If this isn’t your first time here at Sacramento State, then you’ll know exactly what I’m talking about. It’s the first day of class. You stroll in with your iced mocha and blueberry muffin and sit down in your favorite section of the classroom. A few friends walk in the door and you know instantly this class is going to be a good one. You have already had this professor and you know the class is going to be a piece of cake. Then suddenly some jerk sitting behind you opens his big mouth and starts to rant about the number one complaint on campus: parking.

Of course, this starts a huge rolling conversation of this major campus crisis and your perfect morning just went sour. I don’t know about you but most mornings I wake up pretty chipper. So why does everyone feel the need to ruin my day by complaining about such a lame thing like parking?

Really, what did you expect? Did you really think that with 30,000 students, faculty and staff, that you, and only you, would have a spot right up front? Did you think President Gonzalez was going to walk out with a little driver’s cap on and valet your car for you?

It isn’t that we don’t have options. You can always take the Sacramento Regional Transit system. Maybe you have some idea that riding a bus is worse than death. It’s true that oftentimes there are people who are different than you who ride the bus. Maybe you’re not a 50-year-old custodian or a mom of four, but step out of your box and ride with some real people. Maybe soak up some culture.

If the bus just scares you to death then you can always get to school early to park. Who knows, you could even get an RV, park it in Lot 1, and stroll out of your camper and go to class. Although you just might have to buy two parking passes to fit the wider load.

There’s also carpool parking which is not only easier but cheaper.

You could even live on-campus or within walking distance. I think those crazy four out of five doctors say something about walking is kind of good for you. But I could be wrong, though I doubt it.

Or, why not just park wherever is available and go about your day? Do you really need to complain that you had to park by the Alumni Center or overflow and walk 15 minutes to class?

All of these complaints have the same source: we have become a generation of instant gratification. We have cell phones, instant messenger, drive-thrus and Easy Mac. We want everything and we need it when we want it.

Do you understand how many people actually have the opportunity to get a college degree? Do you know the benefits of earning a degree? According to the U.S. Department of Education, college graduates in the U.S. earn nearly twice as much as workers with just a high school diploma. And only 25 percent of our generation actually goes to college.

So is parking really the issue we need to be worrying about? My advice: the next time you come to campus, park your car, put on some John Mayer, and enjoy the walk in. I know I will. Or at the very least, let your fellow students enjoy their blueberry muffins in peace.

Nicki Croly can be reached at [email protected]