Commuter Life at JBU

Welcome, commuters!

We greatly appreciate having you as a part of our community and hope your time at JBU is a great experience, both inside and outside the classroom. This website is meant to help you familiarize yourself with the people, places, policies, and events on campus that are often of great importance to commuter students.

Thank you for choosing JBU, and please know you are always welcome to approach the faculty, staff, or your fellow students with your questions or feedback. We look forward to serving you!

What's it like to commute to JBU?

Recent commuters surveyed said...

Can I commute to JBU?

Generally, full-time on-campus undergraduate students are required to live on campus for six semesters. However, if you are 22 or older by the first day of classes, married, living with parents or an approved full-time staff or faculty member, or enrolled in less than 12 hours, you are not required to live on campus.

If you meet one of those requirements and plan to live off campus, you must notify JBU of your plans by submitting the Commuter Notification Form.

Student policies

Commuter Notification Form

Tips for commuter success

• Communicate to groups you are a part of that you are a commuter.  This will help ensure your availability will be considered before meeting times are planned.
• Tell your professors you are a commuter. It is never a bad thing for your professors to know you are commuting to campus in case issues, such as inclement weather or flat tires, come up. 
• Schedule the major JBU events and traditions in your calendar at the beginning of each semester so you can make plans to attend.
• Take time to look at the posters around campus each week so you can be aware of upcoming events.
• Consider asking someone else who lives near you to carpool.
• Be intentional about making friends with fellow commuters and non-commuters. The people around you really do want to get to know you.
• Be bold and introduce yourself to those around you in class! It may be a little intimidating, but it’s worth it.
• Join at least one student group, organization, or ministry that fits your schedule.  Bonus Tip: Establish a routine the first week or two of school and then join once you know your availability.
• If an on-campus friend (of the same gender, of course!) invites you to spend the night on campus, say yes. It will be a great experience!
• Designate a quality space to study at home and communicate that to parents, siblings, spouses, children, or roommates.
• Find a place to study on campus that is consistently available when you need it and fits your desired study environment.
• Limit the number of hours you work off campus so you will have enough time available for other priorities (such as homework!).
• Leave yourself enough time so possible traffic issues and finding a parking spot don’t make you late for class.
• Find productive ways to spend your time in the car. Listen to audiobooks or podcasts, learn a new language, get caught up on the latest music, or do whatever else sounds appealing to you – just get the most out of your drive each day.
• Make sure you make time to rest!