OFF CAMPUS BUT ON THE CLOCK
By Rasheena Scott
?Many students dream of living off campus
and at FSU that dream is alive. There
;are as many as 3,000 commuters at FSU,
! according to Leland Davis the president
i of AUTOS, an organization geared to off
campus students. While living off campus
offers a plethora of benefits, it also pres
ents sveral social, academic and finacial
challenges.
Approximately 86 percent of college and
university students nationwide are de
fined as commuter students, according to
stateuniversity.com. Commuter students
may live with their parents, or share an
apartment with a roommate off campus.
Commuters often walk, ride bikes, take
public transportation, or drive to campus to
attend classes. Most spend little additional
time outside of the classroom on campus.
There are many reasons why students
chose to live off campus. Some commuter
students chose to live off campus be
cause, they may have competing respon
sibilities outside the academic classroom,
such as family and work interests. For
those students who are working full-time,
raising a family, or caring for an elderly
parent, campus residency is not a viable
option. Also, commuting may be economi
cally beneficial because many commuter
students cannot afford to live on campus.
Despite residing off-campus, most com
muter students have high academic aspi
rations and a strong commitment to learn-
; ing according to stateuniversity.com.
“I love it, I have to pay bills but it’s worth
it”, says Michelle Lowry a 23-year-old se
nior and Papa John’s delivery driver, who
made the transition as a junior.
On the flip side commuters often find it dif
ficult to attend school functions and social
engagements and, as a result ,find it dif
ficult to make friends. Commuter students
often miss out on opportunities to “con
nect" to the university and other students.
“The disadvantage about staying off cam
pus [is that] most of them are not knowl
edgeable of student activities that occur
on campus. Even though there are email
notifications sent out, students neglect to
look at the information, and [don’t] partici
pate. There are so many opportunities on
campus such as clubs and organization,
which many off campus students don’t
know about,” said Davis.
The benefits of off campus are tempting,
“The cost of tuition is cheaper, and stu
dents can cook their own meals” explained
Davis. “You [also] don’t have to worry
about having a roommate you don’t know
and you can’t trust, [or having] to make
sure you hide your belongings,” Davis
added.
Rent may range from $500 to $900 in the
Fayetteville area. Gas can run a commuter
up to 40 dollars a week or more depend
ing on the car. In addition to rent and gas,
groceries can cost more than $150 every
couple weeks. Although you don’t have to
pay room and board to the university or
pay for a meal plan, living off campus can
be costly. Most students who live off cam
pus have to find a job whether they like it
or not, like Teniqua Smith, a 21-year old
junior who lives off campus and has been
a sales associate for two months.
Full-time employment may damage stu
dent performance, for example, 55 percent
of those students working 35 or more
hours per week reported that work has a
negative effect on their studies, according
to State University of New York at Brock-
port. Furthermore, 40 percent of students
working full-time reported that their jobs
limits their class schedule; 36 percent re
ported it reduces their class time choices;
30 percent reported their jobs limit the
number of classes they take; and 26 per
cent reported it limits access to the library.
According to Smith and Lowery they both
work 35 hours weekly, which make them
full time workers. Smith said she feels like
she is constantly traveling from home, to
school, and to work. “Sometimes it can
be quite a challenge. You have to learn
how to manage everything,” emphasized
Smith.
Perks aside, students may want to con
sider all possibilities before they decide to
make the big move.
“Have a plan first; don’t just jump in on
something because it sounds good. Also,
make sure you will be able to manage it
all,” Smith said.
lA
U
T
O
S
By Dwayne Watson
Achieving + Understanding -i- Towards + Off-campus -i- Students=A.U. T. O. S! Always
moving for the commuter student here at FSU, AUTOS is far from a car club! The purpose
of AUTOS club is to assist the commuter student in achieving an authentic college experi
ence. Just coming to school and going to class, then back home won’t cut it! The AUTOS
club hosts, plan, and organize free (that’s right FREE!!) events for the commuter students’
enjoyment, including frequent informative events happening on campus. They strive to
encourage academic progress and promote leadership amongst the commuter students,
who would usually miss such opportunities. The next meeting will be on Tuesday, Nov. 20
at 2pm in the RJSC room 235. Interested in joining AUTOS? There is a $10 membership
fee but it’s well worth every penny!
Adviser: Ms. Pamela Smith 672-1387
President: Leland Davis
Vice President: Meosha McCormick
Secretary: Andrewnikka Alvarado
Assistant secretary: Kelly Whitted
Treasurer: Adrienne Reid
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iz:
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