Is a 1 Hour Commute Too Much?

I’m an Incoming 2024 SA in NYC. My family lives about an hour away by train from NYC. Will I be able to handle the commute working longer hours? Was originally trying to save money by not paying rent and living at home. But now I’m unsure since I don’t want to be miserable everyday having to commute 2 hours in total.

 
Most Helpful

I’d highly recommend you stay in the city, and if you could get another SA as your roommate, that would be even better. SA is only a few months. Think about all the after work activities you’re going to have to decline and work around your commute. Live in the city, the money you save is inconsequential when compared to the experiences you’ll have

Now, if you’re saving money because you support your family, then ignore the above advice

 

Captain Expenditure:

I’d highly recommend you stay in the city, and if you could get another SA as your roommate, that would be even better. SA is only a few months. Think about all the after work activities you’re going to have to decline and work around your commute. Live in the city, the money you save is inconsequential when compared to the experiences you’ll have


Now, if you’re saving money because you support your family, then ignore the above advice


Would imagine if his parents are an hour away from the city money isn’t a problem

 

Captain Expenditure:

I’d highly recommend you stay in the city, and if you could get another SA as your roommate, that would be even better. SA is only a few months. Think about all the after work activities you’re going to have to decline and work around your commute. Live in the city, the money you save is inconsequential when compared to the experiences you’ll have


Now, if you’re saving money because you support your family, then ignore the above advice


Would imagine if his parents are an hour away from the city money isn’t a problem

Not necessarily. Newark, Irvington, the Oranges are an hour away from NYC and most people here are broke. Even people who live in the 5 boroughs probably can't easily afford to send their kid away for 3 months.

 

Definitely try to stay in the city if money isn’t an issue. Sublet an apartment or do a short term rental. Turning down after work activities is a bad look. You’ll want to socialize and connect with your analyst class and seniors.

Not to mention, having the added sweat of burning 2 hours a day sounds horrible if it’s avoidable.

 

I work in REPE and normal hours are ~60 hours a week. I do an hour commute and it's doable. But I don't think I'd recommend it for an intern. If you're just going to be there for just two or three months it might be worth it to be closer. I don't know if hours will be much worse as an intern. But you still need to put in the effort and network to secure a full time offer. A friend of mine got an Airbnb and a roommate for a few months. It wasn't very expensive.

Also, you need to factor in that an hour commute is under normal conditions. If you're from Jersey, NJ Transit breaks down frequently. In particular, between Secaucus and Newark. The subway operates more efficiently, but has issues too. You should assume your commute is 75-90 minutes each way to be on time every day.

 

Agee with most of the comments here that staying closer to work is advisable. It is especially important as an intern since you will be building an initial impression. Having 2 extra hours is huge when we are dealing with banking hours. You will be well rested and at the best of your efficiency if you don’t have to commute for hours everyday.

 

Modi ut sapiente exercitationem culpa aut quia ut. Molestiae sunt tempora atque tempora. Voluptas accusamus exercitationem placeat consequuntur. Dolor ex et sint quod tempora quia. Harum autem mollitia facere ut autem deserunt tenetur. Et est et pariatur ut veniam qui dignissimos commodi.

Quos maxime officia ea distinctio minus molestiae modi illo. Libero illo optio et sit. Aperiam ad voluptatem sit perspiciatis. Est voluptatem minima aut quod voluptatem voluptatem molestias.

Neque sit eaque asperiores sint quia odio quaerat. Aspernatur soluta at vitae quas perferendis dicta. Voluptatem laboriosam cum et et possimus nihil.

Career Advancement Opportunities

May 2024 Investment Banking

  • Jefferies & Company 02 99.4%
  • Lazard Freres No 98.9%
  • Harris Williams & Co. 25 98.3%
  • Goldman Sachs 17 97.7%
  • JPMorgan Chase 04 97.1%

Overall Employee Satisfaction

May 2024 Investment Banking

  • Harris Williams & Co. 18 99.4%
  • JPMorgan Chase 10 98.9%
  • Lazard Freres 05 98.3%
  • Morgan Stanley 07 97.7%
  • William Blair 04 97.1%

Professional Growth Opportunities

May 2024 Investment Banking

  • Lazard Freres 01 99.4%
  • Jefferies & Company 02 98.9%
  • Goldman Sachs 17 98.3%
  • Moelis & Company 07 97.7%
  • JPMorgan Chase 05 97.1%

Total Avg Compensation

May 2024 Investment Banking

  • Director/MD (5) $648
  • Vice President (21) $373
  • Associates (91) $259
  • 3rd+ Year Analyst (14) $181
  • Intern/Summer Associate (33) $170
  • 2nd Year Analyst (68) $168
  • 1st Year Analyst (205) $159
  • Intern/Summer Analyst (146) $101
notes
16 IB Interviews Notes

“... there’s no excuse to not take advantage of the resources out there available to you. Best value for your $ are the...”

Leaderboard

1
redever's picture
redever
99.2
2
BankonBanking's picture
BankonBanking
99.0
3
Secyh62's picture
Secyh62
99.0
4
Betsy Massar's picture
Betsy Massar
99.0
5
CompBanker's picture
CompBanker
98.9
6
GameTheory's picture
GameTheory
98.9
7
kanon's picture
kanon
98.9
8
dosk17's picture
dosk17
98.9
9
Linda Abraham's picture
Linda Abraham
98.8
10
numi's picture
numi
98.8
success
From 10 rejections to 1 dream investment banking internship

“... I believe it was the single biggest reason why I ended up with an offer...”