Commuting to USC
By Camila Grases
I commute to USC. It’s about a 45 minute to an hour drive to and from my house.
“Aw thats so sad, you aren’t getting the FULL college experience”
Oh hush hush now. It’s not sad. I wake up every morning in my own bed, my mom makes me breakfast in morning, and when I get home late, there is almost always food waiting for me (or for my brothers, but who am I to complain?). It’s really not so bad. There are definitely days where I wish I could live here, and have roommates and be able to stay late without having the fact that I have to drive home be in the back of my mind always. But I think having the constant support from my family has helped with my mental stability so much.
Of course, there are commuters that don’t still live with their parents and whose experience is so different from mine. And there are students that don’t feel the same way about their parents. I’m just here to share a little bit of wisdom I learned from commuting for a full year now.
Make Good Friends
All of us have made them, right? But what you need are those friends who will support you, help you out if you need a place to stay, know all about cars and how to fix them, and are willing to pick you up from your house 45 minutes away when your car breaks down.
Don’t be afraid to ask for help. If your friends are true, they won’t hesitate to help you. And of course, you have the car, so you can pay them back with thousands of little transportation favors later on.
Know The Parking Rules
If you are like me and don’t have a parking pass at USC, you may need to learn where to park on campus, and quickly. Finding a legal place to park is like a puzzle, mapping out hours and places you can and cannot be. Here is an unwarranted mini lesson on parking:
- Read all the signs before you decide to park. I heard its from top to bottom, but from experience, every single sign is important. Don’t feel dumb if you have to double check, better safe than with a $500 parking ticket.
- Half the streets around USC are closed during the weekdays for street sweeping, specifically on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays. You can tell if you suddenly find a hundred places to park and don’t know why it was so easy. Read these signs particularly carefully because they dictate time, day of the week, and area where you can’t park.
- Don’t park in front of driveways or fire hydrants. Its more likely than you think.
- If you are in a tight spot and can’t find (free) parking for the life of you, most of the parking structures around USC offer daily parking for $12. Just pull into the window at the entrance and the nice lady or gentleman will help you out.
You Can Never be Too Careful Driving in LA
It’s no secret LA drivers can be some of the worst drivers in the world. Since I began driving through downtown, I’ve been flipped off, cat-called, and even had a milkshake thrown at my car. It’s never boring at least.
So, what do you do when everyone around you is being an absolute nincompoop and they’re really just getting on your last nerve? You act like a saint behind the wheel.
Don’t be rash: get angry, but don’t act on it. Be safe and allow the laws to protect you and the people in your car.
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