Monday through Friday, Steinhardt first-year Lydia Xiong wakes up at 6 a.m. and drives from Brooklyn to Washington Square. She spends almost $100 a week on a spot at the Mercer Street parking garage — her student discount barely making a dent in that cost. 

Most students’ schedules are shaped by classes and extracurriculars. But for those like Xiong, living far from campus, subway delays, weather forecasts and the unpredictability of city life can make their daily commute as demanding as their coursework, requiring equal parts planning and patience. 

Although her 30-minute drive is more expensive than taking the subway, she prefers it, explaining that it feels safer and more predictable. Xiong tries to spend her breaks at Bobst Library, but said she rarely finds a spot to study and eat. 

“When the library is packed, which is always, I find myself gravitating to local coffee shops around campus,” Xiong said. “The shops are too noisy, I can barely focus.”

Beyond finding ways to kill time between classes, Xiong also has to deal with the challenges of maintaining friendships.

“Dormers live together, so it’s easier to become besties,” Xiong said. “Because I have to sleep early every night, I don’t have time to attend most of the events or club meetings. They’re always late in the evening, kind of making me feel excluded from campus culture.” 

Because she leaves campus early, it’s been especially hard to forge deeper friendships. That said, living at home allows Xiong to collect her thoughts.

“I’m the type of person who really needs time for herself,” Xiong said. 

While the commuter lifestyle comes with its limitations, there are on-campus resources like the Commuter Student Council that are geared towards helping students find community. 

CSC President Melanie Polanco is a CAS senior currently commuting from Newark, New Jersey, but for the past two years has lived in the Washington Heights area. She usually takes the Port Authority Trans-Hudson or NJ Transit train, resulting in an hour and 10-minute commute.

“The council is an organization that advocates for commuter students across both Washington Square and Brooklyn campuses,” Polanco said. “Just last year, we did stuff like bingo, a cat cafe and Valentine Villa — our twist on Love Island.” 

In addition to these events, the club also hosts annual staples like apple picking, a trip to Six Flags Great Adventure and professional development sessions. 

Maelynn Taveras, vice president of the CSC, brings a Manhattan perspective into the mix. Taveras is a CAS senior commuting from Washington Heights by subway, a trip that takes about 45 minutes. She elaborates that the council always has a feedback form after every event, encouraging input from everyone for future activities. 

“We want to hear about what the students think, what went well, what didn’t,” Taveras said.

More than just bonding events, NYU also designates several spaces for commuters to study, eat and mingle. One of the most frequented commuter resources is the Lipton Commuter Den, which Taveras says is packed on the daily. The den also has a kitchen equipped with a Keurig coffee machine and tea station, with plans in motion to bring in a snack cart twice a month. Since most commuters aren’t on meal plans, the fact that students have a space to make and eat meals on campus is a very useful resource. 

Taveras additionally highlights an underappreciated resource for commuter students, the NYU Courtesy Meals. Courtesy Meals are $75 worth of Dining Dollars that commuter students can use across nine different dining halls. 

Despite the meal support, financial strain from commuting remains a major concern for students. Polanco thinks the university could do more to ease these costs. 

“Ideally, something that we all ask for is MetroCards,” Polanco said. “But I know NYU is a private university, so it’s hard to get some of the transit discounts.” 

While Xiong is familiar with the additional support offered by clubs such as the CSC, the reality is that it all comes back to time, something inherently limited by being a commuter. 

“I will try to participate everywhere as much as I can, but my schedule makes it hard,” Xiong said.