Commuting?

[parietal]

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Right now, I live on a small hobby farm, which I absolutely love. I really don't want to move, but I live about an hour away from my IS vet school. I had planned to take my state's new commuter rail, but the schedule ended up being completely unworkable for vet school. 👎

So, if I get in, I'm going to have to drive or move. I commute now about a half hour each way to the school where I'm taking my prerequisites. I don't mind it at all, but I'm concerned about doubling the commute while in vet school.

Fortunately, it's a pretty easy drive: freeway almost the whole way and easy (but not cheap) parking close to the vet school. I'm hoping to relisten to lectures during the drive and stay with friends near the school when the weather's bad.

But I'm still kind of wasting two hours a day when I could be studying, etc. And I know it will be an even bigger issue during fourth year for clinics when you're supposed to live within 30 minutes of the school.

I live alone, so it's not like I can just live in the Cities during the week and come home on weekends. I have a farm-sitter who can feed the critters when I'm gone occasionally, but I think it would be unfair to ask her to do it that often. Getting a roommate would be a possibility (I have plenty of room), but I'm an introvert so my home is kind of my retreat.

So I guess what I'm asking is, are any of you commuting this far daily? Does it work for you? And is it worth the drive to live somewhere that's been a lifelong dream and makes you incredibly happy?

 

[McVillesMom]

I can't speak for myself, as I lived about 1/2 hour from school first year and subsequently moved to about 2 miles from school, but I have at least 2 classmates that live about 2 hours away. I'm sure it gets wearing, and I'm not sure what they plan to do when we enter clinics in 2 months. One girl only shows up for class a couple of days a week, and I have to wonder how that's working for her. (She also tends to use it as an excuse why she can't stay late or be on call for anything, but that's beside the point). I think she does listen to lectures during the drive.

Bottom line, I think you could make it work for you, but it may not be easy. You'll invariably have things you may need to stay late at school for, and you also need to consider what your plan will be if one of the critters were to get sick or injured. And you will have to figure out something for 4th year, when you have to be closer to school, but it sounds like you've already been considering that.

 

[OliveOyl]

I am not yet in vet school, but for 2 1/2 years of my undergrad I commuted an hour each way. I did get used to the drive, but I can tell you that when I had 8 am classes and I wanted to go to the gym before class, it made for some long days when I was in class til 5. The harder part was taht after getting home, I always wanted to relax from the drive and just kinda "veg out" for a while. It definately started wearing on me and affecting my studying b/c I would not want to study after driving for 2 hours every day. The commute also kept me from being able to take more than about 13-15 hours a semester b/c I had to ensure that I had time for relaxing after the drive. It doesn't seem like a lot at first. I will be moving to my vet school and I refuse to live any farther than 20 minutes from the school. I am willing to pay extra for a house just so I don't have to commute far.

In conclusion, I guess if it seemed bad during the last part of undergrad, I can only imagine that it would get bad for vet school.

 

[Electrophile]

...and I'm not sure what they plan to do when we enter clinics in 2 months.

Yeah, that's a good point. Every school is going to be a bit different, but if you join certain clubs like foal watch/team (at least how it's run at my school) in the first year or two, you're expected to be up at the school in like 15-20 minutes or something if they get a foal in.

For clinics, quite a few of the rotations have emergency (yeah, even pathology had emergency receiving!) and you're supposed to be up at school in 15 minutes for things like surgery even in the middle of the night if you are scheduled for on call emergency. So make sure the 30 minutes thing is actual real life number from the clinicians and not just hearsay from admissions people (who sometimes don't know). I've heard of some people crashing on couches of friends or house sitting while others are away on outside externships. You may be able to work it for the first couple years until you're on clinics and then kinda play it by year for clinics. Good luck!

