Are you a freshman or a sophomore wondering where to go during lunch in the next few years? According to seniors and juniors, there are places to avoid and places that are underrated. As Katelyn Raybell, senior stated, “Some of the most popular places are Starbucks, Mcdonalds and, that new smoothie place, Green Emerald Smoothies.”

With the hundreds of students that leave campus, these places are packed to the brim with people, and many just choose to avoid them. However, there are lots of other places that people choose to go to instead, such as Ristrettos. This is a small coffee shop that also sells baked goods. As Raybell also stated, “Ristrettos is not very expensive but they have raised their rates due to inflation. I think it’s even better than Starbucks though. It’s an 8-minute drive but it feels even shorter.” It’s not too crowded because not as many people know about it, but it has great coffee.

Other incoming juniors worry about the traffic, in fear that they will waste their power hour sitting in their car waiting for restaurants to clear out, or just leaving the student parking lot. However, lots of upperclassmen carpool together in order to reduce the wait times when leaving and entering the school. Many suggest that people new to leaving the school, figure out carpools in order to allow everything to run more smoothly, not just for you but for everyone. It not only allows people to move faster, but it also reduces car pollution which benefits everyone in the long term. Green Team is already planting trees in order to try and offset the carbon emissions that we already produce, so you can do your part to help reduce the amount of pollution that we make.

However, before you leave the campus you have to make sure that you have an off-campus pass or else you will be stopped. You have to renew the pass at the beginning of 2nd semester in order to get off campus. Many seniors also walk to 4 corners to eat. That way they don’t have to drive their car to school, look for parking, and navigate the swarms of people looking to eat. Walking to 4 corners is about a 5-10 minute walk depending on how fast you walk and you don’t have to worry about finding spaces and getting out.

And remember everyone driving is as new to it as you are, so be careful to make sure you have your eyes on the road the whole time and that you brush up on your road etiquette. With so many new drivers and everyone in a rush to get where they need to go, accidents are bound to happen, not just with other cars but with walkers as well. On a less important note having good road etiquette is just as important as respecting your classmates and sparing everyone from road rage.
With just a few more years left in high school, being able to leave the campus can make your last 2 years fun and social.