One of the best ways to travel campus can be through CABS’ buses that transport students on campus as well as off campus. Credit: Amal Saeed | Assistant Photo Editor
Learning to get around can be difficult on a large campus like Ohio State, but choosing the right mode of transportation can be even harder.
Whether you live on or off campus next semester, almost everyone will have to decide how to best navigate to campus or work, including whether it’s a good idea to bring a car, bike or scooter along for the ride.
“I think if you live far away, it’s helpful to have a car here because then you don’t have to take the Greyhound or COTA and have someone pick you up,” Carlie Francis, a third-year in biology, said.
Bringing a car to campus can also add to college expenses. Depending on where you want to park for the year, a CampusParc permit can cost anywhere from $128 to $955.
Even after receiving a parking permit, there might not be enough spots for your vehicle. According to CampusParc, there are 39,561 free parking spaces but over half of those spots are surface lots, not garages.
“Parking on campus can be a pain because Buckeye Lot is almost always at capacity for most of the day and the wait for the bus can be close to 20 minutes,” Ishwar Shreram, a second-year in air transportation, said.
With real-time bus tracking and multiple shuttles running all over campus, CABS is considered to be one of the fastest ways to get from one side of the university to the other.
Still, many students choose to get the lay of the land themselves in the first few weeks of the school year.
“I use my GPS and it helped a lot. Probably after the first week it starts to get a lot easier to go everywhere,” ShyAnne Noble, a first-year in medical anthropology, said.
However, taking advantage of transportation and other on-campus opportunities can be difficult and often strenuous for those who live away from campus.
“Commuter students that don’t live near [campus] don’t get to utilize as much of the university as they can because they’re only here for classes,” Shreram said. “I barely made any new friends my freshman year because I never got the chance to meet anyone outside of class.”
In other words, making the decision to ride in style comes down to personal preference and time management.
As someone who will live off campus again next year, Francis said she looked for a good spot near her building when choosing housing.
“I like having my car here even if it is a hassle, so I think it’s just important to look at the pros and cons,” Francis said.