 

[ColoradoDVM]

I know what you mean...we have a perfect setup for our animals, our business, and it is a little retreat for us. We owned the land for 10 years before we built and I just really am bonded to my land. As an older non trad student, I could not see myself sharing a place with someone else. It would be sooo unfair to them because I have had alot of years doing things the way I like it to be, and when I study, I need to get into the zone and cannot be bothered by anything. I did my MS at a school a little over 2 hours from our place. I rented a condo the first 2 semesters and later did the math....spent an average of 2-3 nights a week there. Semester 3...stopped renting because it was overall a massive waste. I drove back and forth quite a bit whenever my husband was out of town on business, which sometimes was a pain. If I had a big exam or project due, I would pay someone to take care of the homefront. If you pay someone, it doesn't feel like you are taking advantage. A few times, I got snowed in or other issues where I could not make it back, but all in all, it wasn't too bad. However, I did use that time semi-effectively. First, I don't mind driving. Listened to taped lectures often and studied flash cards at all the red lights. It's not realistic to sell our place and pack up the business, so I will continue with the same plan throughout vet school.
Once clinicals come around, I will tweak the current plan. Yep< I want it all 😀- very do-able in my opinion.

 

[sumstorm]

You might want to talk to your school and ask if they can put you in contact with others living that far out. They may be able to give you a more accurate picture. I know for students living 30 minutes or more out here, they generally have to come in half an hour early at minimum or get crushed in traffic and be half an hour late, and that many stay late to not spend extra time in rush hour traffic. No idea how that would be where you are.

Also, since you did say 'farm' you might need to look at how your chores there will reduce time availability as well. I know I couldn't have kept up with farm duties while I attend, but everyone and every farm i different. Unfortunatly, Idon't have good advice on this one. I know we had one student who did it for the past 3 years, and I know 4 in my class started out that far away, and all rented much closer within 1 month of starting school.

I know for me, I am grateful most days to live only les than 15 minuts from school. It means spontaneous study groups, late wet labs, weekend activities, and such don't require much coordination. It also means that if I am going to have a horribly long day I can slide home at some point and take care of the dogs. It may also depend on your school. Twice a week I am lucky if I can get out before 6pm from my regular courses. The rest of the week is 4:30pm. So, an hour in with buffer would have me leaving at 6:30am and not gettng home till after 6:30pm a couple of nights a week IF nothing happened at school, no extra stuff after school, and no traffic incidents.

 

[parietal]

Thank you all for the helpful responses!

I know what you mean...we have a perfect setup for our animals, our business, and it is a little retreat for us. We owned the land for 10 years before we built and I just really am bonded to my land. As an older non trad student, I could not see myself sharing a place with someone else.

It's really great to work that commuting worked well for you during your graduate work, CSU. That's pretty much exactly my situation, although I'm not as bonded with my land as you are -- I'd actually be OK setting up a farm elsewhere if I only got into an OOS school -- but I would be devastated not to have a farm at all. It just centers me and gives me so much peace, especially when I'm stressed.

Sumstrom, you have a very good point. I actually set up my hobby farm so to minimize daily chores, and it's worked very well while I've been working full-time and doing my prereqs. I have stalls in my barn, but almost never use them. My two horses have free run of most of the barn (basically a very big run in) and at least one adjacent paddock so they can be outside whenever they want. And I try to vary my feeding times within a 2.5-hour window so they aren't impatiently waiting for me at any point.

I would love to be closer for the later gatherings and such, but I tend to be a fairly early riser and am usually eager to head home by 6 p.m. or so anyway. So even if I lived close, I'd probably be selective about what I stayed late for.

I really don't want to miss out on things like foal watch and late wet labs though. But I guess if it isn't working, I can always rent a room close to the school so I can stay more frequently and move if I really need to after first year. I suppose I just have to figure out if the added stress of the commute negates the stress relief my farm gives me. 🙂

Thanks again for all your insight!

ETA: Oh, and I will be sure to check with the school about what the exact travel times are for foal watch, clinicals, etc. I know of a couple first-years there who are commuting from quite far as well (45 minutes to an hour) and have talked to one about it already and will try to discuss it with more.

 

[StealthDog]

We have someone in our class who lives on a farm in Owatonna and commutes every day... so it can be done! We also have someone from International Falls who travels home to her farm on weekends. It's not so hard during the first three years. The trick is, like people have mentioned, during clinics. A fair number of rotations have on-call duty, where you need to be within 15 minutes of campus or so. Most people who live far away will stay with a classmate in the cities during on-call shifts if needed.

