Facing the Giant: Parking at AU

By Madi Oglesby | Opinion editor

As a freshman who had never been on a major college campus, I had no idea what to expect coming to Augusta University. I was completely prepared to decorate my dorm, use my meal plan, and introduce myself to my professors as TikTok taught me to.

The one thing I was not prepared for, however, was the stress I would be under when parking on campus. When you drive through campus over the summer, you would never guess the pain that parking causes. There appears to be plenty of parking spaces in front of each important building, but I was quickly proven wrong once school started. 

It seems that if one does not get to school before 8:30 in the morning, you will not get a good parking spot– no matter what day it is or what campus you’re on. 

As for me, my classes are all on the Summerville campus. More specifically, in Allgood Hall. I always prefer to park right in front of Allgood, but I have never been successful in finding a parking spot there after 9 AM. 

On the second day of school this year, I came face-to-face with the anxiety of not being able to find a parking spot. I had no idea where any open parking lots would be, so I just drove around aimlessly until I found a hidden parking lot that has been my best friend since that day. It adds a few more steps to my day, but maybe that will be a good thing in the long run.

As for parking on the Summerville campus, students are calling for more parking spaces closer to their buildings, electric car chargers, and better communication with which parking lots are usable and not usable for students. 

Electric car drivers are out of luck on Summerville, as the only charging stations are on the Health Sciences campus. This is something that could cause a lot of problems for those students, possibly even keeping them from having a ride home. This introduces another issue that definitely needs to be looked at by the University as a whole. 

Nicole Sandberg, a freshman Nursing major from Dahlonega, shared her experiences with parking on campus. “Parking is definitely not great. Especially on Tuesdays, the Science Hall lot is always full, so I have to park by University Hall and walk all the way to my class. It’s not great.” 

David Lister, a junior Literature major from Evans, expressed his desire for better communication with the student body. “I think they should provide more useful instructions. They said you can park in any ‘reserved lot’, but never shared what a reserved lot was or where they would be located. I think they just need to communicate better.”

As for the Health Sciences campus, the same problems arise for students. The lack of parking availability has made students late to class and creates added stress. 

Samantha Kuhbander, a senior Kineseology major from Waycross, said, “It’s very frustrating parking on the Health Sciences campus. There is usually no parking or I have to stress to get to campus early to be able to get a spot and get to class on time.”

For the students that may not have had the financial means to afford a parking pass, I have heard many complain of having to park as far as a mile away from campus in order to be able to attend their classes. 

Anna Claire Ivester, a junior Kineseology major from Toccoa, shared, “The parking price is fifty dollars per student, and I feel as if parking costs that much, there should be more availability.”

Every student with access to a car has experienced the stress of parking on campus at least once so far in the short school year we have had thus far. Whether this caused tardiness or not, the issue is still prevalent and in need of attention.

As for me, a freshman, I grew up hearing a lot about the infamous “freshman fifteen.” To be completely honest, I was afraid to experience that as well. However, I quickly came to realize that with all this walking I have to do since parking is so hit or miss, that will not be a problem for me this year. So, I guess you could say there is a bright side to this parking situation. 

Why buy a gym membership when I get all of my steps in on a Friday morning on the way to Public Speaking?

Contact Madi Oglesby at auoglesby@augusta.edu.