PARKING WEEK1

As most of us, if not all of us know that parking on campus is delightful. The joy that comes when we are hurriedly speeding around a lot praying that someone left within the last thirty seconds is always a fun and excruciatingly stressful experience. The first week or so of school I always have to carefully pay attention to the parking patterns of different lots on campus. Being a commuter student, it is important that I get on campus with enough time to fight for parking and walk to class without being in a hurry. 

The first thing I learned and observed was if you need a parking sticker, you should definitely buy it a few weeks before school starts because as soon as the first day comes the line is literally an hour wait to get that special $52 sticker. Last year I was smart and went a week before school started with no line. I was not as smart this year and decided to wait till the day after last years sticker expired to go and get a new one. I waited in line for about 45 minutes. I thought there wouldn’t be much of a line because we were already starting our second week of school, but then I realized last years sticker had just expired so it was all the late people, like me, that need a new one.

Determining where to park on campus is very important. First, we have to determine where we are able to park without getting a ticket, and where the closest parking is to our classes. I have observed, however, that if someone is running late or really doesn’t care about getting a ticket they will park anywhere they please, which is a trait I wish I carried, but I refuse to pay a parking ticket! So I will continue to park in zones where i am allowed. 

For Tuesdays and Thursdays the most convenient lot to park in is the lot where Barnes and Noble’s and the Speech building is. I have observed this is the worst lot to try and get parking in. I think because this lot is in the middle of campus and sort of close to all the important places. I quickly learned that if I want to get parking there I have to be there on campus by 8:00 AM and no later than 8:15 AM but even 8:15 is pushing my luck.  

So I have made it a habit to get on campus by 8:00 AM to get parking even if my class doesn’t start until 8:55. As I am patiently waiting for class to start, I have observed that by 8:20 and 8:30 people are driving up and down the lot desperately looking for parking. So I think I will continue to get on campus early enough to find parking and to not be in a hurry to class.