Commuter students have established their own set of tips and tricks for dealing with the snow and ice that plagues northeast Ohio this time of the year.

Kent State students are forced to become accustomed to the cold, as both fall and spring semester contain some of Ohio’s blustery winter months.

Commuter students however, face some problems that are foreign to on-campus students.

Between ice and snow, students who have to drive to campus have more to worry about in the winter months than those who choose to live in the dorms.

“You never know what will happen when you leave,” Madison Light, a sophomore communication studies major said. “If there is an accident somewhere, I’m done. I know I’m going to be way later than expected.”

Light said her commute can vary from 15 to 20 minutes depending on the weather that day.

Paul Kelly is a sophomore finance major. He has had similar experiences with commuting during the winter. “You have to drive through the snow a lot, and riding the bus becomes a lot more common,” he said.

While Kent State students expect cold weather, it is still a disappointment when the temperature drops. Old Farmer’s Almanac predicted that this winter will be colder than last year’s, with precipitation at above average levels.

Both Kelly and Light said that they use online classes to avoid coming to campus during the winter.

Light specifically scheduled her traditional classes only on Tuesday and Thursdays. She said after coming to campus four out of five school days last semester, she decided to narrow down her commute during the winter months.

Katie Goosmann, a junior psychology major commuted her first semester of this school year before moving closer to campus. In November and December of last semester, Goosmann always left early to assure that she made it to class on time.

Goosmann also suggested having alternative routes in mind incase the usual roads are too dangerous for travel.

Light applauded the university for having free car services available in case students get in a pinch. Kelly, however, was not as impressed with the services offered by Kent State.

“I feel like a parking deck would be nice. At Akron, they have parking decks for their students. That way you wouldn’t have to scrape snow and ice off your car at the end of the day.”

While both Kelly and Goosmann never had problems with getting to class because of the weather, Light has not been as lucky.

“There were a few times when I just couldn’t get my car out of my driveway,” Light said.

Light also said that some professors prove to be more understanding than others. “There are some who don’t care, then you have some who say ‘If I can get here, so can you’ so that makes it hard.”

Natalie Eusebio is the commuters and transportation reporter. Contact her at [email protected].