With the start of fall bringing a chill of cold weather to campus, students find themselves trying to stay in the warmth of their beds even longer than usual before bundling up to head to class. With Ursinus College being a relatively small campus, it only takes about five minutes to get to class from the dorms, making the commute incredibly quick. But what about the students who have a longer commute? Between foggy windshields that won’t clear to freezing leather seats, commuters face a daily struggle once the weather outside drops, and it’s only just begun.
Commuters make up a significant portion of the Ursinus College population, with roughly 10% of the school’s current students being commuters. Many times, however, it’s easy to forget how icy roads or closures might impact those who drive to school. “The biggest struggle I’ve had, other than the daily scraping of winter ice off my windshield, was having my car slide and nearly crash into oncoming traffic on my way to school,” shared Cianna Chung ‘26. “It was definitely the scariest driving incident I’ve ever been in, and I cried to two professors once I reached the classroom.” While the end of October hasn’t featured much ice on the ground, the upcoming months will almost guarantee slippery conditions, making the challenges behind commuting even harder.
The roads aren’t the only obstacle commuters face getting to class on time. Cold weather makes walking across campus an unpleasant experience, especially with a heatless car awaiting you instead of the cozy dorms most of us can run to. Rach Wascoe ’27 shared her experience with a previous spring semester check-in, explaining, “It was like 10˚ outside and I was wearing a bunch of layers. They said the check-in was at the library and then we got an email last minute saying the check-in was in the FLB, so I had to walk across campus and literally I was frozen when I got back. I had to wear headphones as earmuffs because it was so cold.” She continued, “That’s, like, peak commuter in winter experience.” Having to deal with snow outside is also a factor for getting to class in the morning – while not the hardest challenge – it still plays a role in inconveniencing students. “I think I’ve only had to deal with snow actively preventing me from getting to class like once or twice in my time at Ursinus,” explained Owen Fazzini ‘26.
If the roads aren’t treacherous, the long process of heating up a car might be instead. Morgan McKinney ‘27 detailed, “A struggle that I personally deal with is having to drive in the cold. Especially for early morning classes where the temperature outside is significantly lower compared to the temperature during the middle of the day.” He further shared, “Also, having to wake up a little extra early sometimes just to heat up and defrost the car.” No one likes early mornings, especially not cold early mornings!
Luckily, most professors understand the commuter struggle, as they too have to drive in the various inclement weather throughout the year. “I’ve had many kind professors reassure me that if the road conditions are bad, then it counts as an excused absence, though it’s often hard to gauge when the roads pose too much of a risk to drive in, especially if class is still scheduled,” detailed Chung.
One thing to keep in mind as we approach the winter months, is to appreciate our community’s commuters and their dedication to get to class despite the handful of obstacles thrown at them. If you have a commuter in your life, tell them they are doing a great job – chances are they need to hear it.