The Proven Fastest Way to Class

We’ve all been there: slept in, running late, spilling coffee, trying to get to the Classroom Building, hoping to slip in before your professor notices. This problem reaches its peak in the winter months when your bed is just too warm and the weather is just too cold.

It’s a new semester filled with new classes and new goals (one of which might be timeliness after showing up flustered to every class last semester). Whether you’re running late or trying to get out of the cold as quickly as possible, the Daily Runner has you covered. A group of dedicated researchers braved the cold (and the exercise) to bring you the final word on the fastest way to class.

Methodology

There were two participants in this study. Both participants were healthy and of average fitness levels. Both participated in the walking trials, while only one participated in the biking trials (it was cold, one of us was sick – cut us some slack).

We used an app called Runtastic to record the routes, distance, and time for each trial.

For the walking trials, there were two sections: one to the Student Center and the other to the Classroom Building. For both, participants began at the corner of the Communications parking lot, as though they were walking onto campus from the Commons.

There were three walking routes to the Student Center, two walking routes to the Classroom Building, and two biking routes to the Classroom Building.

For each of these routes, two trials were conducted, except for the biking trials. The subject who participated in this trial was too tired (and frozen) after the first one to complete a second.

Results

Walking – Student Center

Route Mileage Time (Average)
1 0.18 3:07 min
2 0.17 2:50 min
3 0.14 2:20 min

Walking – Classroom Building

Route Mileage Time (Average)
1 0.37 6:08 min
2 0.36 5:58 min

Biking – Classroom Building

Route Time
1 3:14 min
2 3.38 min

Conclusion

To get to the Student Center, we found that cutting through the grass shaved almost a minute off of the commute. This is significant for the college student looking to buy some Moka on their way to class. In this case, we recommend skipping the paths and going guerrilla.

When travel to the Classroom Building, traveling on bike will be significantly faster, with almost a three minute difference between that and walking. However, it is important to note that you will need to account for locking up your bike before entering the building. Further research should be done to test this affect. For bike paths, the quickest was the path past the Chapel. While the round about one through the Library Plaza will potentially have less foot traffic, the longer distance will still hinder your speed in reaching the building.

There was no significant difference in the trials walking to the Classroom Building, with only a ten-second range between the two times. However, if you are desperate and very late, you can save those ten second by cutting through the Student Center on your way.

To test the reliability of these results, further research should be conducted. For now, you can rely on these tested methods to get you in class before attendance.



Danielle Crowley is a contributor to the Daily Runner.

Sara Waits is the Senior Editor of the Daily Runner.