Every day, thousands of students move about the University of Tennessee Knoxville’s campus. (27,845 in fact) And every one of them is attempting to get from point A to point B as quickly as possible. This is where your choice as a student comes into play, how do you plan to get around this massive, hilly campus?
Probably the most common method means of transportation is what many of us dread--walking. After either parking in one of the few and distanced parking spots around this school, or simply rolling out of your dorm room bed, you now have the daunting task as making it to your 8 a.m. on time. Have fun walking up a hill only to walk back down and up one more time. At least there is the benefit of the exercise as well as being able to tell your future grand-kids that you walked up hill to class, both ways. Sadly, walking around Knoxville is inefficient, tiring, and a boring way in general to get to class.
After deciding that walking just isn’t for you, many come to the realization that a bike would be the perfect option for getting around! Its fast, it makes going up and down hills much easier, and I get a shiny bell! Well after having gone down this route I can honestly say, meh. It was nice when the crowds weren’t out, but if you didn’t leave more than 15 minutes before class, you get stuck in the massive class change, hundreds of people flowing out of the numerous buildings along your path. You end up going slower than walking half the time, unable to move forward, and forced to stop dead in your tracks to let a heard of people gazing at their phone pass by. After getting to your class you also need to find a place to lock that bike up. And I am not sure if this was just my own issue, but every bike lock I’ve ever used has given up on me after a month of use out in the constant change in weather this campus has to offer. Biking to class may work for some, but definitely isn’t my favorite way to get around.
Having given up on my bike I went to yet another option, the one I stuck to the longest at this school, long-boarding to class. Getting to class on time was never easier except when being able to ride to class, as long as you don’t fall off (which you will). Long-boarding to class lets you get on and off according to how busy the walkways are, as well as providing something fun to do before actually having to go to that Chemistry 130 three-hour long lecture. However, an issue lies with the fact that for most of those looking to go around campus, these hills are just a bit too steep. Even if experienced, you will fall a lot, and for a lot of people risking their laptop daily (or their neck) isn’t really on the list of things they want to do while going to class. As for myself this is the best option, but for the majority of people, it is too much of a commitment to learn to ride one, as well as to much of a risk of crashing and ruining your day.
Finally, the least tiresome, most leisurely option of them all comes in, the T-link. The constant stream of buses flowing around campus is a great option most people fail to remember as they make that daily walk from pres-court to Ayres. You can download the app from UT, knowing when that bus will be on its way, though their scheduling isn’t always the most reliable feature. The time it takes to get to class can out way the benefits, when on slow days you can show up to class near 15 mins later than you thought you originally would. But at least you didn’t have to move, really...
However, whatever mode of transport you decide to choose, I wish you the best of luck in making it to class on time.
