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.
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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.
Unless you have serious extenuating circumstances that necessitate this, do not commute an hour as an intern. I commute about an hour to the city but I’m a bit more established.
Analyst / Associate - 30 mins and under
VP - 45 minutes and under
Director - 1 hour and under
MD - not very relevant, some have apartments in city / weekend house, some come in from 1.5 hours away but aren't fussed about facetime
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.
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