Send me a PM if you'd like email addresses of people who commute... They are very friendly and I'm sure would love to give you advice 🙂

 

[iheartpandas]

I've been commuting an hour daily for 1.5 years for a Master's, and will continue to commute once I start at the same vet school in fall. I've lived in my town 15 years, and I own a little cabin in the woods and can't imagine living anywhere else. My little place also centers me and gives me peace... many times if I am begrudging my commute, I come over the rise into town and see the mountains and think, "Oh, this is so worth it!"

As far as getting much done in the car, I find that easier to do on the way to school; on the way home I just like to zone and decompress. Maybe you are more motivated than I am, though!

@CSU--glad I am not the only commuter who does flashcards in the car!! 🙄

I'm definitely worried it'll be a lot harder to keep this up once vet school starts. I considered renting/buying closer, but I think I will be better off getting a hotel room on those days I need to stay close to school. I've done that a few times already and it's worked out nicely, and cheaper than renting a place I will only spend a few nights a month in.

Anyway, I think it can be done with a little contingency planning...good luck!

 

[david594]

You could always see if you could find someone with that spare bedroom near campus they are willing to rent for a couple hundred bucks a month. Then weigh the value of the extra $300 in rent verus the 15 hours a week of driving time you will save yourself.

If your driving 1.5 hours each way, you have to be spending close to $15 a day in gas, thats $75 a week or the $300 a month you would be spending on rent. This is ignoring vehicle wear and tear and other associated travel expenses. So its nearly a wash money wise, and you would be freeing up an extra 15 hours a week for yourself(just image an extra 2 hours of sleep a night!). Living closer you also don't have to worry as much about traffic. And like Sumstorm said, it also makes getting to school for late wet-labs or lectures a non issue. Then you can take the weekends to head back to your normal home.

I know one of the people we lost first quarter was commuting ~2hrs each way to get to school.

 

[parietal]

Thanks for the help, StealthDog!

David, remember to factor in that I would need to pay a farm-sitter for every day I'm away and your cost-neutral idea becomes a LOT more expensive. Plus my drive is slightly less than an hour except at the worst of rush hour when it is a teeny bit more. And I have a car with very good gas mileage. 🙂

I can't imagine a two-hour commute each way, though, that sounds awful!

 

[david594]

Everyones situation is different and dogs/pets/farms definitely complicate things.

People just need to remember to look at the big picture of how much their time is really worth to them when its really at a premium. And time spent commuting to "save money" may no really be saving them much of anything.

 

[parietal]

Everyones situation is different and dogs/pets/farms definitely complicate things.

People just need to remember to look at the big picture of how much their time is really worth to them when its really at a premium. And time spent commuting to "save money" may no really be saving them much of anything.

If I commute, it's definitely not to save money. It would be because I absolutely love where I'm at. At this point, I think I'm willing to give up 10 hours a week to commuting because I'm so darn happy here.

As I said, I'm commuting a half hour each direction now and really don't mind it all. I feel similarly to iheartpandas: I get to the rolling hills and farms in my area and all my stress just dissipates. 🙂

 

[Ben and Me]

Another thing to think about - do you have a dog? And what about your horses' feeding schedule?

I end up usually having to run home at 5 every day (though I do come back if we have an evening activity) so I can feed and walk her....while my classmates can just hang around on campus and study. This wouldn't be possible if I were any further away. Expect to be in class every day from 8 or 9 to 5...horses and cats are generally fine without too much human companionship but dogs? They need it.

And I think your IS is Minnesota...What happens if it storms during the day and you can't get home to feed?

We have folks that commute in from an hour or so away, but since we're in a huge metropolitan area, they are able to take the train. They are able to make it work.

 

[dgm]

I'm only 17 miles from school, but it usually takes me darn near an hour each way. (Of course, if I go in later in the evening or on a weekend, it's 25-30 minutes.) For most of first semester, the drive was just wasted time, but then I bought myself an iPod and started listening to lectures whenever I'm in the car. Strangely, it's much easier for me to remain engaged in the material while in the car than while sitting in class. I've started listening to last year's version of each lecture ahead of time, so that when I hear it in class it's actually a review. So far, so good.

I was a little worried about not living right near school, but I've been living in the area for about six years - I already have friends out this way, my boyfriend is further out in the same direction, and I'm in between school and horse country. I don't make it to as many social events with my classmates as I'd like, but otherwise it's working out just fine so far.

