For some students, getting to school isn’t as simple as rolling out of bed and walking to class.
Seda Gok, a junior psychology major and one of many commuter students, lives in Brookhaven, Pa. It takes her as many as 35 minutes to drive to school every day.
Gok pays $825 for rent and utilities a month, but said she does not break the bank when it comes to gas expenses. She decided to live off-campus because of financial and family reasons, as well as her job at home.
Gok saves money by living permanently in her apartment as opposed to moving in and out of dorms and apartments near campus.
Junior marketing major Anthony Vinciguerra, who lives in Torresdale, said although he stays at home for free with his parents, commuting can be expensive.
It takes Vinciguerra 25 minutes to drive to Main Campus without traffic, and his expenses include a car payment of $205 per month and $30 per week for gas, he said.
“There was really no need to go and pay rent when I already lived in Philadelphia,” Vinciguerra said.
Carly Kozal, a senior entrepreneurship major, spends 80 minutes daily traveling to campus from Garnet Valley.
“It is significantly less expensive to live at home,” Kozal said. “There are no housing or grocery expenses for me to worry about.”
But Kozal said she spends around $500 a semester for a semester-long SEPTA pass, even with the 10 percent student discount.
All three students said commuting could take away from the college experience.
“Just being in campus strictly for class takes away from the sense of community and limits your ability to meet new people,” Kozal said.
Cary Carr can be reached at cary.carr@temple.edu.
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