Evening classes in Ricks Hall have become a regular part of my schedule since starting graduate school. Because I’m on campus three to four times a week, usually until 9pm, I decided to buy a parking permit. My permit however, is for the Coliseum Deck which is located on Central Campus and depending on what shoes I’m wearing, how late I am (always), and how much stuff I’m carrying (way too much), I can usually make it from the parking to deck to Ricks Hall on North Campus in 10 minutes or less.
Taking a nice walk through a tunnel under the train tracks, behind buildings, and through the Court of Carolina can be somewhat enjoyable, in the morning or afternoon. At 9 o’clock at night though, that same 10 minute walk tends to get a little creepy. That is, unless you use the Wolfline or you’ve befriended the self-proclaimed resident FFA and tech geek who just happens to be like 6’2” and built like a line backer to walk with you! (I highly recommended you find yourself one of these :-)
There have been times when I’ve been able to bring my car up to North Campus to find a sweet parking spot on Hillsborough Street or even better, in the faculty parking spaces right around Ricks. The thing to remember is that after 5pm the gates are open, literally, to anyone who can find a spot in the faculty/staff reserved parking spaces. Unless specifically stated on a sign all spaces are up for grabs. Also, after 6pm, the spaces on Hillsborough Street are free. This makes it much easier for a 5’ not enough” female graduate student, not unlike myself, to make it safely back to her car. In the event that time has not allowed me to bring my car up to North Campus, I rely on the Wolfline.
The Wolfline is an excellent resource for navigating your way around campus. There are stops all over campus and one right on the southwest corner of Lampe and Founders (right in front of Patterson and Ricks), where you can pick up nearly half of all the bus routes. The NCSU Transportation - Campus Bus Service web page has everything you need to help you find your bus. I have found the Find Your Bus Online link (a real-time bus locator) to be extremely helpful. If you’ve got an internet connection and a device which can get you on the internet, and you’re in need of a bus ASAP, I recommend using that link. If you’re not in such a rush, you can also use the Fall-Spring Service link to see all the routes and timetables before you head out and away from your computer. If all else fails, stand at the bus stop and ask the next bus driver who pulls up, “which bus will take me to _________?” they’re friendly and are there to help you.
If talking to people, namely bus drivers or random students waiting for a bus, just makes you nervous or you like to figure things out on your own, bus schedules are available at gathering places throughout campus; i.e., D.H. Hill Library and Talley Student Center. During Fall and Spring academic sessions, Wolfline operates thirteen daytime routes and two nighttime routes. Most daytime routes operate until 10 p.m., but with less frequent service between 6 and 10 p.m. Daytime service frequency varies from every 15 minutes to approximately every thirty minutes, depending on the route. Many stops are served by more than one route, so you have several options.
If you do decide to utilize the Wolfline to safely navigate your way around campus, try to get to your stop 5 minutes ahead of time. If a bus is early to a scheduled stop, they usually sit and wait until they are specifically scheduled to leave, but they sure as heck aren’t going to stick around much later than that. So unless you highly enjoy running after busses, arms flailing in the wind, get to your stop early. I almost forgot the best part…IT’S FREE!!!
