Weekend road warriors

Or…what it’s like to commute from DC to UNC

When I first started the Weekend Program, I assumed I’d fly from DC to Raleigh-Durham every other Friday for classes. If you add that up, it’s expensive, but I decided the cost would be worth it over the long run.

My plans changed during the first immersion week when I met classmates who also lived in the DC area. They talked about carpooling, and it seemed like a great opportunity. Three of us – Tony, Sam, and I – agreed to commute together on Thursday evenings. Another classmate decided to drive Friday mornings instead. He would leave home at 4 am to make the 9:30 class. Friday and Saturday are long class days, so his schedule just wasn’t practical for me.

On Thursday before a UNC weekend, I packed my bag in the morning so I could leave straight from work. The three of us met at Tony’s house in Arlington about 7 pm. We took turns driving, so the cost of gas and other expenses were shared. The drive took about 4 hours, or sometimes less. We left after rush hour traffic so we made good time.

UNC doesn’t cover Thursday night stays, so we used Priceline.com to find the best hotel rates at least a week in advance. We easily grabbed rooms at the Hampton Inn, Holiday Inn or Comfort Inn for about $45. The morning commute to class from the hotel was a breeze, only 10 or 15 minutes.

The return drive home Saturday afternoon was also easy. We left class about 4:00 pm and arrived home by 8:30 or 9:00.

For me, the benefits of carpooling instead of flying were:

• Camaraderie: I made two great friends. During the commute, we talked about coursework or just unwound from the work week.
• Inexpensive: Even counting the hotel costs, we saved a lot of money over flying.
• Simple: We avoided rush hour traffic, so we made good time. There was no reason to worry about flight delays or airport congestion.

I considered other top-ranked EMBA programs — some closer to home — but UNC was the right choice for me. UNC’s ranking, the quality and character of its students and faculty, and its overall value are a perfect combination. It’s well worth the drive.