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A few weeks ago on twitter, we here at Gradlife (@DJ__beef and @UofTGradlife) called out to our fellow grad students to let us know what is important to you. One follower Darrell, who is a Master of Information student (and has his own blog) suggested we talk about the commuter lifestyle. Additionally, I spoke with Kerrie who is a commuting PhD student in History to get some insight on her experiences. Here are some of their insights in Q & A format:

Q1) You mentioned you had an interest in capturing the commuter experience. Why did you have this request?

Darrell: I think that the experiences and needs of commuter students often get overlooked. I wanted to know if other people have the same experiences as I do and I was hoping that commuters would get more of a voice on campus.

Q2) Have you experienced any activities/socials that have been suited to the commuter lifestyle? If so, what were they?

Darrell: Honestly, at this point, I very rarely am able to participate in social or faculty functions. I have to factor in the time to commute (or hang around campus for hours between class and events) and, even more importantly, the cost. To get to school and back, I have to take a bus, a GO train, and a subway–this adds up to about $22-25 per day.

Kerrie: I have been to some socials that take place on campus during the week. Of course, usually these occur within my department with other colleagues who realize that commuting plays a major part on whether I’ll be able to attend or not. I have to be vocal about times and scheduling so I don’t get left out!

Q3) Do you have any recommendations for other commuters?

Darrell: If the events don’t work for you, then make your own events. I’m trying to organize some of my own unofficial events so that I can spend time socializing in a way that works for my schedule; for example, I’ve booked our student lounge for a “Stitch ‘n Bitch”, where crafty iSchoolers can get together to knit or sew and gab or vent about school in a fun, healthy way.

Kerrie: The best thing I’ve found is to join forces with other students who are also commuting. It’s a good way to start a common bond to begin with, and it’s also a great way to discover opportunities that you may not have known about on campus. Of course, it’s a bit of a catch-22, sometimes it’s hard to meet other commuters if we don’t have the social arena to make these connections.

From our fellow commuting students, it seems fairly clear that there is a disconnect between “regular” campus life and those that commute, mainly because of time and cost. Of course, there are things to find on campus that may be better suited to those who commute, they just require a bit more digging. Here are some ideas I found in the sandbox:

Hart House Wednesday $5 Lunches: WEDNESDAY NOVEMBER 23^RD IS DEDICATED TO COMMUTER STUDENTS (and will offer some additional opportunities for those who don’t sleep in the city). Check it out and meet other commuters!

University of Toronto Outing Club (UTOC) : For $20 you get a membership that offers weekend getaways in the great outdoors! Past events have included canoe trips and cabin and hiking excursions.

U of T Athletics Centre Drop-In Classes: Perhaps the most versatile in terms of interests and time-scheduling, there areclasses for everyone: hockey, soccer, fitness, skating – if it makes you sweat, you can probably find it here.

If perspiring isn’t your desirable state to get social then perhaps –

ULife Campus Clubs and Organizations might be more suited to you: Find a club that suits your interests (and schedule) or check the events periodically when you’re looking for something to do.

So hey commuters – I see ya, and hear ya! Do you have any additional insights and recommendations to share?