You wake up. It’s 8:50 in the morning.

Your 9 a.m. class at Lincoln Hall is in 10 minutes and your alarm didn’t go off to wake you. Lucky for you, your bike is waiting just outside your dorm to cut down your travel time significantly.

Bringing a bike to school might not seem like a need to you at first, but it can help you out in so many ways.

From getting to class faster, traveling to lectures at the other end of campus more conveniently, and not having to stuff yourself into a “standing-room barely” bus, a bike is great to have around.

While a bike could be seen as a convenience rather than a necessity, it is an easy-to-have luxury.

Bike racks are located all around campus, from lecture halls to dorms, and there are bike paths all around the Quad and major streets like Gregory and Armory streets.

Sean Schwartz, a sophomore in LAS, used his bike all of freshman year.

“A bike was really nice for being able to sleep in,” Schwartz said.

“My first class of the day was on the other end of campus, and I would have to get up 20 minutes earlier than I did to get there if I didn’t have a bike. It really came in handy.”

Another great part of having a bike is getting to places off campus. The Savoy Theatre is about 3 miles from the Quad, and downtown Champaign is about 2.5 miles away. Having a bike can make this journey a lot easier.

Let’s face it. There is still that looming thought about the “Freshman 15” to think about as well. Living in the dorms and having all-you-can-eat, high calorie meals is an easy way to put on a few pounds. When you are getting your dance on at Joe’s and booty rolling on the stripper poles, you want to look good. So you need to work out. Boom. You have a bike.

The bike paths all around campus allow for long workout rides that can help you keep off weight and stay fit.

This is just another great part of bringing a bike to campus.

So whether it’s for recreational, exercise or convenience purposes, a bike has many ways of making college life a little easier. If you need something that gets you around campus faster, has cheap upkeep, and unlimited miles per gallon, a bike is the obvious pick.