When I first decided to attend the University of Georgia, I noticed that a large majority of incoming students were talking about cars, parking, and permits. This initially came as a surprise to me because both of my siblings were not allowed to park on campus during freshman year. If they wanted to bring a car, they had to find parking elsewhere – forcing the majority of their classmates to leave their cars back home. If I pleaded and bargained enough with my parents, I may have been allowed to bring a car for my first-year in Athens, but did not see any importance. Yet, after being on campus going on 4 months, I realize that UGA has a culture where driving back home every football-less weekend is a routine.

Don't get me wrong – having a car on campus has great benefits. Students can go grocery shopping, get around campus quicker and explore the community around the university. However, here at UGA, cars have lead students to become "Weekday Warriors," a term I first learned in John Green's book Looking For Alaska. Weekday warriors are those students who remain on-campus during the week, usually with a lively campus-life, yet head back home right when class lets out on Fridays. If this sounds familiar, it should because UGA is full of them.

Nothing against going home on the weekends, the majority of these said students usually stay on campus when there is a football game or any other large event, but as one of those students who does not have the privilege of having a car on campus – the one negative of UGA is the lack of students on the weekends. Yes, with approximately 30,000 undergrad students, the campus is not vacant, yet every weekend where there is not an event where attendance is expected, the great migration is more than likely to occur.

These behaviors are completely understandable, the university is comprised of over 80% in-state students and paired with the opportunity to have a car, many students take advantage of their ability to come-and-go as they please. Still, eliminating cars for first-year students will force many more students to remain on campus during the weekends – experiencing all that college has to offer and more. It always seems as though there is nothing to do on the weekends because of the lack of students on and around campus – though, this can easily change.

At the end of the day, I do not believe that the university would remove the privilege of cars for freshmen, but feel as though more students should understand that leaving campus every weekend is not as fun as staying on campus. I am not trying to hate on these "Weekday Warriors" because at times, I have wished that I was one of them. Being able to go home as you please sounds nice. Meeting up with your friends from high school and family would come in handy every so often. I have visited home once so far and will be honest, I loved it; however, going back home every weekend is not experiencing college to the fullest.

The way to fix the problem is with you – UGA students. Maybe you have your mom's birthday party this weekend and the weekend after is a school break – don't worry, continue to go home as you please. But maybe, just maybe, stay on campus for a weekend where there is no big and flashy football or basketball game. Maybe stay on campus when the largest party of the year is not scheduled. Maybe stay on campus just one weekend where the university may be empty because while being a "Weekday Warrior" has its perks, staying in Athens during an entire week will help you to understand that sometimes home is actually where the Arch is.