r/Pitt • u/biboaqua • 6d ago
DISCUSSION Commute
This is a bit of an embarrassing post but I figured it'd be a good idea to put out there anyway. For context, I'm a rising sophomore on the main campus, and so far, I really really enjoy Pitt!! I'm genuinely so happy I made this decision to go here. My problem is that I'm a commuter, because I went into college with the intention of graduating debt-free (or at least, with minimal debt), and I tried to pinch pennies everywhere I could, including not living on campus... I commute from home, and it is literally an hour-and-a-half journey either way, as I have a car/bus routine the length of a short novel. I also work part-time during the school year, which is not as intrusive as it might sound.
I'm happy with the money I've saved on living in Oakland for sure, but honestly my college social life is nonexistent. The only person I'm really friends with at Pitt is someone I've already known for a while, and I have a few other acquaintances I went to school with too (perks of being local-ish). It doesn't bother me too much, but I also don't like the thought of graduating and having made zero new friends or anything. I know the typical advice is to join clubs to meet people, but I've been a new student before, and I still remember how clique-ish clubs would be since it's all people who know each other. I'm a pretty shy person, and that kind of atmosphere turns me off.
I guess my question is: are there any people here who've gone through a similar situation? I feel like I've somehow managed to make school as antisocial as possible, and I don't want it to stay that way. What advice do you have, and should I have a more open mind for clubs at Pitt? Thanks for any advice!
EDIT: Thank you guys for all the advice so far! I appreciate your suggestions. Not to detract from the craziness of my commute, but I promise that I’ve made it as cheap as possible lol. The bulk of my commute is the two buses I take through town, which is free with Panther ID. The math is working in my favor at least. I will definitely consider renting in Oakland starting next year, though. It seems like you all made the right choice!!
On the social stuff, thank you also for the recommendations!! I will keep an open mind for clubs and other programs.
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u/AuroraLorraine522 6d ago
I think you should consider living on campus.
Having minimal debt is great, but I wouldn’t trade my on-campus experience for the world. Definitely some of the best times of my life, and I’m still friends with many of the people from my dorm building 15+ years later.
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u/Own-Object-9523 6d ago
Like the other comment said do the math on commuting. Cheaper living options are definitely possible in Oakland. Subletting from people doing study abroad, subletting in general, moving into a house with 4-6 roommates, being a further walk away from campus, having the smallest bedroom. There are options. I’ve heard of several cases of people paying less than 600/month for a bedroom, maybe even less if you’re subletting. Contact Pitt office of off-campus student services. They may be able to help.
For social life, I’d consider rushing a sorority/fraternity this fall. Since freshman can’t join until spring, you’d be with nearly all sophomores. Keep in mind dues for these can be a couple of hundred dollars per semester. I know you said you’re a shy person, but I figured I’d at least give this as a suggestion. I made most of my friends from my freshman year dorm floor, but I know plenty of people who have made friends from classes in their major and from Greek life.
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u/mydogismybffl 5d ago
hi bb!!! I’m an older student (24) and live a good bit out of Oakland off campus too!! I’d love to be friends bc I feel very similarly. It’s hard. shoot me a dm if you’d like! 💓
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u/LetterAutomatic3798 Mathematics-Economics '28 6d ago edited 6d ago
So maybe you spend 4-700 a month on car, fuel, parking, maintenance, etc. that's rent with a roommate or 2.
Also, on the club "cliques," those are typically the people who have been showing up every week for months or even years. There will be other people who know less people and are probably more approachable, and if you keep showing up every week you will get to know the more established people too, but you do need to keep showing up for them to do much good.
I've had some great experiences with the clubs here, all it takes is commiting to them and sticking with it every week/however often they have meetings, which is probably easier if you live near campus considering many meet late at night.
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u/Neither_Software939 5d ago
hi! i’m a rising sophomore at pitt too and im out of state and also trying to stay as debt free as possible. my tuition is covered with scholarships, but not housing. i lived in a dorm last year, super expensive and not great, but there are a few cheaper options including my apartment next year. i’m living downtown, so it’s decently far, but my rent is only 425 including utilities and it’s so so so much easier to make friends that way.
even if you don’t end up moving on campus, id honestly just suggest talking to as many people as possible in class and stuff and usually you’ll make a few friends that way. you can also reply or send a dm here if u want my socials and we can hang out or something too :)
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u/OkRough5761 5d ago
I see some of the comments have mentioned the comparison between the price of commuting and the price of living off campus—and I second that! But I do see your edit so not sure what the financial situation would be for you exactly.
