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Do you know the average time that school and college students spend on commute? It is 10 hours every week! Imagine wasting 10 hours every week doing nothing but jostling through crowds, waiting for the … Read More
Do you know the average time that school and college students spend on commute? It is 10 hours every week! Imagine wasting 10 hours every week doing nothing but jostling through crowds, waiting for the bus or looking for a convenient parking spot. Moreover, it isn’t just about the time, but also about the colossal waste of energy. By the time students reach the class, they are already worn down.
Education is already a challenging path. Added to the list are roadblocks like covering impossible distance, a lack of public transportation, etc., which makes the journey even cumbersome. Transportation is a factor that leads to academic success and well-being, thus making it imperative to ensure each student gets to class on time minus the hurdles.
In what follows, you will find an overview of the most common yet overlooked transportation woes for students. Alongside, I have given some suggestions that make the road a bit smoother for you.
Here are just a few of the obstacles you have to encounter to get to class. Read on and beware!
According to the U.S. Department of Education’s NCES, most undergraduate students do not stay on campus. As a result, they have to reach the school or college campus all by themselves. While the lucky ones who stay close by can walk to school, things become challenging for some who do not have personal cars. Without a private vehicle, reaching your class can become a massive problem when your school isn’t on the main route.
A handful of cities like Minnesota, Seattle, and Washington have a clear public transportation route that offers affordable and reliable commutation. But what do you do if you do not live in any of these cities? In most cities in the U.S., traffic congestion and impunctuality are significant factors. This will make it challenging for you to reach to school on time.
Even when you have a car, the costs can double up when you have to spend on gas and dish out money for an expensive parking lot bill. For example, if you plan to go to the University of Alabama, you may have to pay $75 for a motorcycle permit and $630 to get a permanent reserve card to park in all zones on campus. Following suit is the Northern Arizona University, where you may have to pay $650 each year for parking. That would make surviving on your shoestring budget even harder.
Imagine you have a car, and the parking fee is affordable too! But your school does not have enough parking space available. In that case, you might have to park your car in a public parking lot miles away from your school. That gets you back to square one. It gets even more harrowing during times of rough weather. Moreover, most schools in the U.S. have limited parking space. Due to the first-come-first-serve basis, there is no assurance that you will find a parking spot by the time you reach home.
The fight for a spot in the class isn’t the only one you have to prepare. If you plan on getting through Princeton University as an undergraduate, you must be aware that you will not be allowed to bring your car on campus. There are restricted guidelines and the prerogative to grant you a parking pass rests entirely with the authorities. Other than Princeton, several other colleges also restrict issuing parking permits to those who have significant reasons.
Solution: If you have a car and yet cannot bring it to college, you can use ridesharing services like Lyft or Uber to get to school. You can even locate random people bound towards your school or college and hitch rides. You can even gather your best friends for the ride to split the cost. Plus, that would eliminate the risk of riding with a stranger too. If these seem unfeasible, you can get the student government involved to start a petition for introducing more transportation options.
If your school or college is amid woodlands and farms, and away from the hustle-bustle of the city life, reaching to class can be even more difficult. Can you even imagine the time you will have to spend on commuting to school? Even if you have a car, you will spend quite the fortune on gas and car maintenance every month. Moreover, there might be parking issues in an undeveloped area. Even if you think ecologically, the school or college authorities might not encourage bringing the fuel combustion that comes complimentary with cars and bikes.
With the earth suffering from our lifestyle choices, several schools and colleges have taken up the mantel to let the planet breathe a little easy. Several schools have stopped issuing parking permits altogether to reduce pollution and traffic congestion. Many are now taking steps to discourage students from bringing their cars to school. For example, if you plan to attend the University of New England in Maine, you may have to pay $90 to $300 for a parking permit.
Rough commutes can affect your sleep and exercise. So, every additional minute of transportation means a reduction of 1.3-minute in your sleep cycle. Moreover, reaching school on time is imperative to attend all classes. If you want to combat these serious transportation issues, use the solutions suggested to ‘parkour’ your way through.
All the best!
Author Bio: Kevin Elling has a PhD in Education Science and is an educator in a reputed college in California, the U.S. He is also associated with the academic portal Myassignmenthelp.com as a tutor who offers homework help online. In his free time, Kevin loves to go on hikes and read.