Birds are singing. The traffic is nice. There are hardly any crowds. Things are peaceful on campus…but that was during the summer when only a fraction of the regular population is there. Things come crashing down when the Fall semester starts. Don’t get me wrong, campus during the regular academic year has a joyful vibe; but when you’ve been on campus for the past couple of summers, you come to look forward to the peace that summer brings.
Ever since the semester started, I’ve come to realize that there are things on campus that people do that are bad bull without realizing it. We’re only two weeks in and already so much has happened that’s making me cringe.
To help people adjust to life on campus again or even for the first time, here are three things I implore people to be aware of on campus after noticing them the past couple of weeks
- If you are driving on campus, please take note of signs, barriers and the flow of traffic
I know it’s the first two weeks and traffic will eventually get better, but it’s so mind-numbing when people stop in the middle of the road to let people out and obstruct the flow of traffic when there’s a parking lot five feet away. It slows down everyone and makes people late. What also gets to me is how navigation software leads people on roads but don’t include gates that people can’t get through without the proper permit. I have to drive on Ireland Street often and there is a gate to the left that has its bar down during business hours. People realize just when they’re about to turn left and then squeeze in on the right lane with bad timing. It sucks but be extra vigilant on that road.
Speaking of Ireland Street, it’s a one-way street. Northside Garage has an exit on that street, meaning you can only turn right. Today, after turning onto Ireland, a car exited from the garage and turned left and almost hit me. The one-way sign is in front of you when you exit. A lot of streets on campus are one-way, so please be aware of your signs – especially when you have wrong way signs facing you head on
2. Respect the grass at MSC
As I was walking to my first Her Campus TAMU meeting of the year, I walked past a student that decided to spit on the grass in front of Memorial Student Center. If you don’t know, the grass in front of MSC is meant to honor all Aggies, whether living or dead. You never walk on the grass – there are also signs around it saying not to. It’s also an unspoken rule not to disrespect it, as that’s a logical step from walking on it. Long story short, don’t disrespect the grass.
3. Make room for others on the bus
Thankfully I have the privilege to have enough free time between classes to have leeway on which bus I take from my car to campus, so usually the bus I ride is empty. In the cases I’m not and its crowded, I try to be as courteous as possible to other riders. This includes making room for other students by taking up only the space that you need while not impinging on others. There have been many times that I’ve seen buses not be able to take more students because they were too full since seats were taken up by bags or people standing are not willing to scoot down. I totally understand if you need extra room due to a condition you may have, I just wish more students were accommodating to others on the bus.