1+ hrs too long to commute?

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milliya

milliya

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Soo...my boyfriend lives in Northern VA, but I really want to go to Hopkins. He's not fond of the idea of moving to Maryland, but Hopkins is at least an hr and 15 minutes from his house, not to mention the heavy traffic associated with DC and Baltimore.

How long is too long of a commute? I think an hour and a half is fine for the first year or two, but what about into 3rd or 4th year?

I know that Hopkins has video recorded classes, and slides available online, and that I won't have to go to class every single day. That would make the process much easier, but if I did want to be in class/on campus most of the time, could it work?
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an hour and 15 min each way would get old REAL fast IMO. But its all up to you how much time and effort you are willing to put in to the relationship. I'm going to be about 45 min from my SO and i'm definitely willing to keep it going and see how it works out. I mean i'm not going to be seeing her every day, or even every week, but i guess its just one of those things where you have to see how it works once you get there.
 
tbh 1 hour and 15 mins is way too long for a daily commute. You should consider getting an apartment, (visit your boyfriend on the weekends?), or really moving. Plus traffic is very variable so it's hard to judge the time for a commute with any accuracy.
 
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this is my first post 🙂

I cant speak from personal experience, but I do know a friend who commutes about 1.5 to medical school. I found that he didnt go to class as often (the lectures are all on video online). When he did go to class, he met people in his year who lived by him, and do they set up a carpool kinda thing. This way he only ended up driving once a week and the others studied on the commute. Its worked out well for him so far, although he always says living close would have been easier. He's in is 2nd year now. Going into his 3rd hes taking out loans to move close..hope this helps!
 
I interviewed at Hopkins two days ago, and I live in NOVA (Fairfax County). I drove to my interview at 8:30 in the morning, and back at around 5:00 and it took about 1.5 hours to get there and 2 to get back. Traffic gets horrendous on 95, 295, and 495 for about 6 hours per day. I suggest living away from your boyfriend (Reed Hall.............) or another place less dingy in Baltimore. Most couples live apart during this stage in there life, so get used to it. My girlfriend of five years will be doing graduate work in Kentucky, and I will be at least 7 hours away from her. That is life.
 
I commuted ~25-30 minutes all four years of college, and believe me, it was a hassle. A 1.5 hour commute, especially with all of the congestion associated with DC/Baltimore is not a good idea.
 
I'll be honest with you - long commutes get really old, really fast. I only live about 5 miles from my school, but it often takes me an hour or longer to commute to campus via public transportation. Although I can study on the bus if I need to, I still often feel like that extra 2+ hours a day is just wasted time. I know many people who have moved in the middle of the term, just so they can be closer to campus, and I am planning on doing so myself once my lease is up.

Also, as a Baltimore native, I just want to remind you that commuting from Northern Va to Baltimore can take much, much longer than an hour depending on when you need to travel. When I worked at Hopkins (and lived only 30-40 miles away), I needed to leave for work at 6am, just to avoid the crazy morning rush of traffic and make sure I was at work by 8. And if you are trying to drive through Baltimore during rush hour, you should know that it isn't unusual for it to take 45 minutes just to get from one side of the city to the other.

If you are considering commuting, just keep in mind that you will need to block off 2-3 hours of your time on a good day, and up to six hours of your time on a bad day, just for driving.
 
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I agree with all of the above. In addition, keep in mind that gas prices have fallen from their previous high but as the economy gets cranking, demand and prices may rise again. What seems doable now will be all the more onerous if gas if >$4/gallon.
 
