Share the roads!!

During the week of April 5 – 9 the campus police will be stopping drivers and cyclists to provide information about sharing the road. This is part of a larger Share the Road Campaign that is a collaboration between DOTS, ERC and Campus Police.

Events include:

BIKE FAIR: information, meet a commuter, bicycle and helmet fittings, prizes and giveaways, test rides, food and more!

BIKE FILMS: Unicyclist Mountain Bikes, Rage on New York Streets, DC Metro Extreme Commuters and more!

BIKE RALLY: Ride in a group to try out existing bicycle facilities and weigh in on upcoming improvements. Get some fresh air, have fun. Ride ends at RJ Bentley’s for a social get together.

For information about prizes, raffles and events during the week of April 5th:

http://www.transportation.umd.edu/share.html

For information about sharing the road:

http://bikeumd.wordpress.com/share-the-road/

To begin a commute journal that will help you think about other ways to get to campus, sign up or login for your personal commute calendar:

http://zimride.umd.edu/

Do you think cyclists belong on the roads? Complete our survey:

https://cgi.umd.edu/survey/display?ShareTheRoad/bikeUMD

Last minute reminders

Hey new Terps!

Less than one week left until the first day of classes! Is it the same as when you went to your first day of classes in Kindergarden? Probably not! At that point, your parents did everything for you, but now, you have to get it all done yourself. So here are a few things you should remember before you come on Monday.

1. Make sure your schedule is as set as possible. Log onto Testudo.umd.edu to modify your schedule as necessary. However, if you find that a class is too far to get to in ten minutes, or you don't like an instructor, or the course load is not what you expected, you can change your classes until the end of the drop/add period which is the 10th day of class.

2. While you are on Testudo, take note of the classroom locations. Log onto the UMD website and view a map. Find your classes and if you get a chance, come back to campus to find your classes.

3. And while you are on your way to campus, take a few extra minutes to find those alternative routes. ESPECIALLY on the first week of classes, campus is going to be really busy. You're going to have to take some extra time to park and walk to classes.

4. Buy your books now! If you buy your books now, you can get the best copies of used books. You can find your book list on Testudo as well. You can either purchase all your books in the University Book Center or you can go to amazon.com. I suggest that if the book is $50 or less, just buy it at the bookstore, but if it is a big ticket item, check Amazon. Students last week reported savings of up to $70 on certain textbooks.

Those are the big things. A couple other things:

-Ask lots of questions about the syllabus. You want to be as clear as possible BEFORE the semester starts.
- If you are going to keep your schedule, immediately go home and put all your assignments and classes into a planner of some sort. When life gets busy, assignments are forgotten. Don't let it happen to you.
-Find out where you are going to eat on campus. Check out the older post about eating on campus.
-Find a place to study. A lot of schedules are riddled with holes where it's not enough time to go home, but too much time to head to your next class. Find a great place to sit with your readings and do some work along the way. Remember that, if you are a full-time student, you should treat your schooling like  a 40 hour work week. If you go to your classes, do your homework and study within the 9-5 schedule (or something comparable), you are less likely to have to do anything on the weekends.

Take care and good luck!!

What other tips do you have to share with your fellow terps?

The weather outside is frightful!

As you know by now, it's snowing. A lot. School is closed tomorrow as well. Sorry graduates. Check this website for the most up to date information on school closings. Be safe!

http://www.umd.edu/emergencypreparedness/weather_emer/

Dian

The Many Roads that Lead to CP

There are many ways that you can get to campus from all directions. As I have posted previously, traffic around the district can cause many frustrations, so it is always important to know alternate routes to getting to campus (especially if you are rushing to that 9am class!). I will try and provide you with the various routes below. Please let me know if you have any questions regarding these routes.


FROM POINTS WEST OF COLLEGE PARK

University Blvd/193-East- One of the largest routes into CP is to take 193 East toward College Park. It is a straight shot from Silver Spring, Adelphi or Hyattsville. It runs directly onto campus.

New Hampshire to Adelphi (to Metzerott)- If you are heading around the beltway from Silver Spring or points West, the fastest way to get to campus is to exit off of New Hampshire Avenue. Beware of the exit because there is no merge lane. Immediately get into your left lane and make a left onto Adelphi Road. Follow Adelphi for about 2 miles. If you want to go to the UMUC side of campus, stay in your right lane throughout your travels (right image). You will make a left on Campus Drive near UMUC.

If you are looking to head to the Comcast Center side of campus, you want to stay in your left lane and make a left onto Metzerott Lane. Metzerott will take you directly onto campus near the Comcast Center (right image).















FROM POINTS EAST OF COLLEGE PARK

Route 1 to 193-West- If you are coming around the beltway from Virginia or points East, exit at Route 1. However, once you head about 1 mile down Route 1, you want to exit West to 193. This will bypass about one mile of Route 1 that can be congested during rush hour periods.

Kenilworth to Paint Branch Drive- Exit to Kenilworth Avenue from I-495. Head South towards Washington DC. Go two miles and make a right on Paint Branch Drive. Follow Paint Branch Drive for two miles until you come to the main gates of the campus. Paint Branch Drive turns into Campus Drive once you cross over Route 1. Campus Drive can be very congested during the day so avoid it during class change overs.

Route 1 to Campus Drive- The most simple and common way (AKA THE WAY TO AVOID) is to Exit onto Route 1 and drive two miles. Make a right onto Campus Drive at the main gate.















FROM WASHINGTON, DC

If you are coming from Washington, DC, you can either take the BW Parkway (I-295) and exit at MD-410/East-West Highway or take Rhode Island/Rt-1 North.













Are there any other ways that you have found to get to campus? What have been your experiences commuting to College Park?