The University of North Dakota is dedicated to ensuring that along with receiving their degrees, students leave campus with life skills that will help them in all aspects of life. They have gone so far this year to require parallel parking lessons for all commuting students. This year’s fee being a minimum of $225.
Over the years parking has become an increasingly large issue on campus as the student population and number of commuters continues to grow. UND’s solution has been to reevaluate parking permit prices as well as create separate zones for specific passes. This decision has led to limited parking options, especially those who opt for the cheapest option.
Even with the pass, you are not ensuring a parking spot unless you pay extra for the “Student Reserve” that sits halfway empty most of the day. With the regular student pass you will often find yourself having to park on the side streets around campus as there are not enough spaces for the number of passes sold. This means you must parallel park.
The idea behind the parallel parking lessons is unclear for most students, but that’s the fun of it. Having to leave your apartment that is only a 5-minute drive from campus an hour early to drive around the streets and parking lots on campus just to find a parking spot 2 minutes before your first class starts teaches students great time management skills. Also, everyone should know how to parallel park as it is required on most driving tests, but it’s often a lost skill in small cities like Grand Forks, so it is great practice especially for those hoping to live and work in a larger city.
The 2025-26 academic year is the first year that these new zones and permit prices have been implemented. It is unclear whether they will be revised again for next year, but it seems like some of the previous issues have been resolved, but new ones came up with this resolution.
While being challenged to parallel park can be a great way to brush up on an old skill, many students are frustrated with the fact that they paid so much money, just to not be guaranteed a parking spot. This is especially frustrating when you are scrambling to find a spot before class and keep driving by a half empty “student reserve lot.”
The space for parking on campus is limited so it is great that there are so many side streets where students can parallel park when the student lots are full. However, it can feel a bit unfair doing this while still paying full price for parking that is often unavailable.
Parking is always going to be a difficult issue to combat at UND, but revisions can always be made to adapt to student needs. Two potential revisions include either lowering the amount of “Student Reserve” spaces as most of them stay empty during the week or lowering the cost of the regular “Student” parking passes. Lowering the rate would make it more affordable for students who most likely will have to purchase the pass regardless and would also mend some of the frustrations that come with struggling to find a space to park and ultimately having to parallel park.
As UND works on finding better solutions to this issue, students can try to shift their frustration into gratitude as they continue to develop their parallel parking skills.
Happy April Fools’ UND does not offer parallel parking lessons, but they are at Forks Drive-Right.
Nora Lee is a Dakota Student Section Editor. She can be reached at [email protected].