I can walk from my apartment to my med school and our primary hospital in five minutes (or less if I am in a hurry). Believe me, this convenience is very very sweet. I am sure that I will appreciate this even more next year, during my third year, when I have to get to the hospital early in the morning. I would never consider a commute of an hour or more. That is insane.
 
for the past year and a half i've commuted for an hr by public transportation to grad school and work. it is a huge pain in the ass, i never got to class on time, i could never study in the library or hang out with anyone after class, group projects were a pain in the ass and on exam days i had to leave super early just in case and would end up sitting there for half an hr by myself before the exam starts. When there's some kind of delay (i guess that would be unusually heavy traffic when you're driving) then forget about it and it becomes massively frustrating that you woke up bright and early just to sit in a car (or bus/subway). it is also unnecessary stress. driving is also not a passive activity like taking public transport so your commute will take alot more energy.

i would suggest moving next to school and seeing your boyfriend over the weekend. if he cares about you and your success he'll be willing to make the sacrifice.

good luck
 
Hmm.. Yeah, I feel for you. I'm also thinking about commuting to Hopkins. My husband will probably be going to school in College Park, maryland, so we may live somewhere in between. I'm thinking we'll live 10-15 miles from Hopkins, but I have no idea how long the drive may take me (don't know anything about the area). Hopefully it won't be too bad. Maybe you can come pick me up on your drive in! 😀 Anyway, I agree over an hour would be a bit much. Depends a little on how many days a week you would actually need to go into school, which I'm also not sure of. I commuted for an hour each way in grad school and couldn't stand it after a year or so. Good luck figuring this out and maybe I'll see you next year!
 
dont do it... i live with my bf and I know how hard it can be to not be with them as often as you would like, but a 1.5 hour commute it wayyyy too long! I want to live within walking distance to school, especially with how much they want to raise fares in nyc.
 
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milliya said:
Soo...my boyfriend lives in Northern VA, but I really want to go to Hopkins. He's not fond of the idea of moving to Maryland, but Hopkins is at least an hr and 15 minutes from his house, not to mention the heavy traffic associated with DC and Baltimore.

How long is too long of a commute? I think an hour and a half is fine for the first year or two, but what about into 3rd or 4th year?

I know that Hopkins has video recorded classes, and slides available online, and that I won't have to go to class every single day. That would make the process much easier, but if I did want to be in class/on campus most of the time, could it work?
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- Have you actually been accepted to Hopkins yet? If not, it may be too early to worry about it, considering how competitive it is to get into Hopkins.

- An hour and a half is still a pain, even for MS1 and MS2. It's just slightly less of a pain. If you can avoid going to class, do so.

- During 3rd year, an hour and a half commute is HORRENDOUS. It is simply, for all intents and purposes, impossible. Driving home for an hour and a half after surgery call or OB night float is a recipe for disaster - the chances that you will get into a car accident and die/severely injure yourself are VERY high.

I rode a train home for an hour after night float on OB. As soon as I sat down, I would zonk out (even with the sun shining directly in my face). I would wake up, if I was lucky, BEFORE my stop, and I would be completely groggy and disoriented. If I wasn't lucky, I woke up AFTER my stop. You will be kicking yourself if you're forced to maneuver a car for 90 minutes.

- Where do Hopkins students rotate? They may send you out closer to northern VA for some of your rotation sites.
 
Or you could just visit each other on weekends and days that you choose to take off, saving yourself the ridiculous hassle?
 
chad5871 said:
I commuted ~25-30 minutes all four years of college, and believe me, it was a hassle. A 1.5 hour commute, especially with all of the congestion associated with DC/Baltimore is not a good idea.
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+1 same here

Think about it, your are sacrificing ~3hrs of studying time each day. This will most certainly translate into grades.

Live close to school. Buckle down and use your free time to go visit your BF on weekends or free nights. 15 hours per week to throw away in a car is a TON of time.
 
FYI, it takes me an hour and a half to get from NoVA to Silver Spring.👎
 
mbe36 said:
Think about it, your are sacrificing ~3hrs of studying time each day. This will most certainly translate into grades.

Live close to school. Buckle down and use your free time to go visit your BF on weekends or free nights. 15 hours per week to throw away in a car is a TON of time.
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This ^^^.

Time is very precious in med school.

