Tips and tricks to make your commute easier

By Christian DeBruyn

Staff Writer

Let’s be honest, commuting can be awful. Many precious hours of my life have been taken from me by the Van Dyke freeway.

That time is precious and throwing it away is unnecessary and tiring. There are ways to make this process a little more endurable.

Many students endure the same suffering as me, and we are here to give you the best ways to beat the highway rush.

I’ve driven quite a bit while I’ve been in school. In high school, I drove 45 minutes to and from school Monday through Friday for three years. Later in life, I drove 45 minutes to Specs Howard twice a week and then to Rochester University a year later. I’ve tried many different things to make this less rage-inducing and the following tips have helped me the most:

Be prepared

Nothing is worse than waking up unprepared. Make sure everything you need for the next day is easily accessible and ready to go for the drive. Fill up on gas, pack a lunch and set your alarm before you must get up. This way you aren’t running out of breath trying to get to school on time.

Melissa St. Pierre, assistant professor of English at Rochester University, says she makes sure that anything she will need for the next day is in her car the night before, and she keeps a whiteboard near her door that she checks upon leaving to make sure she has everything she needs.

Plan a route

Find the fastest, safest, and easiest way to school. Check the weather every morning and monitor for construction that may make your daily drive more difficult. Leave earlier if needed!

Make it entertaining

Driving can be boring, but it doesn’t have to be! Find something to listen to; a radio show, podcast or some music to fill the empty sound in the car. It's important to keep your focus on the road, but listening to something while you drive shouldn't distract you.

Bring a snack and a drink

Eating something is important, so bring a snack to munch on while you’re sitting in traffic. Also, bring a coffee, water, pop or some other drink to keep your thirst quenched on your drive. Navy Phelps, a performing arts major, says her commuter routine involves a hot coffee.

So fellow commuters, I hope these tips help you have a more enjoyable commute on your way to campus!