Getting to class: is there one fastest way?

Paths, walkways, bridges, courtyards, circles, streets, construction detours, diagonals, bike lanes… ..which combination is the most direct route?!

Once on campus, I’m constantly calculating and recalculating what would be the fastest, most efficient way of getting from point A, my entry point, to point B, my destination point.

I enter somewhere along the south side of campus. Nearly all my classes are on the northeast side of campus. Usually I walk at a diagonal vaguely in the direction of my destination.

Sometimes I’ll alter my usual route by taking a slight right instead of the straight path, or cutting through a field instead of walking around, or going directly up a hill and along the top instead of entering a building and taking the stairs.

All these minor changes mean nothing without constant time-checks. I’m noting as the minutes tick away, calculating how far I have yet to walk, how long it should reasonably take to get to class, and how much time I have until I’m officially late.

It sums up neatly like this:

cT= Current Time ToL= Time until I’m officially late Tst= How long it should take to get to class

ToL-cT/Tst = How fast I need to walk

The rate at which I walk is directly effected by cT, ToL and Tst

So, sometimes I get to poke around at a stroll, stopping, pausing, getting things in and out of my bag and listening to calming music that I sometimes sing along with under my breath. Other times I simply must book it – resisting answering my ringing phone ’cause it’ll only slow me down, and selecting super-fast working out music on my iPod.

There is a certain synchronicity with my walking speed, the music on my iPod, and my ToL-cT/Tst ratio.