So it’s off to university you go?  What’s first?  Sign up for classes?  Buy your books?  Check out the pub?  Wrong.  Before you can do anything, you’re going to need to get to the school from your residence.  But what mode of transport is best?  Walking?  Driving?  Camel caravan?  This article critically examines your main options, keeping in mind the three UniversityAdvice.com principles: cost, time, and quality of transportation.

Walking:

Key points:

• Speed: 5 km/h
• Max viable distance: 3 km
  
  
• Cost: Free
  
  
• Pro’s:  Free moderate exercise.  Could be made intense if you’re able to store your belongings at the university and run in.
  
  
• Cons: May take a while to walk in every day.  Must walk, as the saying goes, through rain, sleet, and snow, when sick, tired, or pressed for time.  Limited carrying capability.
  

Before there were plains, trains, and automobiles, before there were domesticated horses or the invention of the wheel, humans got around by walking.  And we still do a heck of a lot of it every day.  If you live near (or on) campus, walking is probably the best everyday solution for you.  It costs you nothing, gives you a little exercise, and gives you a short time to ponder your daily activities.  The main problem those who walk can encounter is adverse weather conditions.  The severity of this problem varies drastically across different regions – it could range from extremely cold, to extremely rainy, to extremely hot.  However, with minimal specialized investment, you can easily buy gear to overcome the elements.  A second problem that walking students often gripe about is the limited carrying capacity of their body  - a few textbooks and a laptop and they can carry no more.  In some situations, this problem can be mitigated by renting a locker at school to store the items that don’t need transporting, but this is not always possible depending on what you need to get by on a day-to-day basis. 

Other than weather and carrying capacity – problems which can both be overcome in many situations – the main reason that thwarts students from walking is the time and distance they must cover.  If you live more than about 3 km from campus, your round trip walk could take more than an hour every day – time that many students simply cannot afford to give up.  Also, living close to campus often requires a significant upfront rental fee that many students try to avoid.  Thus, walking often becomes impossible for a large number of students.  However, if you haven’t secured a place yet or your lease is going to expire soon, you may want to consider paying a little extra to live a little closer to campus.  As you’ll see, many other modes of transport can be quite costly and it might be worth a little extra cash when you look at the grand scheme of things.

Biking:

Key points:

• Speed: 15-20 km/h on a cheap bike, 30 km/h on a road bike
  
• Max viable distance: 6-10 km
  
  
• Cost: 250 – 1500 upfront, plus minor maintenance items later
  
  
• Pro’s:  Free moderate to high intensity exercise.  Very cheap in the long run.  Slightly increased cargo capacity over walking.
  
  
• Cons:  Again, with this mode of transportation you are stuck out in the elements at all times of the year, rain or shine, sick or healthy, rested or tired.  To a degree, biking can be even worse than walking too, because the wind and speed can quickly cover you with dirt and water, and the wind-chill can suck the heat right out of you if you are not prepared. 

I feel that the readers of this article deserve some full disclosure: biking is my favorite mode of transportation at any time going to any destination.  It is the most energy efficient way to transport a human from place to place, beating cars, motorcycles, buses, and even walking.  It is pretty cheap too, especially in the long run.  A good basic bike can easily be had for less than 200$, and you can get yourself a pretty nice ride (with basic breaks and no shocks) for $350.  If you’re really an avid biker and want speed and/or comfort, there are also more pricey bicycles available to meet your needs.  A word of caution though to all new riders: pay a little extra for some essential accessories: a helmet to keep the precious brain from danger, a mud flap on the back tire will be critical to avoid the “skunk” effect in wet conditions, reflectors and lights will be needed to protect you when riding in twilight or at night (you might say you’ll never do this, but when crunch time comes around, you will), and two high quality locks may be needed to secure your investment in high-theft areas (we recommend a u-lock to secure the front tire and frame to a bike rack, and a cable lock to secure the rear tire, seat, and helmet).  Investing in all of this equipment may make the upfront cost of biking seem high, but don’t worry – once your bike is set up with the essentials, it will be essentially cost free from that point on.  If you are in any way handy with a basic set of tools, most repairs and adjustments can easily be done in a few minutes at home, and most replacement parts (e.g., tubes, tires) are no more than $20; far cheaper than those for a car. 

There are nevertheless a few drawbacks to biking.  First, although your carrying capacity increases slightly because you’re essentially just sitting with a load on your back, you still won’t be able to carry too much around with you even if you trip out your bike with panniers.  Speaking from experience though, the carrying capacity of a bike has done me perfectly for nearly six years of university, and I’ve been able to get away without a car for my large purchases by waiting until my parents decide they’d like to see me again.  Second, you are still out in the elements, and it can get a little unpleasant on a bike if you’re not prepared.  However, once again with a little upfront investment in a waterproof coat and pants, you can be immune to all but the worst of conditions, while knowing you are helping prevent some greenhouse gases while keeping some green in your pockets.  Third, biking can be a little dangerous in some areas because of the other idiots you often have to share the road with.  And regrettably, right or wrong, cars always win in a fight.  Thus, it’s important that if you do decide to be a biker, you find the best routes with the least traffic, make yourself visible to cars, become aware of the other drivers around you, and try to ride outside of the peak traffic hours.  Also, if you can find a route where you can jump on the sidewalk without being arrested or enveloped by a swarm of angry pedestrians, this can help ensure your safety if road conditions are less than ideal.  Still, no activity in life is without its risks, and with the proper precautions, biking is, in my opinion, the hands-down best option for university students.

Continue to Part 2

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