Surviving the Commute

By:  Marco Sanfilippo

I’ve been commuting to school ever since I’ve been going to college, in mostly different ways. I’ve taken the train, the bus, the taxi, Uber, the school shuttle bus, and my car (when I finally got one) to get to my classes. There are upsides to each method, just as there are downsides;  and fortunately, I’ve experienced them just so you don’t have to.

I finally got my car two semesters ago, but before that, I had been either carpooling or taking the train to get to my classes. When I was at North Shore Community College, its Lynn campus was literally right across the street from the train station. That convenience made it the best option at the time; but times change. When I got to Salem State, for example, I began my first semester by taking the train to school as I always did. The difference was that the Salem Train Station wasn’t across the street from campus, so I either had to take the school shuttle bus before it left at 7:15 or the city bus. When I had extra cash on me, I would take a taxi or the more convenient Uber. Since no one I knew from home took an 8:00 a.m. class this is how I had to get to school for my first semester.

As I said, there are upsides and downsides to each method. When I was taking the train, I hoped that every ride wouldn’t drag on with a delay. These didn’t happen every week, but a month wouldn’t pass without one. I tried to catch the shuttle bus before it left at 7:15, and I usually did even though the train would always be a couple minutes late. The shuttle bus—at least when I was taking it—would mostly accommodate the train time if it came between the 7:15-7:20 window. The only difference between the school shuttle bus and the city bus was that the shuttle bus was free (and more convenient by stopping at each campus). I’d guess the only downside to the shuttle bus was that the times to/from Salem Station ended up being less frequent, which was more of an inconvenience for me.

In the Spring 2017 semester that I finally got my car. The commute to/from school probably takes me fifteen minutes (without traffic) to a half hour or more (with traffic). The only issue I have with commuting by car is parking, because I only get good spaces if I get here early enough. While there are upsides and downsides to each method of transportation, I’ve got to say that the best way to commute is what works for you. If you’d rather take the train, take the train. If you want to drive your car, drive your car. . Now that I’ve got my car, I don’t have to worry about others getting me to where I need to go, and that speaks for itself.