or car for miles and worrying about not making it to lectures on time because of unexpected traffic, is a choice. So why should we care about your complaints?

“Oh, I’m so tired, I had to get up really early this morning.” “You have no idea what it’s like to travel hours to get to university… you’re so lucky for living that close to Kingston.”

I am sorry, but that excuse won’t fly with me. I am not lucky because I live close to university; I made the right decision for me – knowing that I cannot have it any other way.

I understand that for some people it is about saving money, and I guess that’s fair enough. That might be the harsh reality for some people. But remember your commitment.

When we make the choice to go to university, we also make the choice to attend our classes, and it is important to try our best to make it – no matter how far away we live.

Also, think about how much you are missing out on. People do not always plan ahead, so when you choose to live far away, you choose to miss out on spontaneous trips to the pub, or a wonderful walk in the park.

Personally, I would have ended up completely friendless, bored and uninspired if I had lived miles away from the Kingston area.

I would have sunk into a hole containing Netflix, Coca-Cola and constantly texting my mother complaining about how bored I am.

So, to you commuters who make it to class – I salute you, and to the ones who don’t: step up.