Physics, City College and Bus Passes

So, I have one undergrad GE left that I couldn't get waived, freshman Physics. It's not offered at NU when I can take it so I am taking it at the local Community College. Well at least that was the plan.

Unfortunately the only section offered when I could take it is down at City College. City is downtown which is not close to where I live. To top it off the lab on Tuesday doesn't end till 4:30pm. I have class at NU at 5:30 on Tuesdays and the traffic will be such that there is no way I'd get home in time.

So I figured I'd get a transit pass and take the Coaster/Trolly to school! I can get a discounted pass from the school and then I drive about 20 mins to the coaster station and then the stress of travel is greatly reduced.

It wasn't that easy.

I went down to City College today to get my textbook and orient myself. My first impression was, parking sucks (thus the need for the pass) and the campus is really kind of dirty and downtrod looking. So I find a parking space, and the meter is broken. I get directions to the bookstore and the place where I can get the bus pass. I find the bus pass place first.

The pass is 154 for the semester, and they wouldn't take a credit card or check. They actually wanted me to bring them 154 dollars in cash. Yah not so much. So, already annoyed, I walk over and get my textbooks. 150 dollars later (whole other rant) I find out where I can get a parking permit. Again, no cards are accepted, but that one I can get online. Ok fine, I just want to go home.

After I get home I called Miramar, the college just down the road. They said they'd absolutely sell me a pass with a credit card, just come on down. I drive the less than five mins to the college and am struck how much nicer it is than City. The buildings are newer, everything is cleaner, and it's a much friendlier place. When I told them the trouble I had at City they were amazed. The difference was, they wouldn't take a credit card for a parking permit either but they had computers for student's use right there so they could buy the parking permit online right there.

It was just night and day, and I'm really kind of sad that I have to deal with City College for the next four months, but I'll live.

So this pass. It cost me 154 and is good till the end of December. It gives me free bus and trolley travel and gives me a 2 dollar discount on the Coaster. If I take the bus over the Coaster I go for free, but coming home on Tuesdays the bus won't get home any more quickly than I would, so it's definitely the Coaster then. Since I have to drive to the Coaster station I might as well cough up the 6 dollars round trip twice a week and ride in comfort. I figure I have to leave at 9:15am to catch the 9:45 coaster (traffic is going to suck) and hopefully I'll be home by 5:30pm. Tuesdays are going to suck.

No wifi on campus, well nothing obvious. I'll find out tomorrow but I'm guessing I'll be limiting myself to notebooks and my iPhone. It would be nice to have wifi but I'm 'old school' and can't take notes on my laptop anyway. I have to write it out, Luddite that I am.

The bright side of all of this is that I have free trolley and bus travel all semester. Free trips to the airport!