New students entering Western Michigan University are allowed to have a car on campus. With every new freshmen class entering each year, parking poses a problem. WMU is already limited in its parking on campus and since freshmen are allowed to have cars, the students are faced with the dilemma of having nowhere to park or parking quite far from their destination. There are parking problems all over the campus, creating backups in residence hall and other lots, resulting in students parking illegally to avoid walking far distances, which can be quite irritating in the bitter cold. Parking closer seems like the rational thing to do, but it is a risk, which can result in hundreds of dollars worth of traffic tickets, or having your car toed away.
Having a car last semester, it was very inconvenient for me to park when it came to driving to class. I was disappointed by the amount of tickets I received, making my parents question whether I really needed a car. I might get a new car next semester but in all honesty I don 't really know if it 's worth it or not, especially if you 're living on campus. Riding the bus only involves a shorter walk to class, and I can usually find rides to other places from someone else. Most students however, do want a car and shouldn 't have to think if they should really need one just because of the parking problem on campus.
Parking legally by the residence halls is almost impossible. Students who live at particular dorms find themselves faced with the problem of having to park on the other side of campus. Students who live in the valleys comment that they are surprised with the numerous tickets that are written every day and how it isn 't always clearly spelled out where they can park. They complain on how some parking spaces involve lengthy walks in the freezing cold weather, and how easily the lots fill up. Whenever I 'm riding with someone and they have to park by my hall or any other,