Live close to school and visit your boyfriend on the weekends. Buckle down during the week when you're at school, so you won't feel guilty about weekend freedom.
 
I have a 1+ hour commute each way everyday to work between Maryland and DC. 1 hour and 15 minutes in the morning and the same in the evening. Keep in mind 25 minutes each way is driving and the rest is on the MARC train where I read, sleep, etc.

I'm not sure about how you would do it from Virginia to avoid driving because you can't multitask. I know people that commute 2.5-3 hours each way to DC from Pennsylvania or West Virginia.
 
I agree with the previous posters. That much time being spent in a car every day would cut into precious study time. You could possibly make this work if there was a bus you could catch which would allow you study time while you travel. Otherwise, I'd say find a place closer to school.
 
49ers said:
I have a 1+ hour commute each way everyday to work between Maryland and DC. 1 hour and 15 minutes in the morning and the same in the evening. Keep in mind 25 minutes each way is driving and the rest is on the MARC train where I read, sleep, etc.

I'm not sure about how you would do it from Virginia to avoid driving because you can't multitask. I know people that commute 2.5-3 hours each way to DC from Pennsylvania or West Virginia.
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Having an hour commute for work is a lot different than having to commute an hour in med school though.
 
wow, why are you worrying about this NOW? you haven't applied for medical school yet. have you even taken the mcat yet?? a lot can happen between now and your potential acceptance to hopkins. cross that bridge when you get there.

gl
 
MedMan25 said:
Having an hour commute for work is a lot different than having to commute an hour in med school though.
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I've seen a med student take the 1 hour train ride to DC last summer quite a few times. She was studying for her USMLE step 1 exam everyday and she didn't seem to mind the commute. I guess she went to GW or GU and Metro'd in from Union Station. I switched train lines so I don't know if she still takes it.

Regardless, to the OP, I would tell your boyfriend to move to Maryland. The difference between VA and MD is not big and if he understands how important your time is, he would do it.
 
Huge diff in stress between driving and taking mass transit on these long commutes - driving in NOVA and suburban MD via the Beltway and I-95 is extremely stressful (did it, done it), and if there is a crash, it may take twice the normal time...

Not worth it at all...
 
I used to commute 1.5hrs each way via public transportation for work. I'm glad I did it when I did, because now I know for certain I will never, ever, live that far from my place of employment again. An 8hr work day magically turns into leave at 6:30 home at 6:30. You lose 15hrs/week, that's almost one full day of being awake. If you're driving, add in price of gas (which is creeping up again), maintenance, etc and it'll start cutting into your already meager med-school budget. I'd vote for a maximum of 30 minutes each way.
 
As someone who lives outside of Baltimore, you'll never make it in an hour and a half. Try two and a half. Baltimore rush hour is CRAZY.
 
milliya said:
Soo...my boyfriend lives in Northern VA, but I really want to go to Hopkins. He's not fond of the idea of moving to Maryland, but Hopkins is at least an hr and 15 minutes from his house, not to mention the heavy traffic associated with DC and Baltimore.

How long is too long of a commute? I think an hour and a half is fine for the first year or two, but what about into 3rd or 4th year?

I know that Hopkins has video recorded classes, and slides available online, and that I won't have to go to class every single day. That would make the process much easier, but if I did want to be in class/on campus most of the time, could it work?
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I think this is a personal decision. It certainly can be done, but you need to make a list for all the pros and cons. This year I started commuting to school - it takes about 50 minutes, but sometimes it can break the hour. I have specific reasons for doing this though: first, I am saving over 15K/year in rent and other expenses by commuting, and second, my job is not by my school anyway, so I'd have to drive back for it even if I lived on campus. Would it be easier to not have to spend almost two hours/day to commute? Of course, and that's my plan eventually, but given all the pros and cons, it is worth it for now. Time management has to be stricter and I am working on putting together audio lectures to listen to while I am driving. So if this is important for you, you can give it a try and see how it works. (at least before your clinicals).
 
