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APARTMENT GUIDE / MONDAY, FEBRUARY 22, 2010 / THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN / KANSAN.COM
Going home has benefits, disadvantages
Students commute to do laundry and see friends and family, but frequent trips can make it difficult to adapt to Lawrence
BY MOLLY MARTIN mmartin@kansan.com
Twenty-five miles. That's the distance between Lawrence and Topeka.
Whether it be professors driving from Topeka to teach at the University, or recent graduates driving from Lawrence to work in Topeka, these 25 miles are a common commute during the work week.
On the weekends, this section of I-70 continues to serve as a commute, but for college students because some prefer to spend their free time in their hometown more than their college town.
Taylor Hayes, a freshman from Topeka lives in Templin Hall, but is also a weekend commuter.
"I'm away from my family, so I don't feel like I'm still at home, but it's close enough so when I get homesick I can just drive back in 30 minutes," she said. "It's like the perfect distance."
Hayes said she has had a great experience living in Templin. She said she also gets along with her roommates for the most part. But Topeka is where her boyfriend lives. She goes
to see him and her family every weekend, and even goes home up to two more times throughout the week.
"Going home most weekends generally makes it more difficult to develop friendships and to feel connected to the campus community," he said. "This can lead to a vicious cycle of feeling disconnected at KU and not having a satisfying social life here, making it even more appealing to go home to established friendships and family."
John Wade, a psychologist at Counseling and Psychological Services in Watkins Health Center, said going home too often can sometimes have more costs than benefits.
Wade said he acknowledges the need for students to go home for the extra support.
"There can also be circumstances making going home on weekends a necessity," he said.
Alex Bruschi, a freshman from Topeka, said he also goes home each weekend. However, his circumstances for going home have less to do with relationships and more to do with dirty socks.
"My mom does my laundry," he said. "We don't have washers or dryers at the apartment.
It's just kind of expensive to do it."
Although both Bruschi and Hayes have hometown friends as their roommates, neither said they had trouble making friends at KU.
"I know a lot more people than I did when I was in high school," Bruschi said.
At a party once, Bruschi said he met two guys who will now likely be his roommates next semester. Along with his current roommate, he said the four of them plan to get a duplex together.
Hayes, however, said she wants to have a new roommate next semester. She said she is thinking about living in Lewis Hall, and wants to try the pot luck system of getting a roommate.
"I like the dorm living," Hayes said. "I think it kind of suits me, but after next year, I think I'm going to live off campus."
Although Hayes said she has made friends in her classes and on her floor at Templin, she will have the opportunity to meet even more people by living on campus again next semester.
Wade said it would take some effort for new friendships to develop.
Estimated Distance from Lawrence
Topeka: 25 miles,30 minutes Olathe: 30 miles,40 minutes Lenexa: 30 miles,40 minutes Overland Park: 35 miles,45 minutes Kansas City,Mo.: 40 miles,40 minutes
Shawnee: 40 miles, 45 minutes
Manhattan: 85 miles, 1 hour, 30
minutes
minutes
Wichita: 165 miles,2 hours,40 minutes
— Souce: Google Maps
"It takes an investment of time and energy to feel connected to the university and to develop friendships in college." Wade said.
— Edited by Jesse Rangel
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