Students who live outside of Abilene are forced to deal with issues other students may be able to avoid.
Commuters use their motivations to weigh the practicality of commuting.
Many deal with driving long distances late at night, seeking to remain in the family atmosphere and feeling distanced from campus activities. Attending ACU often requires an added commitment from commuters because they must find the motivation to sacrifice time on the road each day, time that could be spent doing homework with family and friends. The routine drive to and from Abilene may test commuters emotionally when they think of how they could be spending that time. The longer the drive, the more it seems to tax a commuter's patience. Smith, who withdrew from the university in October, drove the two-hour round trip from Coleman every Monday, Wednesday and Friday during the fall semester.