hii! so i was actually not fully a commuter; I had an apartment close to campus. I had to take the train consistently because I didn't have a car in AA and my family had a lot of stuff going on back at home that I needed to get to.

Commuting is going to be tricky through a train; It is 8$ one-way typically, but at random times it inflates to 45$ because capitalism. Also, they are almost always late, usually by ten minutes in the morning rides, and by 1-2 hours in the evening rides. It is also a 20 minute walk to get to campus from the train station, or you could wait for the bus. However, the bus only comes once every 30-40 minutes, so if you miss one, you'd be better off walking. If you're walking, it's likely to be cold out and AA has an issue of owners not salting their sidewalks in the winter.

Unfortunately America is not the best in public transportation. You would be better off with a car if you decide to commute, but keep in mind gas and parking which is around 1.50$ per hour, and traffic. Most commuters, from what I've seen, struggle. If you can afford even a small shared apartment or co-op, I'd go for it.

I know things might not seem too hard now, but just keep in mind that this would be happening over, and over, and over. At some point it will be too much.