I’ve been walking or biking most of the time lately and a couple miles is no big deal. Mostly it’s getting into the habit when we live in such a car culture. But when everyone else is complaining about looking for a parking space and having to walk a long way from their car to their classes, you can bike right up to the building and be all set. You may even discover that sometimes it is quicker for that reason.

Go for it. Like you said, money will be tight but you can do it. Another thing to avoid is the expensive coffee shops. Bring a thermos from home — you can buy several weeks worth of coffee to brew yourself for the price of one grande fancy mug.

Getting in the habit of buying and cooking decent meals and bringing leftovers or making your own sandwiches will also save you money and help you with weight control. Stir fry and pasta with veggies tastes great, cooks fast, reheats well, and is better for you than fast food.

Commit to it right from the beginning of school (or sooner) and it’ll be easier to make it a normal routine. Good luck!

One thought that might work for you would be a part-time job on campus. Most universities hire students for a variety of jobs including maintenance, professor’s assistants/graders/tutors, filing and other secretarial work, and more. Many of these jobs pay fairly well and supervisors will work around your classes and study schedule! Being a tutor can help you with your own studies and some of the jobs can also lead to valuable career experience.

One of my students recently graduated and just accepted a position with a Fortune 500 company at a salary about 50% higher than typical starting salaries for her classmates. …and virtually ALL of her work experience was on-campus…she started working at the service desk in the student union and by the time she graduated, she was the night building manager!