Impacts of Commute Time on College Students’ Work Ethic and Academic Performance

Abstract

This study explores the impact of commute time on college students’ work ethic and academic performance. Using a survey to collect data on students’ commute patterns, stress levels, and academic outcomes, this research investigates how extended commute durations affect motivation, concentration, and grades. The study highlights the challenges posed by long commutes, including fatigue, increased stress, and reduced academic engagement. Results indicate that longer commute times are associated with lower self-reported work ethic and negative perceptions of academic performance. Additionally, students with extended commutes may experience difficulties balancing coursework with travel demands, leading to lower productivity and engagement. These findings emphasize the need to address commute-related issues to promote educational success and student well-being. Potential solutions include implementing more flexible class schedules, increasing access to remote learning options, and improving public transportation infrastructure to reduce commute-related stressors. Understanding these factors is crucial for institutions seeking to enhance student retention and academic success by minimizing external barriers to learning. By addressing the challenges of long commutes, educational institutions can create an environment that fosters student engagement and achievement. Future research could explore how specific commute durations affect different academic disciplines and whether students adapt their study habits to mitigate the negative effects of travel time.

Introduction

Commute time shapes students’ daily routines, influencing their academic performance and overall well-being. Long commutes increase stress, reduce study time, and limit participation in academic activities. Extended travel times contribute to fatigue, time management difficulties, and diminished focus, all of which negatively affect academic outcomes. Many students struggle to balance coursework with the demands of lengthy commutes, leading to decreased motivation and lower academic performance.

The effects of commuting on students vary depending on factors such as transportation reliability, socioeconomic background, and access to academic resources. Students who face longer commute times often report reduced engagement in extracurricular activities, increased absenteeism, and greater difficulty in maintaining consistent study habits. Longer commutes can also exacerbate stress levels, which may contribute to burnout and decreased cognitive function, further impacting academic performance. Furthermore, students with unreliable or expensive transportation options may experience additional burdens that limit their ability to attend classes regularly and focus on their studies. In contrast, students with shorter and more efficient commutes often benefit from greater flexibility in managing their academic workload, allowing them to dedicate more time to studying and participating in campus activities.

This research examines how commute time influences students’ academic performance and motivation. The study identifies patterns and relationships between commute duration, stress levels, and self-assessed academic outcomes. By analyzing survey responses, this study aims to determine whether students with shorter commutes report higher levels of motivation, concentration, and academic success compared to those with longer commutes. Addressing these concerns is essential for universities and policymakers to create solutions that support student achievement, such as investing in better transportation systems, offering hybrid or online learning options, and ensuring students have access to academic resources regardless of commute constraints. Understanding the role of commuting in academic performance will contribute to broader discussions on educational equity and student well-being. Additionally, examining how students adapt to their commute challenges can provide insights into strategies that help mitigate the negative effects of travel time. Future studies could explore interventions that assist students in managing their time more effectively, such as designated study spaces on campus for commuter students or support programs that help them integrate into academic and social communities despite their travel constraints.

Materials and Methods: 

 In order to get the information for this lab report study, a survey was created asking many different questions based on commute and the impact the commute has on the students’ schoolwork. When creating the survey; many different questions were brainstormed in order to ask fellow commuter students about their experiences with their daily ways of going to school. Some of these questions were based on known experiences with certain commuter routes; however, throughout the brainstorming process, the difference in individual commutes had a different effect on each group member individually. The survey was spread throughout the class and a few individual friends, which gave many different responses on how much the commute impacted each student who took the survey. After waiting a few days to collect responses, the forms were reviewed in the summary to help create a conclusion from this survey. At first, it was believed that with the few short response questions we asked, there’d be various different answers that wouldn’t help get an overall result; however, there was a majority response for each question that helped create a conclusion.

Results:

 From this survey a good amount of data on students’ commute time relating to their school experiences was observed. A majority of students spend 1-2 hours coming to school each weekday, meaning students with 1 class on a certain day spend more time commuting to school than actually being at school. It was also found that a majority of students take from 30 minutes to an hour to get ready for school in general; for early class days, most students are losing a lot of sleep from not only getting up and ready for school but also spending 1 or 2 hours getting to school. While most students aren’t usually late due to commuting issues as seen in the first graph, 60% of students who took the survey found their commute somewhat stressful. 

Graph #1:

 Moving on to the impacts on school life, only 30% of students believed that their commute affected their ability to perform in class, so it can’t necessarily be said that class performance is impacted by commute. There could be multiple factors that could be affecting these students’ work ethic; however, as shown in the second graph, 72% of these commuters say that their commute ends up making them more tired and less motivated to study. 

Graph #2:

 47% of these students also believed they had an average work ethic, not working too hard while not totally giving up. Because the students who spend 1+ hours on daily commuting are the ones who believe their commute makes them more tired, we can assume there’s somewhat of a correlation between commuting time and work ethic. 

Discussion 

This study hypothesized that students with longer commute times negatively impact both work ethic and academic success, than the students with shorter commute times. And the results largely support this claim. The findings indicate that longer commutes contribute to increased tiredness and decreased motivation, which can negatively affect students ability to stay engaged in coursework. Many students who commute for over an hour report feeling exhausted before even arriving on campus. 

However certain limitations should be considered. This survey was taken by the students in our class, meaning that these findings might not apply to all the college students. A mix of more students would give us a better idea of how commute time impacts their academic performance. 

Future research should address these limitations by incorporating a larger, more diverse sample and using objective academic performance measures, such as GPA trends and class attendance records, rather than relying solely on self-assessments. Long term studies could really shed light on how commuting impacts academic process over time, and comparing outcomes of in person and remote learning for commuters could help colleges create better for these students. Finding ways to address these issues, like flexible schedules, hybrid classes, might lessen the downsides of long commutes and help students succeed in school.  

References

• Jamil D, Rayyan M, Hameed AKA, Masood F, Javed P, Sreejith A. 2022. The impact of commute on students’ performance. J Med Health Stud. 3(3):59-67. DOI: 10.32996/jmhs.2022.3.3.9
• Sodhi P, Tochimani J, Keanu, 2025. The Impact of Commute Time on Work Ethic and Academic Performance [unpublished survey]. 2025 March 25-27. Google Forms.