When I decided to attend LMU I chose to forgo on-campus living and instead commute from home. One of the hardest things I have learned about being a commuter without a driver’s license is the need to wake up extra early and have a backup plan in case your first mode of transportation to school falls through.
On my first day as an LMU lion I woke up two hours before my first class in an attempt to get to school early. Once I got to the bus stop, I waited and waited… the two busses on the schedule for pick-ups never appeared. Finally, a third bus came and I by then I was running seriously late. But I was saved when a fellow LMU commuter picked me up. The two of us soon discovered that we had very similar class times and he offered to give me rides on his way to school everyday. My carpool buddy has showed me what it means to be a lion as he commutes from Rancho Cucamonga to LMU everyday and inspires me to help pay it forward whenever I can.
Once I get to school, I am on campus until I am finished with classes and the extracurricular activities I am a part of. Because of this, it has taught me to always be prepared because I know that if I forget something I can’t go back to my room. Being on campus for long periods of time has given me the chance to see LMU as a home away from home. And one can almost always find something fun to do…from on-campus events to studying to just taking in the stunning view from the bluff. I usually like to spend time in our nationally-ranked library studying for classes or just talking a stroll along the bluff at sunset.
LMU is wonderful in its commitment to meeting the needs of not only its on-campus students, but commuters like myself as well. When I step on campus every day I don’t feel like an outsider, but like I truly belong. Though next year I think I might give on-campus living the old college try.