After spending her first year living on campus, Nicole made the decision to commute from her New Jersey home. She shares how the transition helped her save money, stay connected through student involvement and discover that commuting didn’t mean missing out on the full Rowan experience.
From Resident Student to Commuter
Nicole F. junior, went through a lot of changes from her freshman year to her sophomore year at Rowan University. In her freshman year of college, she was a nursing major in the Rowan Choice program and lived on campus in Mimosa Hall with two roommates who she became friends with.
While everyone was selecting which dorms they were going live in the following year, Nicole decided that her best option was to commute to Rowan and save money her sophomore year since she lived about a half hour away in NJ.
She was extremely nervous about this big change in her life saying, “When I imagined college, I thought I would spend all my years with the full experience. I was nervous about being alone, driving a lot, and not having a place close to my classes. One of my biggest fears was being a burden if I wanted to stay on campus with friends – all of which turned out to be no fear at all once I started commuting. It barely seemed like I didn’t live on campus, I had amazing friends and a wonderful year.”
Finding Community on Campus
Nicole was practically starting fresh with commuting, transferring out of the Rowan Choice program, and switching her major to elementary education with a German studies minor. Being afraid she was going to miss out on the college experience, she realized how important it was to be involved on campus. Nicole made the most of her friends while commuting after joining clubs and a sorority.
Most people did not even know she commuted because of how present she was on campus. Nicole would always have friends to eat with, go to the library with, or hang out with to pass time between or after classes. What was once her biggest fear, no longer meant anything because of all the strong friendships she made that year.
Balancing Home and College Life
Although Nicole still lived with her parents at home, she was thankful that they gave her space and treated her like an adult. They gave her the responsibility to balance her time between school and a social life.
Advice for Future Commuter Students
Life as a commuter isn’t all bad after all! Commuting saves a lot of money and can cut the price of college in half, while still getting to live the life of a college kid. The biggest difference of living in dorms and commuting for Nicole was not having a place to call her own on campus and having to drive to go home while others just walk back to theirs. As long as you get involved in organizations, clubs, or sports you will never feel like you are alone. Nicole couldn’t be happier anywhere other than Rowan University to keep her feeling welcomed every day!
Story by: Molly P. senior Double major public relations and advertising
Internship & Experiential Learning Stories
Learn how Rowan Profs go beyond the classroom to grow professionally, as well as personally, through internships and other experiential learning. Experiential learning includes hands-on learning opportunities provided through research, student clubs, campus leadership, student worker jobs, service-learning projects and volunteerism. In addition, Rowan’s Career and Professional Development Services Office provides career support that’s more than just advice – it’s events, connections and real guidance to help students thrive after college.
About Rowan
Since its founding in 1923, Rowan University has evolved from a teacher preparation college to a public research institution ranked among the top 100 in the nation by U.S. News & World Report. Rowan University offers bachelor’s through doctoral degrees and professional certificates in person and online to nearly 25,000 students through its main campus in Glassboro and its eight other locations in southern New Jersey. Rowan focuses on practical research at the intersection of health care, engineering, science and business, while ensuring excellence in undergraduate education. The University has earned national recognition for innovation; commitment to high-quality, affordable education; and the development of public-private partnerships. A Carnegie-classified R2 (high research activity) institution, Rowan is the fastest-growing public research university in the Northeast and among the nation’s top 10 fastest-growing, as reported by The Chronicle of Higher Education. In 2025, Rowan opened New Jersey’s only veterinary school and is one of only two universities in the nation to offer M.D., D.O., and D.V.M. medical degrees.