When I transferred to Oswego State last fall as a junior, I was excited to be in a residence hall after commuting 40 minutes to Onondaga Community College daily for two years.

The excitement of meeting my new roommate and having late nights at my desk in my quaint shoebox room with coffee as my best friend in the morning made all of the money spent on new bed sheets and dorm décor worth every penny. That was a dream that never did become a reality for me.

Other than the convenience factor of living on campus, there was not much else that really convinced me to stick it out for my senior year. I made the decision this year to commute to campus from my home in Liverpool, about 35 minutes from Oswego.

To make things interesting, let’s throw in my position as the Opinion Editor at The Oswegonian. I spend 20 plus hours in the office each week, plus a 15-credit course load. Let’s just say I don’t get home early too often. I usually head home around 1 a.m. on editing nights, but I find the ride home quite peaceful.

I was leery at the thought of staying late hours only to come back to campus hours after I had left to attend my 9:35 a.m. class. I’m beginning to find that when you put your heart, energy and passion into an activity that will ultimately help you in the future, those late hours turn into riveting conversations and laughs within the office which transform into late night thoughts during my commute home when silence is defining.

Commuting while being heavily involved in a campus activity is more than possible, but it does have its tribulations. Sure, it’s great right now when the weather is balmy and the sun shines on my way here and the stars light the sky on my way home.

However, I fear the end of the semester and the spring, when instead of just commuting to Oswego, I’ll be involved in a head-on battle with some of the worst winters seen on the East Coast, just me and my beetle-like Nissan Versa.

For students who commute daily to Oswego, I feel your pain. The ride can seem long and there are days where we’d like five more minutes to sleep in before getting into our vehicles and making the trek to campus. For me, the drive is worth it. I know when I arrive on campus I’ll be greeted by my fellow staff at The Oswegonian, friends that I pass in the hallway, professors who will fill me with knowledge and finally, my reward at day’s end, my very own bed.