Commuting Has a Bad Rep

Posted March 8, 2025 by Emmy Mahoney

Commuting to school generally has a bad reputation. It can be time consuming and the Boston traffic is not great, but driving in is not as bad as it may seem. I live about an hour and fifteen minutes outside of the city, and I have found several ways to improve my drive into Boston. The first is listening to an audiobook. As graduate students with endless assigned readings, it can be hard to find the time to read for enjoyment. Using your commute to listen to an audiobook can solve this issue and improve the commute. I am currently listening to, and would highly recommend, Drew Afualo’s book Loud: Accept Nothing Less Than the Life You Deserve. Another way to improve your commute is to call your friends. Having a strong and supportive community is more important than ever. Taking the time to call your friends both makes your drive easier and puts a smile on their face. Finally, making a pump up playlist of all your favorite sing along songs is going to drastically improve your commutes. I currently have Chappell Roan and Billie Eilish on repeat.