A college student has gone viral after sharing her two-hour commute to school, which includes a boat and train.
Laurie, who goes by the username @lauren.wep, shared a photo montage on TikTok last week to document her commute. The slideshow, which had 25 photos, began with Laurie sharing that she gets up at 5.45am every day. She noted that she then makes her bed at 6.30am.
Throughout the footage, the student showcased the commute from Millport, a town off the coast of mainland Scotland, to West College Scotland in Paisley, which is based in the west central Lowlands of Scotland.
Speaking to The Independent, Laurie noted that while her commute is long, she knew this was going to be the case, since she lives on an island. She also acknowledged how she’s gotten used to the length of her travel
“It’s just became a custom, and a routine I’ve learned to enjoy,” she said. “It gives me time to think and listen to music to pass the time, though with trains being canceled or timetable changes it can get a little frustrating. But it’s just what I have to do if I want my education.”
In the slideshow on her TikTok, she shared one photo of herself on a bus at 6.45am, before getting on a ferry at 7am. After getting her ticket and checking in, she also noted that her boat “sets sail” at 7am.
Laurie went on to share a photo of the street she walks when getting off the boat at 7.15am. “[I] walk up an unfairly steep hill,” she wrote in the text over the montage.
She then arrived at the next part of her commute, a train station, at 7.20am. Laurie went on to share a photo of her seat, as she noted that she gets on the train at 7.23am. She also said that by 8.10am, she’s finally off her train, before walking to her campus at 8:15.
She included a photo of the outside of her classroom, which she usually arrives at around 8:30 am. The TikToker joked that at this time, she’d “wait for class to open and stare into the distance”.
Throughout the photo montage, she documented the rest of her day, with her first class starting at 9am, before she had a break at 10am. After returning from the break at 10.20am, she said that this class ended at 11.50am
She concluded her video by noting that she repeats her nearly two-hour commute when school is over, as she makes it back home by 2.50pm.
In the comments of her slideshow, Laurie specified that when she goes into school, she spends around $19.27 a day to cover the cost of the train and ferry.
She also poked fun at her commute in the caption, writing: “Not once will I ever understand why I chose a college so far away, and why I’ve chosen it again for next year.”
As of 29 May, the student’s video has more than 1.2m views, with TikTok users in the comments stunned at how long the commute is. They were also shocked about how many forms of transportation Laurie took to class.
“A commute?? girl this is a JOURNEY,” one wrote. “Casually hopping on a boat like that what.”
“Taking EVERY mode of transportation,” another wrote, while a third joked: “Laurie why are you late ? ‘Sorry my boat didn’t show up.’”
Other viewers poked fun at their own daily commutes and acknowledged how grateful they were for them, after seeing Laurie’s video.
“I will never take my 30 min commute for granted ever,” one wrote.
“Oh my god it takes two hours for me to get to school too but I don’t get on a boat, but it’s still so exhausting we’re so strong,” another added.
“My commute is like a 25 minute walk and an hour and 15 bus [ride], I’ll never complain again.” a third wrote.
Speaking to The Independent, Laurie shared that she’s going to continue traveling to school when needed, as she’s only going to college for one more year. She also noted that while the commute can be difficult at times, her sister has helped her through it, as she’s been in a similar situation.
“The journey is incredibly tiring sometimes, especially after a few days in a row,” she said. “But my sister, Megan, really helps me get through it, as she commuted all the way up to Stirling, Scotland, which is around a three-hour commute by public transportation. She’s done it before and her persevering personality helps me get through it.”
