Melanie Buer
OPINION EDITOR
As students move into another year at UNO, the question of getting to campus becomes important again. With a variety of options for commuter students, it can be hard to decide what’s best for each individual.
The first and most efficient option for commuter students is to park on or near campus. Students have a few options to choose from when buying a parking pass, and it is a good idea for students to map out where most of their classes are held and try to find a pass that will allow them to park closest to the building where they spend the most of their time.
The surface lot pass for the 2016-2017 year is $260 and the garages are about that much as well, which can be a little steep for students who don’t have enough wiggle room to justify that kind of cost.
For a student on a budget who still wants to drive to school, there is a free lot at the Baxter Arena that offers shuttle service to and from campus. In the past year, the shuttles have become more efficient and scheduling has become more regular, meaning students won’t have to wait as long to catch a shuttle if they decide to park in the free lot.
A good recommendation is to drive the route to school at the time of day that you’ll usually be making the trip, so you can gauge how long it’ll take you to make it to class on time. It’ll give you a good idea of when you need to leave your house so you can make it to campus.
For those who find the idea of driving to school a completely unnecessary stress-fest, theMavcard can be used as a bus pass. There’s no special activation required and you don’t need to grab a semester pass like in previous years; just swipe the Mavcard on the bus and you’re good to go.
Taking the bus is a popular method because it allows students to manage their time better and gives them some nice time to catch up on reading or other studies on the way to school.
Regardless of students’ preferred method of getting to class, there’s an option for everyone at UNO. Students shouldn’t forget to take the time to check out the UNO parking website if planning on getting a permit – the site offers detailed maps about which permits work for which lots, as well as the online portal for purchasing a permit.
Happy Parking, Mavericks!
