8 Things to do During your Commute to University

Student commuting in university

Commute can be a very dreaded and unfortunate part of a student’s life. The struggle of transporting to university can be a tedious and annoying daily task but, here are 8 simple ways to ease this tiring process of commuting to university or college.

1. Sleep during your commute

SLEEP! That’s write, a 5 letter word with 2 letters repeated, is the easiest and most beneficial way to spend your commuting time. It is a well known fact that university students require around 6-9 hours of sleep per night, but a very few number of students are actually able to get that amount. So by sleeping on the bus or subway on your way to university, it is an effective way to catch up on your sleep and avoid dozing off in class. A good way to fall asleep is by listening to some soothing and relaxing music and finding a comfortable position for your head, often by resting it on the windowsill. To prevent yourself from missing your stop, set an alarm with a quiet noise on your phone for the estimated time you think it will take you to reach university.

2. Catch up on your readings

Another good way to spend your commute is by catching up on your readings. It can often be very challenging to complete all your required course readings and stay on top of all your course work, so by doing some of your course readings on your way to or from university, you can effectively use your commute time. This is easiest if you have a physical textbook but, it is also possible to download the PDF copies of your assigned readings and access them from your device. If you are not interested in course readings, you can always grab another novel and read that instead.

3. Review your study notes

You must be familiar with the stress and anxiety you experience, every time you are flipping through your notes, rushing to review your course notes right before your test or exam, so instead of waiting for the morning before a huge assessment to review your notes, you can do that every morning on your way to University. Although, this seems like an obvious way to utilize your commuting time, it can also be very helpful. If you are unable to find time at the end of everyday or week to review your course notes, by regularly reviewing major course concepts during your commute, you are enhancing and expanding your understanding of the course content. This will help you better process and remember the course content and if you are unclear about any of the material, you can always ask your professors and classmates for help well ahead of an assessment.

4. Listen to music or a podcast

Another easy and fun thing to do, is to listen to music. Jam out to your favorite song or try out some new music selections. Other than music, another treat for your ears is to listen to podcasts. You can find a wide variety of podcasts on different topics, ranging from politics, the environment, to even murder mysteries.

5. Netflix and commute

Netflix and commute. Download episodes from your favorite series or download a movie you’ve been meaning to watch but never got a chance to. There are many different genres and forms of content available on Netflix for your viewing pleasure, so there is sure to be something that interest you.

6. Observe your surroundings

Look around. Not in a creepy-stalker kind of way but, in an appreciative-observing kind of way. Look out the window, take in the view, the roads, the people on the streets, or within the bus, look around at the different people, advertisements, etc. Observe how people are reacting to different situations, what their facial expressions tell you, try to guess where they might be headed etc. This can really help develop your observational skills and make you value and learn to appreciate the little things in life like the birds, the sky, the sunshine etc.

7. Make a list

The list can be of anything from a simple “To Do List” or as creative, as a bucket list. You can make a list of your assignments and deadlines, your pet peeves, or your favorite pastimes. You can even rank your favorite songs, shows or movies. Making lists helps clear your head and makes it easier to remember things once they have been categorized in your mind.

8. Make a friend and get to know someone new

If you are confident enough, make new friends. Don’t be annoying or invasive, but try to be polite and nice as you initiate a casual conversation with the people around you. If you have ever seen the person sitting next to you around campus or in your class, during  your commute, its a great time to try and get to to know them. You might be surprised to find out how much you have in common and how interesting they really are. Even if the other person is not as friendly or welcoming to talk to, no need to worry, you have 7 other things to do in your commute. Plus, you may actually never see them around campus again, so there probably will never be another awkward encounter with them.

Hopefully you found these 8 easy ways to spend your commuting time helpful and interesting ways to make your commute a little less boring. Remember, commuting is just a  mundane task that can easily become productive or even fun, simply by trying.

Humans of University

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