Just think about it. If you commute 1-1.5 hours one-way, then that's 2-3 hours per day that you won't be able to study, do ECs, or whatever else you do in med school. That's 10-15 hours a week. You can do a lot with that much time. I wouldn't claim to be an expert on anything med school (considering I'm not in yet), but this seems like a no-brainer. Find yourself an apartment or other place to stay that's much closer to your school, and just visit your SO whenever you have free time (weekends, whatever).

When asked about commuting, the dean of admissions at my state school stared blankly at the person who asked the question for about a minute, then proceeded to explain how stupid that would be
 
Yes an hour and a half is too long. The only time I have ever been able to make it to Baltimore from Loudoun County is late at night or a weekend. You should either reconsider moving in Maryland or buy your text books on tape and enjoy the 4+ hour a day commute.
 
After growing up in DC and having had some seriously awful commutes myself over the years, I'd say OMG WHAT A BAD IDEA. Getting from Northern Va (come on, nobody from "nova" calls it that) to Baltimore is a regular pain, and when you add in the probability of an accident on the Beltway or 95 (or even 295 in MD) I cannot imagine that this would be reasonable. I know of people who commute from West Virginia to DC for work, and just because it's physically possible does not mean that it is in any way, shape, or form a good idea.

Goodness, I won't even drive to BWI unless I absolutely have to. Let alone Baltimore proper.

Of course, asking about commuting to Hopkins is counting your chickens before they hatch, no? Looking at your post history, I'd say that it's a while before you could even possibly have to worry about this (not to mention statistically unlikely). Just saying that maybe you should stress about this once it becomes a reality, because worrying now it rather futile.
 
beachblonde said:
After growing up in DC and having had some seriously awful commutes myself over the years, I'd say OMG WHAT A BAD IDEA. Getting from Northern Va (come on, nobody from "nova" calls it that) to Baltimore is a regular pain, and when you add in the probability of an accident on the Beltway or 95 (or even 295 in MD) I cannot imagine that this would be reasonable. I know of people who commute from West Virginia to DC for work, and just because it's physically possible does not mean that it is in any way, shape, or form a good idea.

Goodness, I won't even drive to BWI unless I absolutely have to. Let alone Baltimore proper.

Of course, asking about commuting to Hopkins is counting your chickens before they hatch, no? Looking at your post history, I'd say that it's a while before you could even possibly have to worry about this (not to mention statistically unlikely). Just saying that maybe you should stress about this once it becomes a reality, because worrying now it rather futile.
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Bingo.
 
I moved closer to school because 15 min was too long of a commute for me on long study nights when I was on campus late.

If you're going to be driving an hour and a half every day, that's 3 hours of time every day that you are losing to the ether. That's time for sleep, relaxation, studying, anything other than driving.
 
URHere said:
I'll be honest with you - long commutes get really old, really fast. I only live about 5 miles from my school, but it often takes me an hour or longer to commute to campus via public transportation. Although I can study on the bus if I need to, I still often feel like that extra 2+ hours a day is just wasted time. I know many people who have moved in the middle of the term, just so they can be closer to campus, and I am planning on doing so myself once my lease is up.

Also, as a Baltimore native, I just want to remind you that commuting from Northern Va to Baltimore can take much, much longer than an hour depending on when you need to travel. When I worked at Hopkins (and lived only 30-40 miles away), I needed to leave for work at 6am, just to avoid the crazy morning rush of traffic and make sure I was at work by 8. And if you are trying to drive through Baltimore during rush hour, you should know that it isn't unusual for it to take 45 minutes just to get from one side of the city to the other.

If you are considering commuting, just keep in mind that you will need to block off 2-3 hours of your time on a good day, and up to six hours of your time on a bad day, just for driving.
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wtf? that sucks. you cant ride a bike to school?
 
Well, first off, I just want to thank everyone for your replies. I like almost everything thats been said.

