Long commutes to school

[The Deep]

Did anyone have to deal with a 2-3 commute everyday to school? How did you deal with this? I usually get neaseous if I try to read on something that’s moving so it’s tough to study while commuting.

Note: This is 2-3 hours in ONE direction.

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[907914]

Did anyone have to deal with a 2-3 commute everyday to school? How did you deal with this? I usually get neaseous if I try to read on something that’s moving so it’s tough to study while commuting.

Note: This is 2-3 hours in ONE direction.

I have a friend who does a 2 hour commute each direction. He got an IPad and does most of his homework on the Bus.

Unless you are like him living Bill-free with your parents, I would say move closer to school...

 

[The Deep]

I have a friend who does a 2 hour commute each direction. He got an IPad and does most of his homework on the Bus.

Unless you are like him living Bill-free with your parents, I would say move closer to school...

I do live bill free with parents and currently can not afford to live closer to school. It just feels like 4 hours a day wasted while traveling unless I force myself to study, which always ends up with me being neasueous. I guess I just need to suck It up and deal with It...

 

[premedeq]

Are you talking about long commutes to Med school or undergrad?

I'd like to add on to this, how do people feel about a 45min commute to and from med school every day? My parents live about 35miles away from where I will probably go to med school, I commuted to this school all throughout undergrad. Is saving the extra 1.5-2 hours every day to study/relax worth paying for an appartment? Will I miss out on a bunch of networking/ socializing opportunities not living on campus?

 

[907914]

Are you talking about long commutes to Med school or undergrad?

I'd like to add on to this, how do people feel about a 45min commute to and from med school every day? My parents live about 35miles away from where I will probably go to med school, I commuted to this school all throughout undergrad. Is saving the extra 1.5-2 hours every day to study/relax worth paying for an appartment? Will I miss out on a bunch of networking/ socializing opportunities not living on campus?

Depends how much you value your time. If you look at $15/hr then 2 hours a Day is $600 a month. About rent if you had a roommate or two.

 

[The Deep]

Are you talking about long commutes to Med school or undergrad?

I'd like to add on to this, how do people feel about a 45min commute to and from med school every day? My parents live about 35miles away from where I will probably go to med school, I commuted to this school all throughout undergrad. Is saving the extra 1.5-2 hours every day to study/relax worth paying for an appartment? Will I miss out on a bunch of networking/ socializing opportunities not living on campus?

Long commutes to undergrad. It’s just a bit tough with early classes (start at 7am) and really late classes (End at 10:30pm) on consecutive days.

 

[lalalallala]

Are you talking about long commutes to Med school or undergrad?

I'd like to add on to this, how do people feel about a 45min commute to and from med school every day? My parents live about 35miles away from where I will probably go to med school, I commuted to this school all throughout undergrad. Is saving the extra 1.5-2 hours every day to study/relax worth paying for an appartment? Will I miss out on a bunch of networking/ socializing opportunities not living on campus?

If you have a family or something then I feel like it would be less of a big deal but if you are single then I feel like socially it wouldn't be good because most people will live near the school so they will all be hanging out and you'll be driving home. I would think you would pretty much have to move closer 3rd yr depending on what time pre-rounds for surgery rotations start. For me I would move closer but if money is a huge object then you could give driving a shot and if you hate it then get an apartment and move in over winter break

 

[lalalallala]

I do live bill free with parents and currently can not afford to live closer to school. It just feels like 4 hours a day wasted while traveling unless I force myself to study, which always ends up with me being neasueous. I guess I just need to suck It up and deal with It...

Have you asked your doctor about nausea medications? My doc prescribes me these patches that last 3-5 days that I wear when I'm going to have to be in a car/train/plane/boat a lot. I'm not sure that wearing them every day all year long is advisable but they really do work for me in helping me be able to read in the car. You mention reading in the car but aren't you going to be driving yourself? It also just seems like a bad idea but I understand that you are in a tight situation money wise. But if you worked 3 hours a day for $15 5 days a week 4 weeks a month that would $900 which minus taxes seems like enough for a cheap place to live since you must be paying a lot for gas now too

 

[precisiongraphic]

Have you asked your doctor about nausea medications? My doc prescribes me these patches that last 3-5 days that I wear when I'm going to have to be in a car/train/plane/boat a lot. I'm not sure that wearing them every day all year long is advisable but they really do work for me in helping me be able to read in the car. You mention reading in the car but aren't you going to be driving yourself? It also just seems like a bad idea but I understand that you are in a tight situation money wise. But if you worked 3 hours a day for $15 5 days a week 4 weeks a month that would $900 which minus taxes seems like enough for a cheap place to live since you must be paying a lot for gas now too

The OP must be on public transit. You can't read while being the driver. Unless there is another driver but the post doesn't say that.

OP if you aren't able to read, can you queue up pod-casts and listen while in transit? Some books are available on audible, though I doubt a chem textbook would be. Or you could record lectures (with proffessor/school approval) and play-back the recordings as you commute. Use the time as active studying but not reading. I did most of my reading for my masters while on a bus but I have an iron stomach.

I doubt that anyone could handle medical school with that much of a commute so hope that you can save up and move then.

 

[Rachapkis]

Obviously, spending 4-6 hours per day commuting is far from ideal, especially if you are unable to study because studying while moving makes you nauseous. You have two options: 1) suck it up, buttercup, or 2) move closer to school. If moving closer to school would merely mean that you would incur extra debt (e.g., $600 mo.), I would seriously consider that option. If that is not a viable alternative, see option No. 1.

 

[ndafife]

Are you talking about long commutes to Med school or undergrad?

I'd like to add on to this, how do people feel about a 45min commute to and from med school every day? My parents live about 35miles away from where I will probably go to med school, I commuted to this school all throughout undergrad. Is saving the extra 1.5-2 hours every day to study/relax worth paying for an appartment? Will I miss out on a bunch of networking/ socializing opportunities not living on campus?

It's doable for preclinical, not really for clinicals.

Everything is a trade off in medical school. You're going to have X hrs of class/watching lectures/studying daily, every day. You'll figure out how long it takes you to do your baseline stuff as you get into medical school. Everything else outside of studying is going to be for research, gym, volunterring, clubs, intramurals, sleep, Netflix, drinking, etc... Your 2 hrs in the car is going to come out of that because you're going to do whatever studying you need to do to get by. Maybe you can't do gym + research + commute so you have to drop one. Maybe you figure out gym + research + commute but now you can't join orgs or have time to socialize with people. You figure out what's important for you and find out how to make it work.

But come clinicals there really isn't time. Maybe on some ambulatory rotations that are more 8-5. But when you're getting to the hospital at 5am for surgery and stuck there until after 7 and still need to study for your SHELF Exam, it just isn't feasible to have a 2 hr commute daily