So you’re new to campus and it seems like everything’s so far away. You’re thinking “What’s the best way to get around??” You keep seeing all these people on a variety of wheel machines and as an engineer you’ve gotta figure out the best one. Well I’ve been there and here are my rankings, but your mileage may vary.
Number 5: All other odd vehicles
This is a category for all those random inventions you see out there. OneWheels, self-balancing unicycles, UrbEs, etc. They’re not bad, and you’ll def stand out, but personally they’re not my favorite. But if they speak to you then go for it. They’re sure to be a conversation starter!
Number 4: Walking
The classic feet. Nothing’s wrong with it. Plenty of people get along just fine walking around campus all 4 years. I’ve done it for multiple semesters just fine, but you’ve gotta plan your trips as you can’t zip from Viterbi to the village and then to Marshall without spending a **lot** of time. But at least you’ll get your steps in and close those rings.
Number 3: Biking
Every movie shows kids biking at college. It works and it’s by far the easiest to learn since almost everyone buys a bike. It’s nice since there’s a ton of racks around campus and you’ll be well equipped if you live a bit farther from campus. Just be prepared to not go fast since campus can be packed and bikes take up a ton of space
Number 2: Scooters (Electric and Normal)
Depending on who you ask, this and number 1 may be flipped but this I just my opinion. Scooters are easy to ride and since you have handle bars, they’re safer than other options. But I can’t make them #1 because of lack of style points. You’ll see a ton of athletes and other people on the electric scooters which are super fun and get around anywhere would breaking swear, but beware they can cost a pretty penny and you can’t bring them into USC housing.
I almost bought one so you can tell how conflicted I was.
Number 1: Skateboards (Electric and Normal)
It’s the best, argue with someone else.
But in all honesty I do think they are the best. They are just fast enough to get places easily and compact enough to not mind carrying since scooters and bikes can be a bit cumbersome. Yes they do have a learning curve, but we’re engineers, we do the hard stuff for fun. Start by learning on a long board since they’re sage and stable. Then eventually you’ll get the hang of it.
Personally I have both a normal and electric board. The electric ones are super cool (Ala Casey Neistat) but they cost a lot (spent 600 on mine) and going 20 miles an hour is a bit dangerous if you don’t know what you’re doing.
All in all, it’s a great way to get around but if you can’t stomach the skateboard then I guess scooters are for you (but the loss of style points hurts).
