Living Off Campus, Commuter Edition

As one of the roughly 90% of UTM students who commute to campus, I’ve learned to accept that dealing with traffic and public transit are as much of a constant as juggling assignments and extra-curriculars. Now that I look back at my four years of undergrad, I also notice how my student life changed over time because of my commute.

Getting to and from UTM

Every day, I travel to campus via bus from Milton, my hometown. I start by taking a regional GO bus to Meadowvale in north Mississauga and then transfer to a MiWay (city) bus that stops at UTM. The whole trip usually takes between 1 hr 10 mins and 1 hr 30 mins (by car, it would be about a 20- to 30-minute drive).

Since I rely on public transit, it’s a great help that I get a student discount for GO Transit through my PRESTO card and free unlimited travel on MiWay through the U-Pass, which the UTM Students’ Union provides to all undergrads at the start of each semester. 

UTM also operates a shuttle bus service to the U of T St. George campus in downtown Toronto which UTM students can use free of charge seven days a week. 

The U-Pass is only available for students registered at UTM, and students registered at the St. George or Scarborough campuses must pay a $7 fare for the shuttle bus

Of course, things can go wrong. Transit delays, “ghost buses,” and heavy traffic are always possible, so it’s good to have a back-up plan (or two). For me, software like the GO and MiWay trip planners, Google Maps, and ride-hailing apps like Uber and Lyft have been lifesavers in such instances.

If you plan to drive to campus, note that finding a parking space can be hard, especially in the morning and at the start of the semester when UTM tends to be at its busiest. I’d say always try to arrive at least 30 minutes before your first class to give yourself time to find a spot.

Academics

With such a long commute, I’ve always had to make sure that my timetable aligned with what I could realistically and consistently pull off. This has meant enrolling in lectures, tutorials, and practicals as close to noon as possible and picking classes that took place on the same day whenever I could to optimize the time I spent on campus.

That said, I spent the first few weeks of each term gauging how well my schedule actually worked for my goals, study habits, and well-being to see if I could and/or needed to make any changes. While I couldn’t really change my commute time, I always had some control over which days I went to campus and at which times I came and left. Plus, I could always take my time on the bus as an opportunity to de-stress before and after classes.

So, while I originally planned on a major and double minor for my programs of study, as time went on I realized I could handle a greater course load and wanted to broaden my learning, and by the end of third year I finally decided on a double major and a minor.

At first, I’d never consider taking on a double major and a minor (honestly I didn’t even know it was an option until second year), due to the hefty course load and my lengthy commute. 

As I figured out how everything worked in practice, I organized and re-organized my schedule accordingly to maximize my academic experience.

If you’d rather not figure your schedule out as you go, you can always seek guidance from university staff. Academic advisors in each department can help you to decide which courses to take based on how much time you have in a week and your personal preferences, among other considerations.

Co-Curriculars

On the other hand, I’ve always believed that extra- and co-curriculars are an essential part of student life too, as some of my best connections and learning came from experiences outside of the classroom.

I started in first year by taking on a couple term-length volunteer gigs with UTM’s Centre for Student Engagement and attending club events throughout the semester to see what I liked and stress test my schedule. I gradually took on more opportunities from year to year, making sure to drop things when it got too tough. 

Now that my timetable has opened up more in fourth year and I’m acutely aware of how to schedule around my commute (with how it affects my mental health, average travel times, potential disruptions, etc.) I’m able to manage eight part-time, casual, and volunteer positions on campus.

While long commutes can complicate student life, there are always ways for you to work around them to get as much out of your UTM experience as you want. 

Academic advisors and counsellors are there to help you plan your academic path, and since UTM’s a commuter school, most of your peers will be in the same boat as you. 

Always feel free to reach out, ask around, and learn from others!