For those who commented on the fact that I won't be matriculating for a while or that thinking about Hopkins is a stretch right now, I say you are right to a certain extent.

Its definitely not so much that I'm worrying about this specific issue right now as it is that I think commuting (to any school, not just Hopkins) will likely be what I am doing once I matriculate. Hence the question in my first post: "How long is too long of a commute?"

Also, I like hearing what people have to say about the subject (even if it doesn't pertain to me right this second). I like hearing people's stories and I didn't even know that so many people here were from "nova" (I just learned that it was called that today, as I'm not from there).

I liked hearing that some people made their commutes work for them.

And, FYI, I'm going to continue to set my sights on Hopkins, even if it is "statistically unlikely". A dream never hurt anyone.
 
I like your attitude.

Just keep in mind that this process rarely works out exactly as we planned- but it may be for the better.

There is always the chance that you get in hundreds of miles or more away from homebase. Although, the morning commute via private jet sounds nice. Good luck and stay positive!!
 
It's not NOVA! Nobody from the area calls it that! NOVA is a community college. We used to joke in high school that it was "NOVA, where the 'N' stands for knowledge!"

Offensive, yes, but you can see why there's the need to delineate the fact that Arlington/Falls Church/Great Falls/McLean/Vienna/Tysons Corner/etc are not collectively referred to as "nova."

(pet peeve of mine, can you tell?)
 
beachblonde said:
It's not NOVA! Nobody from the area calls it that! NOVA is a community college. We used to joke in high school that it was "NOVA, where the 'N' stands for knowledge!"

Offensive, yes, but you can see why there's the need to delineate the fact that Arlington/Falls Church/Great Falls/McLean/Vienna/Tysons Corner/etc are not collectively referred to as "nova."

(pet peeve of mine, can you tell?)
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lol yes :laugh:

like i said, im not from there. my bf lives in alexandria and i told him today that i just learned that nova meant northern va and he said it didnt matter because nobody calls it that.
 
beachblonde said:
It's not NOVA! Nobody from the area calls it that! NOVA is a community college. We used to joke in high school that it was "NOVA, where the 'N' stands for knowledge!"

Offensive, yes, but you can see why there's the need to delineate the fact that Arlington/Falls Church/Great Falls/McLean/Vienna/Tysons Corner/etc are not collectively referred to as "nova."

(pet peeve of mine, can you tell?)
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NVCC is its proper name and you know it. 😛 All of those areas are geographically nova (and they all have NVCC campuses, well, not McLean, Vienna, or Great Falls). I'd call it the 703 if it weren't for Prince William. Always in the way, that Prince William...:laugh:

For the benefit of other regions of the state, however, I use nova. Although, if I find you in a dark alley referring to Virginia Beach as "Vabeach," we'll need to do some serious talking.:laugh:
 
Commutes get old very, very quickly. While our house is on the market my commute to school is right at 2.5 hours. I cannot even begin to explain how much it sucks. Bear in mind that this is just undergrad.. I can't imagine having to do this, or even half as much of this drive, during med school. That's just... no. Don't do it.
 
milliya said:
... I think an hour and a half is fine for the first year or two, but what about into 3rd or 4th year?...
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No way this will work in 3rd (or some of 4th) year. At most med schools during clinical years, you will have times when you will need to be at the hospital at 5am and times when you won't be getting out until after late at night (with an early morning start the next day). Think about it -- if you have a couple of months of, say, a surgery rotation with 5am starts and 6pm-ish ends on non-call days, when you add an hour and a half on each end of that it becomes a 3:30am start and a 7:30 end, with some reading each night on the cases and for the shelf -- that's going to be rough. There must be halfway points between the two locations that would be equally a nuisance for both parties.
 
Like everyone else has said, that's kind of crazy just for the sake of living with your bf, and it is a bit too early to worry about it.

