Campus Challenge:

It is a question asked by every student who chooses to live in on-campus housing: What is the best way to get to class from my dorm?

The use of the Eagle Express shuttles is popular, but many students find that alternative methods of transportation are more likely to get them to class on time.

Eagle News conducted an experiment to see what was the quickest way to make it to campus fromNorth Lake Village. We tested the shuttles, walking, longboarding and biking.

Getting to the main campus from any bus stop in NLV generally takes from three to eight minutes, depending on where the bus stop is on the NLV route and on traffic variations.

Allison Serraes, a sophomore majoring in English, has lived in the dorms since her freshman year. For her, the decision to walk or take the shuttle depends on a couple of factors.

"If it's closer to class time, I chose to walk because it's quicker than taking the shuttle," Serraes said.

The wait for the shuttle is a common deciding factor. On average, students waited up to fifteen minutes for the Eagle Express shuttle to arrive at their bus stop.In total, there are six Eagle Express shuttles.

David Shepard, a freshman majoring in biology, has never felt the need to use the shuttle. Even deterrents such as rainy weather have not stopped Shepard from riding his bicycle to class every day.

"It takes less than five minutes to get to campus on my bike and it's so much more convenient to be able to come and leave campus whenever I want without having to wait for a shuttle," Shepard said.

Due to the uncertainty of shuttle wait-times, walking may prove the quicker alternative for residents of NLV.

On average, it takes 7 and a half minutes to walk from the NLV Commons to the Student Union, Eagle News found.

Amberose Courville, a freshman majoring in art, believes that the benefits of walking to campus extend beyond just saving time.

"You get to enjoy the beauty of the campus. It's also healthy and it makes you feel good about yourself to do something active," Courville said.

Although walking may prove faster, some students still prefer the shuttle.

Diana Honorat, a sophomore majoring in nursing, thinks it's more convenient to catch a ride on the Eagle Express.

"I don't walk because I don't want to go to class all sweaty," Honorat said.

Bicycles are another fast way to get to class from on-campus housing. It takes well under five minutes to bike to the main campus from NLV, according to the Eagle News study.

Some students use longboards to save time. Students who use longboards generally take about five minutes to get to campus from the dorms.

Nico Ittah, a freshman majoring in marine science, has been longboarding to campus from South Lake Village ever since the weather grew cooler.

"I get to class in three minutes. It's pretty sick," Ittah said. David Diprato, a freshman majoring in biology, skateboards all the time - even in the heat.

"It's faster than the shuttles and more fun," Diprato said. The shuttle is the slowest method of transportation from NLV to campus. However, the shuttles offer something that biking, walking and longboaring do not - protection from the weather. Randi Lynn Wyatt, a freshman majoring in education, doesn't use the shuttles often but is grateful that they are available.

"Most of the time I walk to campus because it's quicker, and the shuttles get very crowded. But there are days when I just feel like walking, and the shuttles are great on those lazy days," Wyatt said.

Serraes thinks students need to plan ahead to ensure they aren't late to class if they want to ride the shuttle.

"You should give yourself enough time instead of waiting 15 minutes before class to start (to leave)," Serraes said.

Ittah thinks everyone should skip shuttles when they can. "It's a longboard-friendly campus," Ittah said.