Coming from a small town to a big city like Philadelphia was a drastic change for an 18 year old to adapt to living in, but thankfully I was able to adjust and even enjoy the abundant new opportunities that Philly held for me! I learned how to use the trains and bus`s for transportation. I found out about the various entertainment locations; such as the Wachovia Center for concerts, the Gallery, King of Prussia Mall, and South street for shopping trips, and the sports complexes for some fun and exciting games! Then there were also the art museums and historical monuments to gain some intellectual knowledge. Everyday there was always something to do or somewhere to go and the only problem was trying to fit everything into my hectic schedule!

SEPTA SJU stops

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I chose Saint Joseph's University because I thought I'd be able to enjoy the city of brotherly love, but it's proven to be more difficult than I originally thought. Perhaps it's my fault for not researching the campus and surrounding transportation more, but Philly really needs to take some tips from NYC when it comes to trains and subways.

My freshman year I could count on two hands how many times I had frequented downtown. The R5 was a complete mystery to me, so I took taxis instead. Mapquest says that from my apartment to 12th and Walnut (where Sals, the infamous underage bar resides) is 8.13 miles, but it costs anywhere from $20-30 to get there. Being a fulltime student, it was hard for me to afford that on a weekly basis. Even when I split taxis with girlfriends, the $30 a week my dad gave me for groceries only stretched so far.

Anyways, sophomore year was filled with central philadelphia fun, but only because I was constantly dating a boy with a car. I didn't judge potential boyfriend candidates on personality or looks, but simply on their access to four wheels and their ability to drive me around.

Now I'm a junior and have really learned to use the train and subway system, but still have difficulties. The R5 has raised ticket prices (five bucks one-way if you don't purchase it from the ticket office...which is open about two hours a day..ha) and only runs until a little past 11 pm. That leaves me about one hour at the bar, minus the time it takes to walk to and from the station. And so, instead of taking expensive taxis or leaving the bar before the party really gets started, I have turned to sleeping on couches and taking the train when they finally start to run again.

Consequentially, I have missed so many morning classes that my professors believe I have sickly parents, six dead grandparents, and the immune system of someone who should be living in a bubble. Yes, Philly's transportation system has made me creative and conniving, but I'd prefer living in a city that could provide ways for the night owls to enjoy sleeping in their own beds after a long evening.

SJU Parking Information

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I commuted to St. Joseph’s University over a two year period while I worked full time and attended graduate school part-time. At times, the parking and commute was frustrating; however, I was never late to class over a two year period. I believe that professors were very understanding because they knew all too well how challenging it could be to find parking when so many events were going on in conjunction to regularly scheduled classes. Although I graduated before the new parking garage was completed, I know that St. Joe’s greatly takes into consideration the commuting students and the need to expand parking in the general area surrounding the campus. As I commuted from a suburb that’s about 24 miles away from campus, I also had the option of taking the local R5 line of SEPTA. This was always a viable backup plan for getting to class and I knew I could easily take the shuttle to campus safely and quickly.

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