Photo by Lola Offenback.

Welcome back to another academic year, Hounds!

For those of you who are new, my name is Lola Offenback, and this is The Commuter Corner: a column all about being a commuter student. My goal is to give advice as well as create a sense of community for Moravian’s commuter students. 

If you have any topics you would like me to address or any questions you would like answered, please fill out this Google Form! I am looking forward to getting to hear from you all this semester! 

For my first column of the semester, I wanted to provide advice for both first-year and returning students. 

If I have learned anything during my two years at Moravian, it is that everyone gets super busy around here. That’s why it is so important to stay organized and on top of your assignments and commitments. 

I have gone back and forth between using exclusively either physical planners or online Google Calendars over the semesters but have found that a mix of both is most effective. I am overenthusiastic about organizing myself, so I have both a weekly and daily planner, as well as my events for the day listed on my Google Calendar. 

I highly recommend everyone at Moravian use their Google Calendar, not only for your own benefit but for the benefit of others as well. It creates ease around setting up meetings when both parties can see each other’s availability and find a common time to meet. 

Physical planners are nice for listing out your due dates and assignments. I like to go through my syllabi at the start of every semester and lay out big projects, exams, and other important events. Then, I check my syllabi at the beginning or end of each class to make sure I know what I need to accomplish for the next time we meet. 

While staying organized is important, following through on your commitments to yourself and others is even more important. 

College is such a transformative time, both in your academics and career but also in your personal life. We change so much as we progress from 18-year-olds fresh out of high school to the person we are today and the person we will be when we graduate. 

These changes will be the results of the best of times, but also the worst of them. I often find it difficult to pull through on my academics when I am emotionally drained. To cope with these low periods, I have found the benefits of journaling. 

Now, I know what you’re thinking. “That’s so corny!” “I don’t need to do that!” Or something similar. 

But it really has been so beneficial for me to acknowledge my thoughts and feelings by writing them down on paper or even in my notes app on my phone, and get them out of my head so I can focus on my degree. 

On a more positive note, make sure you are enjoying your college experience. You are only an undergraduate student once, and you are only this age once, so take advantage of what a treasure that is! 

Stay balanced and only commit to what you can handle, but also say yes to all the things you can! Entering the second half of my four years, I have realized there is only so long you will be in such close proximity to hundreds of people your age and, more importantly, on campus with your friends. 

So, if and when you can, join the clubs that interest you, stay late on campus, step out of your comfort zone by attending new events, reach out to people (both students and staff), and take advantage of new opportunities. 

With this advice in mind, know that the Commuter Corner will be here as you rock this semester!