Parking on campus isn’t just part of the routine, it’s a full-blown personality test, and most of us are failing before 9 a.m. Every lot has its own unspoken rules and its own unique way of humbling you right when you think you’re running on time.
After more trial, error and unnecessary laps than I care to admit, I’ve gotten to know these lots on a deeply personal level. So here it is: A brutally honest, slightly bitter but entirely accurate breakdown of campus parking. Where to go, what to avoid and which lots will absolutely test your sanity before you even step into class.
The best: P3 / The Save Mart Center
Some would say parking at the Save Mart Center kind of defeats the whole point. But as someone who’s perpetually leaving the house ten minutes before class like it’s an Olympic sport, I’ll take a guaranteed parking spot over circling lots like a vulture.
And honestly? That walk isn’t a punishment, it’s the best part of my morning. A little fresh air before I’m trapped in a stuffy classroom staring at a screen for an hour? I’ll take it.
Maybe parking isn’t the real issue here. Maybe we’ve just collectively decided that a short walk is too much to handle, and that’s a way bigger problem.
Runner-up: P6
Let’s not be dramatic, it’s rarely more than ten minutes before you’ll find a spot here. Compared to the chaos of other lots, that’s basically a win. At least you know you’ll eventually land something.
And then there’s the real selling point: covered parking. Because nothing tests your patience more than making it through a long day of classes mentally drained, just to open your car door and get blasted with heat while your steering wheel is out to burn you on contact.
P6 isn’t perfect, but it’s reliable, and at this point, that’s more than most campus parking can say.
The worst: P20
Where do I even begin with this lot? I gave it chance after chance, really. I tried to be patient, tried to see the potential, tried to convince myself it wasn’t as bad as everyone says. Spoiler: it is. Eventually, I had to accept reality and walk away.
This lot is clearly designed for the 6 a.m. crowd, the people who wake up before the sun, drink their coffee in silence and somehow have their lives together by 8 a.m. But for the rest of us, the ones operating on a slightly more reasonable schedule? If you roll in after 9 a.m., you might as well just keep driving. Save yourself the time, the gas and the emotional spiral.
I’m not exaggerating when I say I’ve spent way too many mornings circling, hoping, bargaining with the universe for a single open spot. It turns into this exhausting loop until suddenly you’re late, frustrated and questioning why you even tried. At some point, it stops being about parking and starts feeling personal.