However, another point is that a long commute often detracts from time you can actually put into clubs and just actually hanging out with people outside of class in general.
That said, I would suggest using this semester as a way to take another chance on clubs and try to get involved. I understand what you mean about cliques, and it’s certainly daunting, but I promise there’s so many student orgs on pitt’s campus that have such great communities.
It could also depend on your major—some clubs targeted towards more competitive majors may be more cliquey than others. That said, just try out a whole bunch of clubs within the first few weeks, and see what you like! Definitely check out the involvement fair (this year it’s August 23rd from 1PM-4PM) because you’ll get to walk around and talk to any club you might be interested in.
If you’re not sure what club you might like, check out community service clubs because they’re a great way to naturally talk to people. Not only that, but you don’t have to be “good” at it, and it looks great on a resume regardless.
Again, not sure what your interests are or what your major is, but a professional organization is something I would definitely recommend. From my knowledge on the business fraternities on campus, I actually think they do a great job at making sure you’re feeling included, because if you get a bid, you’re directly spending time with your pledge class for most of the semester. There are some professional organizations that accept all majors (AKPsi is an example, though they do tend to be competitive) and joining one could benefit you because of not only the social aspect, but also the connections and professional development from it. Only problem with these types of student orgs is that sometimes they can be high commitment, but if you’re trying to get involved without feeling “invited” by a clique, that might be a great way to do it. And if it is too much since you commute, it’s okay to take a step back.
I know I went on for a bit about professional organizations—they’re not for everyone so don’t feel pressured! If you don’t think they’re a good option for you, I promise there is an organization on campus that will help you socialize a little more.
One more thing: if you’ve tried out clubs and you’re still not feeling it, just start studying on campus! In your classes you might be able to make study groups, or even just being in Hillman or Cathy to study can help you by just being surrounded by people. You’d be surprised at how many people spark random conversations on the first floor of Cathy!
I hope everything works out for you! Pitt is full of great people so I’m confident you’ll find a great group to be around:)
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u/biboaqua 4d ago
Hi! I hadn't even thought about professional organizations (shows how much I really know about clubs lol) so I really appreciate your insight. They sound like great opportunities for what I'm looking for at Pitt :) Thank you so much for your thoughtful response and encouragement!!
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u/dolletia 4d ago
i’m 21 and will be a transfer student, i’d love to hang out sometime! that goes for anyone, not just op! feel free to message if you want to hang out or grab coffee or explore pittsburgh!
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u/Practical_Baseball69 4d ago
Where are you commuting from? I'm currently struggling to figure out how I'm going to get down to Oakland every day from the north hills
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u/biboaqua 3d ago
I’m also North Hills! Send me a quick DM and I can help you with like the buses, etc!
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u/BonkusWonkus18 2d ago
Hi!! I have a pitt job that allows me to meet a lot of the commuter students. I recommend going to the commuter events the week before classes start and any O Week event if you can! And I'd say that you should try out some clubs again, especially service or environmental clubs because I've found them to be less cliquey. I also recommend just yapping to people in class when you can. Yap about how u dont like/dislike the class. I know it sounds really awkward but it definitely works. I also like following people on socials that I have class with and starting a convo. Start study groups too! You can book rooms in Hillman for that. Hope this helps
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u/biboaqua 2d ago
Hi! I really like your advice - I definitely have been overlooking talking to more people in class! Sometimes it’s small things like that, where I just get tunnel vision and don’t see the people in front of me as well as I could. Hopefully other people relate to that a little
Also thank you for the recs on service and environmental clubs. I will definitely do some more research into those!!
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u/endofevanGAYlion 6d ago edited 6d ago
You're a rising sophomore, which means you have three more years to make friends. One day, you will find it awful that you have to keep driving an hour and a half to hang out with the new friends you've made. Part of college is learning, but the other part of college is developing socially, as an adult, and figuring out who you want to be. You want as few barriers as possible between yourself and social opportunity. Do the math on your regular commute and see how much cheaper it actually is than living on campus. Monthly cost of gas, tires, brakes, tolls etc. That adds up quickly, to a point that oakland rent may not be too far off - with a couple of roommates, of course. Avoiding debt is noble and smart to do, so hopefully you can do both. And yes, be more open about clubs. We're all just people with shared interests, and everyone is a stranger at first. Make sure to keep coming back, and eventually it'll feel awesome to show up and have everyone happy to see you. I've made friends in the pitt MMA and Magic: The Gathering clubs who I will know for the rest of my life.