This is a conversation I had with a lot of my acquaintances when I was a freshman in college. A lot of students eventually have to decide.

I mean if your college is in another state then, of course, moving closer to campus is a no-brainer however what if it’s in the same state, but the commute takes just a little too long?

But how long is too long? How much does the commute cost? What is the opportunity cost of your long commute?

These are some questions to ask yourself to decide whether to move into the school dorms or to commute from home. Well, then, let’s look at these and other factors to consider when deciding whether to commute or move closer to school.

How to decide whether to commute or move into college dorms

1. Commute time

How long is your commute time? Your commute time should not be more than an hour each way. Your total commute time should not be more than two hours total. If it exceeds that, then you need to consider moving closer to school.

2. Cost

How much does it cost you to get to school for the month? If it’s more than half a month’s rent, then you should consider moving closer to school. Cost and time are often times pair factors, and when that is the case, then you definitely need to consider moving closer to school.

3. Sustainability

Is the commute time sustainable? This goes back to the amount of time your commute time takes. Is it physically, and logistically sustainable? If you are on the commute for four hours total every day then it will take a toll on your health.

You might have to sleep less but with doing assignments, group work, and other school events, you might not be able to sustain it without dropping a ball.

4. Opportunity cost

You need to ask yourself what the opportunity cost is for your long commute. What would you have time to do if your commute time was reduced to a five to ten minutes walk to class? What do you say no to because if you said yes then by the time you get home it would not be safe?

Those are some of the things I mean by opportunity cost. The things that you are missing out on by having to commute for two hours each way.

5. Class schedule

This is something else to consider. As you progress through campus, the classes get smaller and therefore fewer. There will come a time when your class schedule will mismatch with your commute schedule.

If you have a two-hour-long commute and your class ends at 9:00/10:00 pm then you will be getting home at 11/12 midnight.

This brings in the issue of security. If you live in a place where you can commute safely at that time, good for you but the reality is that some places have dicey security at that time, so you have to think about your safety.

You can decide to use one of the factors, but it is better to use a combination of them, so you have a wholesome view of things. You want to make sure that you are not missing out when you are in college. Furthermore, you will be able to experience more of college if you live closer to campus.

Finally, you don’t have to move into the dorms, I just used that to make the title short and neat. You can move into apartments that are near the campus.

It’s a good idea to keep it within walking distance, though. Up to a fifteen-minute walk is okay, just not too far because that would totally defeat the purpose of moving close to school.

.