I am a senior this year. I just thought I would recap my parking situation during the years. First off, I did NOT come to school with a car. My freshman and sophomore year I happily lived on campus without a car. Parents, honestly, everything students need is available on campus and we are centrally located within ten minutes of all types of attractions. We are within ten minutes of the quarry, the mall, downtown, and a slew of dining options. Students, I know that is not what you want me to be saying. I know having a car can be fun, but, honestly, I didn't miss out on anything. I first had a car on campus last spring during my junior year. It opened up opportunities for me to drive, but I really only used it at night if I needed to run to the store to get anything. Of course, if you are living on campus, you don't use your car to get back and forth between classes. That is one amazing thing about going to a small university. My best friend goes to a huge state school on the east coast, and she has to ride a bus for 45 minutes to get to three of her classes. Call me crazy, but that doesn't sound like much fun to me. Anyway, directing back to the car, this is my first year being a commuter student. I am not saying that it can't be or shouldn't be done, but I just thought I would give a little bit of forewarning. As a rule now, I have to leave at least thirty minutes before each class. Thankfully, living on campus gave me a keen insight on how long it takes me to walk from one side of the campus to the other. However, in the morning, I have to take into account that finding a parking spot is going to take me at least ten minutes. It's crazy to see the amount of people arriving before 9am classes start. I have been cutting it close to my first class, so I am trying to learn to leave earlier. It's just a hard concept, because I am new to the whole commuting business. When I lived on campus, I knew exactly when I needed to walk out of my dorm to get to class. I wouldn't have to worry about traffic. Now I have to think about the fact that tons of other students are arriving at school at the same time as me. I think my best bet is just going to be to arrive 45 minutes early, not have to worry about traffic, and I will have free time before my classes start to get situated for the day. Since I don't have a printer at home, that provides the perfect opportunity to go to the library before classes start. Living off campus has been a great experience so far, however, parking has been a huge adjustment. As long as you plan ahead, though, being a commuter student is just as rewarding as living on campus!!
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