The student commuter life comes with its pros and cons. You get to travel, see a lot of places, and even tour around your non-commuter friends. But as a student, there are a couple of things you have to get used to almost daily. It’s totally worth it though as long as you get to your classes on time and arrive home with some time to spare.Â
If you’re new to the student commuter life, be ready for what you have to deal with during face-to-face classes. To prepare for your commute, we’ve prepared a list of seven struggles only student commuters can relate which you can check out below:Â
7 Struggles All Student Commuters Can Relate To
Waking up super early just to get to class on time
If you’re studying at a school quite far from you, you’re bound to wake up at four or five a.m. just for a seven a.m. class. Some students even wake up earlier than that just to be sure they get ready on time and won’t travel during the morning rush hour. When arriving at school, you’re probably used to being one of the first people in the classroom too. It’s tiring to have to wake up early for each day of class but it’s worth it to not miss any lectures your professor will have.Â
Bringing a pouch of coins for the commute
To easily separate your commute money from your food allowance for the day, you have a pouch of coins and smaller bills with you. It’s your holy grail to make sure you get to your destination, though it’s a struggle to bring with its weight and jingling noise in your bag. Additionally, with your pouch of barya, you struggle to look for specific coins the jeepney or bus driver may ask you such as one-peso or five-peso coins. You’d be scurrying through the pile of coins in your pouch just to look for the one you need.Â
Feeling like a can of sardines in the MRT and LRT during rush hours
A common challenge for student commuters is dealing with the MRT and LRT during rush hours. You get on the platform and you see groups of people waiting for the next train. As you’re about to board, swarms of people get off. You’d then ride the crowd to get in. Oftentimes you’d have to stand with only a small space to move around. But the struggle is worth it as long as you can get home.Â
Praying to the heavens that a jeep or bus will pass by eventually
If you mostly ride a jeep or bus to get to school or home, it takes a lot of patience and prayer just for one to pass by. You could be stuck waiting at a stop for several minutes with the jeeps or buses usually full. Sometimes you’d be standing under the scorching heat or cold rain with only your trusty umbrella to keep you company. But once you do find a ride, it’s like winning the jackpot!
Knowing alternative routes and vehicles to get aroundÂ
Out of options to get home? Not to worry because you’re always equipped with some alternative routes you could take. From taking jeeps or buses to trying the MRT or LRT, your parents have told you beforehand of other options to commute around Manila. Maybe it’s high time you should try riding a point-to-point bus or shuttle service van. But if all hope is lost, you still have your trusty ride-hailing apps like Grab or Angkas.Â
Leaving your gala early so you can find a ride home easily
Time flies by so fast when you’re having fun with your friends. Another struggle that comes with being a student commuter is having to leave your gala early just so you can easily find a ride home. It’s sad to cut your hangouts short but it’s definitely worth it so you won’t have to wait for hours to get back home safely.Â
Having leg day almost every day
The student commuter life is indeed tiring. It comes with a lot of walking and waiting just to get around different locations. You consider commuting as a workout already with the amount of physical movement that comes with it. Every day is leg day for commuters!
From The Candy Bulletin Community
