Parking on campus…where to even start? If you’re in college and commute to school, no matter how far, you’ve undoubtedly suffered from the woes of campus parking. At times, it can seem nearly impossible to find a spot and others; you might as well just give up.
After four plus years of struggling with parking on campus, I’ve come up with these tips to help ease some stress this semester.
1. Arrive Early—Very Early
This probably isn’t the advice you want to hear, considering you likely scheduled a mid-day class for a reason. Unfortunately though, sleeping in isn’t the best option and you’ll want to get to campus at least a good hour and a half before your class starts if you’re not ok with being late. If you’re lucky enough to score a spot by getting there even just 30 minutes before your class, congratulations. I can guarantee you that won’t happen often.
2.Be Patient—It Gets Better
Despite the heart-breaking advice telling you to get to school early, you’ll be happy to know it gets easier as the semester goes on. During the first two to three weeks, parking on campus will definitely test your patience and even question you decision to attend the university to start with. But before you lose all hope, try to wait it out.
Most people try not to skip the first week of classes, especially those in their first two years so lots will be well overcrowded during this time. On top of that, most universities give students a grace period to buy a parking pass. But once you pass those first few weeks, students will inevitably start skipping class or dropping out and you’ll notice that it seems a bit easier to find spots. So expect the first few weeks to be a bit crazy but know that there is in fact a light at the end of this tunnel.
3. Time it Right—Aim for “Prime-Times”
Classes let out at pretty consistent time slots. Most classes that your underclassmen fill are just 50 minutes and let out at 10-till and start up again at the next hour mark. This pattern goes on throughout the day, so naturally, you’ll want to be looking for parking as those students start to filter out of their classes. I’ve found it easier to start looking at about 15-till, all the way up until about 10-after the hour. This is because students may be let out early, or may take some time walking back to their cars. Unfortunately if you’re looking around the half-hour mark, you’re probably too late or too early. Hopefully the later and you just have to wait a bit longer.
4. Don’t Drive Around—Wait in One Lot
Through experience, I can promise that if you wait in a single lot, you’ll have more luck getting a spot than if you drive around for an hour. I know it’s tempting to keep driving around but in my 4 plus years, that’s never actually worked in my favor.
5. Aim for Larger Lots
This one should be a no-brainer. If you think about it, the larger the lot, the more cars, which means that you have a higher chance of finding students leaving campus. Don’t waste your time waiting in smaller lots where you’re hoping that one of the whole 12 cars parked will come out. Your chances there are kind of low and again, if you get lucky enough to score one, I can assure you, that won’t be a common occurrence. So your best bet is to plan to wait in larger lots even if it means taking a longer walk to class.
6. Embrace the Idea of “Parking Stalking”
There may be a better name for this one, but you all know what I’m talking about. It’s those times where you’re so frustrated trying to find a spot or having people get to spots before you that you literally follow a student across the lot to their car so that you have dibs. At first, this can be a little sketchy, but I promise it’s become common practice in college. If you want to be less creepy, you can simply roll down your window and ask someone if they’re leaving and if you can take their spot. Usually, they know the struggle too and will be happy to help you out.
7. Schedule Mid-Afternoon Classes
Most students who take early morning classes plan on attending until about noon to knock them all out for the day. This is why late morning or mid-day is the most difficult time to find parking. If early morning classes aren’t really ideal for you, try mid-afternoon classes instead. Around 1:00 p.m. and 2:00 p.m., parking starts to clear up, as students are finishing up for the day.
8. Take Advantage of Night Classes
Most campuses stop worrying about parking tickets after about 5 unless the lot is listed as a 24hr lot, so if all of you’re classes are at night you don’t really even have to worry about purchasing a parking pass at all. On top of that, most students opt for day classes, which leaves more parking spots for you. Even the private lots open up after 5 so you’ll likely be able to park closer to your class.
9. Invest in Private Parking if You Can Afford it.
The biggest issues with parking on campus are usually with general lots. Aside from the first few days of school where a grace period is in place, private parking is normally wide open and right next to your class. If you can spare the change for one of these passes, it might be worth it.
10. Try Carpooling
If you’ve got a similar schedule as your friend or sibling, try carpooling to help ease the stress from campus parking. If you don’t have compatible schedules at the moment, try to coordinate your classes during the next registration period. On top of easier parking, you could also split the fee for your parking pass since you’ll only need one between your group.
11. Respect Your Fellow Commuters and They'll Return the Favor
Nothing is more frustrating than knowing you were first in line for a specific spot and someone sweeps in to steel it. Don’t be that person, just don’t. I’ve noticed in my time in college, that parking tends to flow really well and is a lot safer when students are respectful of one another. So try to be respectful to your fellow commuters and back off if you see someone has already “claimed” a spot.
Hopefully these tips will give you a little insight into the world of campus parking and you’ll live out the rest of your semester with a little less stress. Good luck and happy hunting!
