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Written by the CollegeCodex.com Staff
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Now that you’ve arrived on campus, it’s time to make a few
decisions. Do you really need to bring your 1996 Toyota Camry, or
will your little brother’s bicycle do the trick? Or should you
trade in your independence for a public transportation pass?
Different campuses provide different circumstances. Let’s talk
about it.
Campus Shuttles
Take a look at your student bill. See that line item, the $13 public
transportation cost? Every large campus is going to provide a shuttle
system, because you’ll be paying for it. Except for your student bill,
however, the shuttles are usually free to take anywhere. Visit
Wal-Mart, head to the airport, or travel downtown. The shuttles go all
over the campus, and usually all over town. In fact, they are
especially popular late at night when intoxicated students begin
trickling in from the local pubs. Unfortunately, there are usually a
few downsides. The shuttles are not always on time, and sometimes they
miss stops. Even worse, when you get on the shuttle, you may have no
choice but to listen to the driver’s music collection from 1970's. To
prevent this situation, always carry your iPod.
Bikes, Unicycles, Pogo Sticks & Roller blades
Gas-guzzling buses aren’t really your thing, huh? Well, you can always
travel the conventional way and take your bike or blades. Campuses
have smooth pavement; ideal for roller blading, and many campuses have
bike routes; ideal for, uh, biking. If you bring your bike, be on the
lookout for theft. Bike locks break with a hit from a baseball bat,
and we wouldn’t want to see some sketchy sophomore stealing your hot
pink ride.
Sneakers
You may not attend a large campus. If so, don’t worry about cramming
your bike into your parents’ car. All you need is a good pair of
athletic shoes. Regardless of where you attend school, you’ll be doing
plenty of walking.
Public Transportation
Students attending school in urban areas will need a public
transportation pass. Universities in cities provide passes at great
student rates. With these passes, students are free to explore the
city, find new espresso shops, visit art museums, and everything else
living in the city provides. The only concern is safety. Unlike
campus shuttles, subway cars are rarely monitored.
Cars
All right, we’ll admit it. Having a car on campus is great, provided
you’ve done your research. Before you consider taking your car to
college, visit your school’s web site. You’ll need to figure out:
- How much do parking permits cost?
- Is there priority parking to upper classmen over under classmen?
- How easy is it to find a parking spot?
- How will you deal with requests to borrow your car?
- How will you handle maintenance issues?
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