Jose Gonzalez-Campelo/The Cougar
In The Cougar’s bi-weekly anonymous advice column, I talk about the Metro rail and on-campus jobs. To submit your questions for future issues, click the Dear Denise button on our home page.
Do you have any advice on the Metro rail? Is it safe? Reliable? Does it cost money?
I capital L love the Metro rail. It gets the job done in terms of moving around Houston at an affordable price. If you have never ridden before, you should ride with someone already familiar with the system. If you don’t know anyone who has used the rail before, go during the day to test it.
I use Google Maps to plan my Metro trips. Let’s say I want to go to Brass Tacks, a cute little coffee shop in the East Downtown area. I would type in Brass Tacks on Google maps and click the train icon to the right of the car icon. It gives instructions on all public transportation, but since I only want to use the Metro rail, I can personalize my view by clicking the options button. From there, it tells me which train stop to get on and how many stops I have until I need to get off. Through your journey, Google Maps will track where you are, so you can visualize how far you have left.
The Metro rail is like an Uber, Lyft, or a friend’s car in terms of safety. You never know what will happen, so staying alert is essential. I would refrain from having two headphones in just for general safety. When I ride alone, I always alert a friend and ask them to watch my location until I reach my destination.
Visit the UH parking and transportation website to learn more about pricing for the rail! It’s so cheap with our student discount.
The Metro sometimes gets a bad rap, but I think it’s due to people not understanding how it works. If this is you, I challenge you to ask yourself why you are so afraid of a train.
Stay safe, and enjoy using the Metro rail! It’s always a good time.
Should I get an on-campus job? Is it worth it?
The semester is almost over, so I don’t know if it’s worth it now, but I think you should apply next semester if you are interested. On-campus jobs are perfect for someone who doesn’t have a car but wants to work. I’ve tried to apply for on-campus employment, and even though I have never had any luck, you might.
Any job is worth it, so I empower you to apply! If you hate it, just quit.
