Maybe you’re a commuter because it’s more economical. Maybe it’s because you don’t live that far away from school. Maybe it’s because the idea of being shoved into a tiny room with someone for months sends you running for the hills. Whatever the reason, being a commuter at Towson is definitely different than living on campus, but offers its own set of advantages and challenges.
There are definitely pros to being a commuter. The first is even as a freshman, you can have your car on campus. You can come and go as you please and are never at the mercy of the shuttle system. Another pro of being a commuter is the freedom it offers you to do things outside of Towson. Some people are all about the college life, and others aren’t. Personally, all of my jobs are off campus and I never would have been able to get them if I wasn’t a commuter.
However, there are also cons to being a commuter. You have to get up earlier for school, plan ahead for weather, and always be aware of traffic. Sometimes it’s also less convenient. When a group wants to meet for a project, it’s way easier for your group member to walk from Tower D to the Union than it is for you to drive 30 minutes.
I have commuted to Towson since my freshman year (I’m currently a junior), so I have a lot of experience. I would have loved to have some information about parking when I first got to Towson; so here are my 6 tips to make your first time commuting as painless as possible:
1. Make sure you buy a parking pass! Parking passes are definitely ridiculously expensive—especially when you have to park in overflow by the stadium—but it will be worth it to buy one. If you don’t have one, the parking police will find you! Although it’s a lot of money, it’s a lot less of a hassle just to buy the pass than to try and evade them.
2. Make sure you always check the signs! There are signs all over Towson explaining where and when you can and cannot park. When I was a freshman, commuters were sentenced to the overflow lot next to the stadium. Now freshmen are allowed to park in West Village. Some parking spaces, such as some spots in the Union garage, are open to all students with some type of parking pass at certain times later in the evening, which is much nicer than having to trek from West Village or overflow. Also, Towson has a knack for changing parking signs without a lot of advanced notice so you always have to be on your toes.
3. Always leave earlier, especially in the rain! You may have done a couple of test drives to Towson especially if you’re not familiar with the area. Your GPS may be telling you that it’s only going to take you 25 minutes; I’m going to let you in on a secret…it won’t! There are so many things that can go wrong and from my experience, they will. Sometimes you just can’t do anything about it but try your best to leave earlier and you’ll save yourself a lot of stress.
4. Always check your email before you leave your house. I cannot tell you how many times myself and a lot of commuters I know have gotten to school for an 8am to find out that it was cancelled. I don’t have internet on my cell phone and I am not a morning person, so I pretty much threw some clothes on and ran out the door before school never, checking my email. Figuring out that your 2 hour and 45 minute lab was cancelled after you’ve already driven in traffic for 45 minutes is pretty much the worst feeling on a Monday morning.
5. Give yourself plenty of time. While it may take you 30 minutes to get to Towson and to park, it could take you more time to get to your classes; especially if you have to park in overflow or in West Village. Trying to run down Osler, through Cross Campus drive when it’s raining so you can try to get to your math class in 7800 on time is definitely not on the list of things you want to do at Towson.
6. Timing is everything. When parking at Towson—especially concerning the Union and Liberal Arts garages—time really is the most important factor in commuting. Just because a garage or parking lot is designated for commuter parking does not mean that there will be spaces available for you to park. In my experince, the Union garage gets the most crowded between 10:00am and 11:00am. If you have an 8:00am, you’re in the clear because the garage typically isn’t crowded yet. If you’re a freshman and stuck in overflow or West Village, you should be pretty good—there are lots of spaces there and they normally don’t fill up. My advice about timing is to check things out for yourself at first and see how parking is when you arrive at Towson. If it’s hectic, I would arrive earlier and snag yourself a spot in the garage. If you don’t want to get there any earlier than you have to (and who could blame you for that), just be prepared to circle, or go straight to West Village to park and walk fast.
If you’re a first time commuter hopefully my tips will make things a little less hectic for you. Be safe and happy commuting!