Airport Transportation

As the leaves change, apples & cider pop up everywhere, and the midterm panic sets in, we know it is time for fall break! Fall break is typically two days, typically a Monday and Tuesday where students take time to venture home, visit friends or spend a few days enjoying peaceful Ann Arbor. One of the most important things for students to think about, is if they are going to the airport, how to get there! After spending over an hour lamenting my 6 am flight with a friend in the same boat and realizing the relatively few options available for transport, I decided to put together a Transportation suggestion list for Michigan Students.

Over the past three years years I have taken a lot of airport trips. There are certainly a lot of options, but it pays to do your research. After extensive field research and opinion gathering from trusted friends, this is a list of my favorite options so far:

1. AirBus. An MSA sponsored option that provides $7 rides to, and $11 from the airport during break times for members of the Umich Community. It is quick, simple, and reliable. It picks up in three locations: State Street (Central Campus), the Hill & Bursley (North Campus) and drops off at each terminal. The important thing with the AirBus is to check the schedule and buy your ticket in advance! Especially around the busy times, bus tickets sell fast. Go to the AirBus Website to check the schedule, and the Michigan Union Ticket Office (MUTO) to buy the ticket. One downside with the AirBus, depending on when you travel, their schedule might be slightly limiting- they have options October 13th, 14th & 18th, so if you are traveling before or after that that AirBus might not be for you.

2. Michigan Flyer. Another bus service to Ann Arbor, this one picks up from the Sheraton Ann Arbor Hotel on Boardwalk. Since anyone (not just students) may take this bus, it has a more flexible schedule. It runs every day to DTW, Jackson & East Lansing. The first ride is about 5:00 am and the last is about 5:30 pm. It is also slightly more difficult to get to, requiring additional transportation to the Sheraton from Campus. Its about $15 one way to the airport, so its still a pretty cheap option. Advance reservation required, you can make those on the website.

3. Ann Arbor Airport Shuttle. A substantial price step, but still a great option, the Ann Arbor Airport Shuttle is a private company that runs from about 6 am to 8 pm (some days they will pick up between 4 am and 6 am for an extra fee). It is a $32 ride one way, in a shuttle van. Often there are a few people on the shuttle, but you only need to book for one person. They will call you to let you know they are five minutes away, and to call you outside if you need. Only real downside, you actually have to wait on other people instead of taking a bus that moves with or without latecomers. This, however, has proved to be a very reliable service. Reservations must be made at least 24 hours in advance, more information can be found here.

4. Ann Arbor Cab. One of the many cab options in Ann Arbor, this one seems to have the most convenient airport rides. Rides are available 24 hours a day, airport rides with a reservation 24 hours in advance. They have a special that is $39 to the airport for students, they claim an extra $10 fee for the way home. If you need a specific or unusual time, this is a good option. Information on making reservations can be found on their website.

If none of these options meet your needs, there are a host of other options. They may all be found on the visiting Ann Arbor website. 

In Pursuit of Books

On this beautiful Sunday, setting up with some coffee and reading at the UGLi seems like the perfect way to spend the afternoon. The best part of it though, is that I did not have to pay for any of the school-related material I am reading! The important lesson of this post is that while many professors provide you with long lists of books to buy, there is almost always another way to find these materials that is both faster, and cheaper. Here are a few of the resources I have found over the years:

C-Tools. This is the first place you should check. Professors will usually tell you if they post material here, but it is always important to ask. Often times this is the place where professors will put PDFs, webpages etc. of readings for the class.

Google Books. This is not a full-proof method, but I have often found it helpful in the past. The University of Michigan was one of the first institutions to be apart of the Google Books Library project. This project, initiated by University of Michigan alum and Google founder Larry Page, is attempting to organize information by making it easier to find relevant books. Often times I can find almost all of the pages I need to read on Google Books, this method saves me from having to leave my room most of the time. To find more information about Google Books Project, you may check it out here.

Libraries. There first thing I do when I get a syllabus is to look and see which books are in the University library system. Since the University of Michigan libraries are all interconnected and since the University has partnerships with libraries all over the region, it is hard to find a book the library does not have. There are a few ways to access books at the library:

1. Check Them Out. Many books can be checked out of the library and kept for a several weeks at a time. In order to find out these books, check out the University Library System. That can be found here.
2. View Them Temporarily. Often times professors will put required books on reserve at the library. These books can be checked out for 4 hours at a time (bonus tip: if you check it out after 9 pm at night, you can keep it until 8 am the next morning!). This is a great method because it forces you schedule time to do work, but it allows you to use a book for as long as you need it and then get it back out of your life. Be aware, especially if the professor advertises it, a few people in your class may be taking advantage of this method. Be careful to allow yourself time, in case the book is already checked out when you get there.
3. Read them Online. Some of the University's books are actually available, in full, on the library website. This is rare, but it does happen. If this is the case, the book will be listed as "Available Online" in the University Library System and all you have to do is sign in to find it. This is how I did my reading today.

Department Learning Centers. Most departments at the University have a learning center. Two of the most major are the Science Learning Center (SLC) in the Chemistry Building, and the Language Learning Center in North Quad. These are not only great places to go for help, but often times they have spare textbooks on hand. If you are ever missing a textbook, it might be a good chance to check your local learning center to see if you can borrow what you need.

The bottom line is that you never need to spend as much as you think on textbooks. There is almost always the book on campus available to you. Before you decide to take the plunge, explore a little on campus, see what you can find!