A Commuter’s Guide: When to leave, where to park, and everything in between.
Welcome, or welcome back, to A Commuter’s Guide! A series of guides where I tell you everything I have learned about commuting to college so far. Today’s guide covers when to leave your house or apartment, plus a quick game to help you plan ahead.
First and foremost, it’s important to get this out of the way: no matter which campus you are on, the game still applies to you. Adjustments may need to be made for you or your school along the way. The game is made to help you; use it!
If you just so happen to be a freshman commuter at Rowan, listen up; this part is especially for you. As an incoming freshman, you don’t make your first-semester schedule; your advisor does. My very first semester, I was given a 9 am class. As rough as it is to commute and be up hours early to secure a parking spot, I am very glad I didn’t drop it. Why? Because although the class was early, it let me see what times the parking lots get crazy.
Know when to leave:
Depending on where you live and how far you are from campus, you may want to take my advice, especially for the first few weeks of classes. Wake up 3-4 hours before your first class. I know this part sucks, but trust me when I say you want to have time in the morning to get ready. Leave about 1-2 Hours before your class. I know… rolling out of bed at the crack of dawn may be hard, but if you want the best chance at a decent parking spot, you have to do it.
The Game:
Think of parking on campus as a game with three modes: Easy, Medium, and Hard. Each level represents how easy or difficult it may be to find a parking spot depending on what time you arrive. Keep in mind what time your class starts.
From my experience, if you arrive at:
| Game Mode: | Arrival Time | Difficulty |
| Easy | 8-9 am | There should be several spots open. |
| Medium | 9-10 am | Traffic typically starts to pick up at this time, and spots become more limited. |
| Hard | 10 am-1:45 pm | Traffic overload. It’s going to be hard to find a spot. Most, if not all, are taken. Not impossible to find a spot, but better hope you get there early enough to make it to class. |
Typically at Rowan, most students want early afternoon classes; after 3 pm is when I usually see more spots open up again.
Be A Shark!:
Sometimes, the game mode is set to hard. When that happens, you’re playing an entirely new game. Call it what you want; I personally like to call this new game ‘shark’. When you can’t find a spot, sometimes you have to circle for one. In this new game, instead of hunting for prey like sharks do, we’re hunting for a spot.
Look for anyone walking to their car or people pulling out of their spots. Being a shark doesn’t mean a spot will come to you right away. You have to circle your prey (the parking lot or spot you desire). Sometimes you don’t have the time or patience to circle, but this method has worked incredibly well for me.
Know When to Move on:
If you have been playing the shark game in a specific parking lot for some time and have seen no movement, MOVE ON. Moving on doesn’t mean you can’t go back to that parking lot later; in that moment, you are not finding much luck and are wasting more time than you are saving. However, if you’re set on parking in a specific lot and really want to wait, I’d spend at most 15 minutes.
Final Tips:
At the end of the day, commuting is a learning experience. You won’t always find the perfect parking spot, and some days will be easier than others. The more you commute, the more you learn which lots work best for you and what times to avoid.
My biggest piece of advice for today’s article is to give yourself extra time. I know after long nights of studying, partying, and doomscrolling, it’s easy not to want to get up on time. Do yourself a favor: go to sleep a little earlier and don’t hit the snooze button.
Remember, every commuter has to play the parking game. You won’t win every time, and honestly, that isn’t the goal. The goal is to learn how to play smarter. Good luck, commuters, and may the parking odds be ever in your favor!