24 Jul Want an Easier Student Life? Live Close to Thompson Rivers University
In Kamloops, many students choose to live in Thompson Rivers University housing or in an apartment close to campus. If you live further away from campus, you’ll spend a lot of time waiting for buses and travelling to and from TRU. Time is valuable for students, and time spent on bussing to school is better used for studies, working, exercise, sleep, or well-deserved down time.
Travelling by bus just 30-minutes a day (15 minutes to and from TRU), adds up over time. If you study for two semesters at TRU (8 months), you could easily spend 80 hours per year bussing. That’s the equivalent of two 40-hour work weeks! Here’s a quick calculation that reveals how much time you’d save if you lived on campus, or close by in the TRU neighbourhood.
Daily bus travel time:
15 min × 2 trips = 30 minutes/day
Weekly bus time:
30 minutes × 5 days = 150 minutes = 2.5 hours/week
Total bus time over 32 weeks:
2.5 hours/week × 32 weeks = 80 hours
Imagine what you could do with an extra 80 hours? A study examining the effects of commuting on students found a correlation between commute length, well-being, and their academic performance. The longer the commute, the worse the effects.
Students who commute experience:
- Significant physical difficulties
- Increased stress
- Increased risk of accidents
- Loss of sleep
- Decreased academic performance
Source: “The Impact of Commute on Student Performance”, Dawood Jamil et al, Journal of Medical and Health Studies”.
The Key Benefits of Living Close to the TRU Campus
There are many other benefits of living close to the TRU campus:
Increased academic performance
Because less time is lost to commuting, students can study more, increasing academic performance.
Save money on transit
Living near TRU means you can walk or bike to class, eliminating the need for a transit pass. And you’ll get more exercise.
Reduced stress
Being at the mercy of a bus schedule causes students significant stress worrying about whether they’ll make it to class on time. Living in Thompson Rivers University housing or close to campus in a rental apartment removes that stress.
More time for leisure and fitness
Students who live on-campus or close to campus have more time for exercise, the outdoors, leisure and entertainment. You can stay fit and have fun!
Easier access to campus resources
The library, student health services, study spaces and study groups, Tournament Capital Centre, and student sports teams and clubs are all close at hand.
More flexible schedule
Because you won’t consume much time commuting, your schedule will be more flexible. If you want to leave campus and go home for lunch or grab a nap, you can!
Read more blog posts about Thompson Rivers University housing.
McGill Ridge Apartments: Truly Close to TRU
ur apartments are just steps from campus. If you’d like to rent a studio or share a 1 bedroom apartment, complete a Preferred Unit Form. A representative will contact you in a few business days to discuss the next steps, so you can live in a newer, well-appointed building in an ideal location.