Written by: Chelsea Cornell
Parking at UNF is the reason sleep is lost, patience is tested, gas is wasted, and attendance is tardy. I could easily fill this blog with hateful metaphors and personal experiences that I am sure all of you could relate to but, instead, I will give you some positive outlook to parking miles from campus and jumping on the shuttle.
First of all, I purchased the “Lots 14,18, and 53 only” pass for a semester. It cost me $55 each semester, which helped cut the cost of all beginning of semester fees that were drowning my credit card. This is nice to do because, in addition to splitting the cost between semesters, it gives you a chance to test the pass and decide if you want to renew it in Spring or upgrade to a Premium Pass.
Because I value my sleep, I like to take afternoon classes. For all of you sleep lovers, my class scheduling methods will make more sense to you. Since I arrive on campus later in the day, I don’t waste my time with Lots 14 and 18. They are always full, or I spend my time stalking someone as they walk to their car, so I decide to park in 53!
Although parking in lot 53 (which is also known as UNF Hall) seems like a bit out of the way, I have never had a problem finding parking and the shuttle is always waiting there for me to jump on.
I value my shuttle time probably more than most so I schedule my time productively. Some use their morning time to sip their coffee and read the paper at home; I use mine on the school shuttle.
Every morning my 20-minute task changes depending on my morning priority. Some mornings, I am either the kid everyone hates because I break out my breakfast and start chowing down, or I am the stressed kid, rapidly skimming my 50-page reading assignment from the night before.
Some mornings, I am the “negligent daughter”, who hasn’t talked to her mom in weeks and is going to use her 20-minute bus ride to talk to her. On the rare mornings when I have free time I use the shuttle ride to get ahead in a leisurely read, to eavesdrop on the couple arguing next to me, to people watch, or to just relax and mentally prepare for the day.
There are also times when I am the kid everyone REALLY can’t stand, who feels social and strikes up a conversation with people around me (sometimes I learn a thing or two; other times, I get shot the bird.)
There is always a lot of activity on the bus, especially the South route. Although it takes a few extra minutes out of my morning, it’s a great transition onto campus.
Every morning I am entertained and baffled by how, on a bus full of thirty people, each person can be focused and consumed in his own bubble as if he is are completely alone. The campus bus is a great way to explore campus life at its finest and, if you need a few extra minutes to just sit and ride while you finish up any last-minute morning tasks hop on the shuttle!
As easy as driving a car while gulping coffee and chatting with your mother and reading the last few pages of The Twelfth Night may seem, that morning may be your last. Save your last minute tasks for 20 minutes on the shuttle, stop stressing about parking, and arrive at school fresh and ready for a new day.
Swoop Scoop 