Interests in Waltham and Boston (South Station) (Newton, Somerville: lease, credit score)

[basement_cat]

Hello,
I work near South Station and will be attending school in Waltham part time in the fall.
My lease ends this week and I need a place ASAP. I did not procrastinate but was about to move to Virginia and was then offered admission to school this week.
I was looking in Waltham and Newton but I am not finding anything affordable that does not involve roommates. Looking to spend $1500/mo max and preferably around $1300/mo in rent. Fair to low credit score but decent income.
How terrible would a commute from Framingham to Waltham be via car during rush hours? Someone at the college I will be attending said she considered Framingham quite a hike. She said I should be looking in Somerville, where I am also not finding anything that does not involve roommates. Also, re: Framingham, I have had to deal with Mass Pike in the past. When I first moved to this area, I stayed with family in Ashland. It usually took about 90 minutes to get from Ashland to South Station via car.
The public transportation options from Framingham to Waltham seem pretty dismal.
Thinking Malden would also be a good choice but I am trying to keep my rent as low as possible because my financial situation may change while I am in school (i.e., less work hours/income).
Any other suggestions? Thanks in advance for any information!