Parking on Campus: The Great Debate

By Melissa Lee

If you live in a town such a College Station, Texas (and like every other town in America), you know that having a car is like having a nice steaming bowl of tortilla soup on a cold winter’s day. It is not just a need, it is the ultimate necessity. By the time we get to college, most of us are so dependent on having a vehicle to get around that the idea of not being able to drive from point to point scares you. If it doesn’t scare you, then you’re probably not reliant enough on your four wheels (or two).

The truth is, every other college campus in this great country was built in a time where cars weren’t as big as we know it today. Some college campuses were built in a time when horses were the main mode of transportation. People walked from one building to another to get to their classes. Even if they climbed onto their horseback, horses don’t take up nearly as much space as a Subaru Forrester. This is why parking always seems like such a hot commodity on every college campus.

Which brings us to the big question: should I get an on-campus parking permit? In order to answer this question for you, there are two things you need to consider; the cost of the permit, and the cost of using the campus’ shuttle service.

Obviously, when you decide to make use of shuttle service, you don’t pay anything every time you get on. This is already factored into your tuition and fees. This means that it isn’t really free, and yes, you pay for it even if you don’t use it. Does it make sense for you to ride the buses to class? Of course!

The downside is that the shuttle bus may not get close enough to where you live. If you talk to anyone who has to walk more than a quarter of a mile in the middle of summer in Texas, you’d know it is no easy task. Riding the shuttle bus to campus also means that you are at the mercy of the bus schedules, whether they decide to run on time, or run late. But riding the shuttle bus also means that,

1) You can text your friends on your way to school and not have to worry about traffic,

2) you can take a nap while you get to school,

3) you don’t spent copious amounts of time trying to get a parking spot with a parking permit.

Having said that, how does being able to park on-campus compare? The upsides are that you have a vehicle at your disposal. If you forget your homework, simply hop into your car and drive right on. You move at your own schedule, not others. If you need are going on a big date right after class, you don’t have to worry about having to ride the bus home to get to your car. You can even have a spare change of clothes so you don’t look like you rolled out of bed and to your date!

The downside of driving is that you will be paying an extra $100-$300 each semester for parking, regardless of whether you own a parking permit. You may also end up getting a parking spot far away from where your classes are, and you may end up riding the bus anyway.

Whatever you decide, remember the golden rule, don’t text and drive!

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