Why is your bf so unwilling to move to Maryland? Is there a halfway point that you could compromise with? If he is not involved in medicine and doesn't have the crazy work schedule that you WILL have then he should be looking to support you, not make things harder for you. Maybe once you get closer to being accepted to medical school you and your bf can talk about what the next few years will look like and the unnecessary stress & loss of time you will be going through by having to commute from so far... but again count your chicken when they hatch. If you don't get into Hopkins that conversation might look very different. Good luck :luck:
 
i live 30 minutes from my undergrad school (this is without traffic) and although you do get used to it, there were SO MANY days (especially near finals) when i just wanted to instantly transport myself to my bed instead of doing the drive. when gas was high, I was so broke just doing the commute. like others have said-try to find a apt in the middle so that both of you are making a compromise which is what relationships are about so i would be having a really serious discussion with your boyfriend.
 
I really don't think that you need to worry too much about this. A lot of things will change by the time you apply (I believe that you are a Freshman or a Sophomore it looks like). For one, you might not be with your bf then. Sorry if that upsets you, but its true. I'm willing to accept that it is possible though, but you should be able to accept that its equally possible that you will separate. If you can't, that's unhealthy (in my pre-professional opinion!). It's a long time to be planning in advance even if you guys do end up staying together. For one, he might move elsewhere that is more or less convenient. For two, you might not end up at JH, or even might not end up in medicine at all (you might find something you love more). The bottom line is wait until your Senior year to begin worrying about all of this!
 
mmmcdowe said:
... A lot of things will change by the time you apply (I believe that you are a Freshman or a Sophomore it looks like)... For two, you might not end up at JH, or even might not end up in medicine at all (you might find something you love more). The bottom line is wait until your Senior year to begin worrying about all of this!
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Yeah, if the OP is still years away from applying (something I didn't realize in my prior post), then focusing on a commute to a top school like hopkins is sort of a waste of time. Only 150 or so people out of the 8,000-ish who apply are going to get to go there, and "wanting" it is pretty meaningless. Heck, I want to win the lottery, but I'm not planning my life based on that unlikely eventuality. There is no way you can assume yourself into such a school. Even if you are competitive for a top medical school (which is rare to know early in college), odds aren't very good for any particular one -- you still have to apply to a range. Most top students get a number of rejections, and we have seen many unbelievably credentialed folks on SDN ending up at schools ranked well below those they originally believed themselves competitive for. So I'd worry about getting into "a" med school first, and consider the top schools longer shots until the interviews actually start rolling in. If you manage to get into one, then you worry about your commute. But I wouldn't hold your breath if, early in college, you are focusing in on Hopkins or Harvard. I can say you won't get them and be right better than 90% of the time. Most people would place that bet in Vegas.
 
I commuted NoVa to Georgetown (40 miles, exactly 1 hr on mapquest) for about 3 months, as I was living with my uncle rent free. That 1 hr commute was really about 2.5 hours each way. It was also about 2 tanks of gas a week and $12 a day in tolls, plus parking (150/mo). I would seriously look into moving closer to school. The few months I did that commute were hell. I left for work at 6 am and didn't get home until 8 or 9 at night. I had no life and it was horrible, plus I didn't save any money really cause i spent it all on gas and tolls and parking. The only real "saving grace" would be if you could take the VRE or the metro into Union station and hop on the MARC into Penn station in Baltimore.
 
I left JHU today at 4:30 and was back in Falls Church, VA at 6... I imagine if I had left at 2, I would have been back at 3... Just to give you a really recent travel time example 🙂
 
I'm an M1 with a commute of 70 miles each way every day. It's not that bad. I only have to do it for one year, and I am not in a major metro area, so I can almost always make it in a hour, maybe an hour and fifteen tops. However, getting up at 5:30 for tests is not fun and spending 2 hours a day on the road gets very old very fast. That being said, t is absolutely worth it to me to be with my husband every day. But like I said, it's only for one year - I don't think I could/would do it for four years.

Move halfway in between if you can. Otherwise just figure out what your priorities are and go from there. You can always move if you find commuting is too hard.
 
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