In college, students have the opportunity to use modes of transportation other than a car. College campuses are filled with the speeding bicyclists, pedestrians rushing to class, and the longboarders weaving in and out of the foot traffic.

Commuters often drive to school in their cars, and some schools offer shuttle buses that pick students up from nearby towns in the morning. However, once you are on campus, you may discover how big and far away everything is - getting around may take longer than expected. Examine the bikers, boarders, and walkers, and decide for yourself how you want to traverse the campus.

The University of California, Santa Barbara, has a unique culture of cruiser bikes. I bought a silver cruiser to fit in and to have a speedier method of transportation.

Cruisers are popular for two reasons: they are cheap, and they don’t require much skill to ride, except that they have pedal brakes. One of the most common crimes on-campus crimes is bike theft, and that bitter pill is easier to swallow if your bike was less than a hundred dollars.

Students who are more passionate about cycling purchase expensive and fast road bikes. These bikes cost anywhere from $500 to $2,000. The road bikes are more fun to ride, and students can use them to ride to further locations, which somewhat makes up for the hefty price tag.

I, however, stopped using my cruiser partway through my freshman year. My tires had gone flat, and I was simply too lazy to fix it up. Then, I purchased a longboard.

The longboard is only a convenient mode of transportation if you are a college student because it’s not as fast as a bike, and you cannot ride it on non-asphalt surfaces. However, at most universities, the longboard is sufficient for getting around from class to class.

The pathways are paved, you don’t have to worry about finding a place to lock it up – just bring it into class with you.

Longboards are also easier to ride than skateboards. Tricks are nigh impossible on longboards, but they offer a much smoother and quicker ride.

Some students opt not to bicycle or skate to and from class. They prefer walking, as slow as this mode of transportation seems to be. Some people have difficulty biking and boarding, and walking is the only choice left to them. Others walk to class in order to avoid the overcrowded bike paths and the crashes that come with them.

I was boarding through campus in a hurry to get to class. I hit a bump on the path, and the board flew out from under me. I didn’t fall, but instead the board flew into the air and hit an unsuspecting girl bicycling to class. She yelled and swerved, but also managed to avoid falling. I asked if she was all right, she nodded, and I grabbed by board and booked it to class.

Accidents occur all the time on university campuses. Bike pile-ups occur all over campus when the freshmen are getting used to the unwritten rules of the road. Skaters hit a crack and fall too many times to count. Even pedestrians can trip or get hit by a careening biker or boarder.

Every student must decide on a way of transportation. A bicycle is nice because you can traverse most every type of landscape and keep up with friends. Longboards can be more convenient that biking, and don’t take up as much space. Walking is undoubtedly the safest choice, which slightly makes up for its dismal speed.