You get to school an hour before your class starts, circle around for what seems like decades, manage to piss a couple people off only to give up and park off-campus. It’s a month into the semester; we were told it would get better. So why is parking still an issue?
Rachael Elliott, a third-year student at Santa Rosa Junior College speaks out about her frustrations with parking. She believes that since we pay so much to go to school here that we should receive free parking. After receiving a recent parking ticket, she said, “I don’t have money for that crap!” And it’s not only students who struggle. Even SRJC President Dr. Frank Chong joked in an interview with the Oak leaf staff that his favorite part about being president is, “Having my own parking space.”
Unfortunately for us, we are not as lucky as Dr. Chong. So here are five ways to help you get to class on time.
1. Get to school early
Mario Balitbit, a biology major, says parking is a breeze. He says if you want good parking just take early classes. He gets to school at 6:30 a.m. “Early classes equal unlimited parking options,” Balitbit said.
2. Carpool
First year student Zuzu Morgan carpools to school. Instead of circling, she gets dropped off at 7:55 a.m. and is in her first class by 8 a.m. with no stress. She walks into class in five minutes.
3. Walk/bike
Business major Elina Shrestha, 22, said she walks to school. After being asked why, she laughed, “Because I don’t want to park!” Decide to go a little green, get some exercise and walk or bike to school.
4. Park off campus
Not everyone has the opportunity to walk to school from home. Instead, they get creative with parking.
Amanda Barry, a political science major, avoids the parking by leaving her car at her grandma’s house and walking down the road to school. “It saves me money and it’s convenient!” she said.
5. Timing
Other students take advantage of the passing period.
Fourth-year student Devyn Ruiz said it’s all about timing. “Professors normally let students out 15 minutes before the class time ends, and that time is 15 minutes before the next class (for instance classes go from 9-10:30 a.m. and 10:30 to noon) so time it so that if you have a 10:30 a.m. class, you’re there at 10:15 a.m. when the 9 a.m. people are leaving.”
In order to make it on time to my 9 a.m. class I have to be at school at 8:30 a.m., park by 8:45 a.m., walk in and be in my seat by 9 a.m. As long as you are willing to get to school early and walk into class, you can find parking. I park in the Lounibos parking lot and walk a little under a mile to get to my first class. It may seem like overkill, but desperate times call for desperate measures.