 

[parietal]

I bought myself an iPod and started listening to lectures whenever I'm in the car. Strangely, it's much easier for me to remain engaged in the material while in the car than while sitting in class. I've started listening to last year's version of each lecture ahead of time, so that when I hear it in class it's actually a review. So far, so good.

Really good to know, thanks! Love the idea of being able to preview the lectures! (Also: yay for eventing!)

Another thing to think about - do you have a dog? ... What happens if it storms during the day and you can't get home to feed?

Both excellent questions. I do have a dog, and I've kind of been considering her as a separate issue: I've been looking into doggie daycare, etc. But you're right, with the strong possibility of storms, etc., it really doesn't seem fair to ask my farmsitter to drive out, possibly risking her safety, to go take care of my critters.

I think I'm going to have to just work to find a reliable roommate who I can trust to take care of my animals when necessary. As an introvert, it's just really hard to open my haven up to relative strangers...

 

[Ben and Me]

If money isn't an issue, could you add a barn apartment or convert an existing structure into a house? Or even put a mobile home on the property? Some of the new ones look pretty similar to a stick-built house. That way you wouldn't be on top of each other all the time.

 

[sumstorm]

You may also be able to look at your house and think about what it takes to divide it for minimal contact. IE my house is set up to where there are a set of bedrooms w/bathooms and a living room in the 'upstairs', a single bedroom with bathroom and livingroom downstars, and kitchen inte middle (basicly a split level ranch.) seperate entrances. only shared space is the kitchen.

 

[parietal]

You may also be able to look at your house and think about what it takes to divide it for minimal contact. IE my house is set up to where there are a set of bedrooms w/bathooms and a living room in the 'upstairs', a single bedroom with bathroom and livingroom downstars, and kitchen inte middle (basicly a split level ranch.) seperate entrances. only shared space is the kitchen.

Yes, this is a very good idea. I wish I had the money to build a barn apartment or get a mobile home, but I don't see that happening. 😀

I have a rambler with a finished, walk-out basement and I don't think it would be too expensive to drywall off the staircase and put a nice door at the top. 🙂 The kitchen and laundry room would then be the only shared spaces, and I think I can deal with that.

Thanks all!

 

[Ben and Me]

I have a rambler with a finished, walk-out basement and I don't think it would be too expensive to drywall off the staircase and put a nice door at the top. 🙂 The kitchen and laundry room would then be the only shared spaces, and I think I can deal with that.

Perfect! 👍

The hard part will be finding a good roommate. It's good you're already living in the area - word of mouth is generally the best way to find someone decent! Maybe your farmsitter would even be interested? If you have a stall, maybe you could even throw in free board?

 

[parietal]

Perfect! 👍

The hard part will be finding a good roommate. It's good you're already living in the area - word of mouth is generally the best way to find someone decent! Maybe your farmsitter would even be interested? If you have a stall, maybe you could even throw in free board?

Yeah, I'm going to start with my pre-vet club, especially the ones with some horse experience. It might look good on an application, after all! 🙂 Unfortunately, we have a pretty small club and lots of people live at home with their parents to save money. Plus, I'm a non-trad, and I'm not quite sure I'm ready to live with a 19-year-old!

I could easily accommodate another horse -- I've had three before -- but I'm probably going to be as picky about other equines as I am about a roommate. 🙂 My girls are both very mellow and easy to deal with, and I really don't want to mess up that dynamic.

 

[flyhi]

Another option is something used with airline pilots everywhere - a crash pad. Airline pilots live wherever they want and commute to work from all over to a hub. They usually need to come in the night before their trip starts, so many pilots will get together and rent one place. They usually are set up with a lot of beds and not really designed to 'hang out' in. You could rent a room with another commuting vet student. Two twin beds in the same room would be ideal and use it just for resting your head. It would take a little bit of a sales job to convince a homeowner this setup was better than a full time resident, but i think for someone who has to rent a room for financial reasons only, but doesn't necessarily want a live-in, it could be a good deal for everyone and a lot cheaper than renting a place outright.

 

[parietal]

sumstorm
2K Member



Status: Veterinary Student
Join Date: Apr 2008
Location: NC
Posts: 2,000

Also, congrats on post #2,000, sumstorm!

 

[parietal]

Another option is something used with airline pilots everywhere - a crash pad.

Great idea, flyhi! Will definitely keep that in mind...