Before I started my freshmen year of college at the University of Mobile, I was worried that I would miss out on having the “college experience” as a commuting student. I knew I would be balancing travel time and both part-time and full-time jobs, and I thought I would not have the ability to participate in campus events. Now as a senior who has been a commuter all four years, it became abundantly clear that it is possible and easy to get plugged into college life. The University of Mobile makes it so easy to get involved on campus while living from home.
Keep up with Student Life schedules and updates.
The University of Mobile has a ton of student life events every month in which all students can participate. Subscribe to the student life Instagram page, check the weekly Rundown emails sent to your school email, and watch out for “Text Tuesdays” every week that lay out any upcoming events.
Find extracurricular activities that fit with your schedule.
The University of Mobile features over 30 clubs, organizations and extracurriculars that are mostly open to all students regardless of major. Activity fairs will be held a couple times a year for students to gather and experience all the options the university has to offer. You can also find flyers and posters up all over campus for when different events are happening for various clubs.
Access the university calendar for important dates.
Our public university calendar can be found online at umobile.edu/calendar with every major department event throughout the year. It includes events from the Alabama School of the Arts’ performing arts series, the athletic department’s games and tournaments, society and club meetings, and school holidays.
Set your work schedule around campus activities.
By having access to the university calendar, you will know the dates of all the events you would like to attend. You can then plan and accordingly schedule proper hours based on the event schedule.
Participate in events on campus outside of your field of study.
The University of Mobile hosts various events, such as Student Life’s karaoke nights, intramural sports, and the ASOTA Performing Arts Series, that are open for anyone to participate in. It will give you a chance to fill your time on campus doing something fun without worrying about your major.
Make friends in your classes.
Finding friends in college can sometimes be a struggle, but making the effort to get to know the people in your classes is a great start. You create connections in the classroom that can be carried outside of the classroom to spark a real friendship. Having friends on campus makes it way easier to spend your entire day on campus as a commuter, especially if they are a residential student who will let you hang in their dorm room with them.
Gregory Naman is an intern in the Office of Marketing and Public Relations at the University of Mobile. He is a full-time student double-majoring in Communication with a concentration in Advertising and Public Relations and Performance with a concentration in Acting. Greg can often be found playing pretend onstage in various Alabama School of the Arts productions and concerts. When school and work aren’t keeping him busy, he enjoys singing and dancing with his friends and going on sunset drives to nowhere.