As juniors prepare to become seniors next year, a seemingly insignificant yet important question comes to mind. What parking spot do I choose?

The school parking lot has a total of 197 parking spaces open for seniors. But which spot is the best? Is it best to be close to the school or further away? Which spots are the easiest to park in? This article will cover all you need to know about parking spot selection.

The best area to park in is the blue zone (see photo). This includes the two strips closest to the school, the first row of spots (159–198) and the first four spots in row two (140–143). But from these spots, which is the best?

At first, the spots closest to the school (196–198) might appear to be the best in the lot. While these spots do provide close, easy access to the building, logistically, they are a nightmare. Students in these spots are in the middle of the parent drop-off lane, making entry and exit difficult. They can either go straight into the spot, which makes exiting impossible, or they can back into their spot, which is difficult to do in the morning with parents trying to drop their students off. Recent graduate Shelby Parsons parked in space 197. “I like how my spot is close to the school, but it’s hard to get into when the parents don’t respect my turn signals. The parents will often pull up right behind me when I try to back into my spot,” Parsons said.

The first row of parking is the best in the lot, with the best spot being 173. This spot is ideal because it is close to the school, easy to park in and quick to exit. The student with this spot can quickly leave the lot in the afternoon because they don’t need to back into the spot and instead can pull straight through it when they leave.

The next best place to park is the green zone, followed by the yellow zone. These areas are not too far from the school, and students don’t need to wait in the carpool line for too long before they can enter or exit their spots. However, as these spots are in the center of the lot, if drivers aren’t quick to get to their cars, they will get caught in the traffic of drivers trying to exit the lot after school. “I’m pretty happy with my spot,” former yellow zone parker and recent graduate Kevin Glaser said prior to graduation. “I do wish that I had done my research on which spot I was getting before taking it.”

The worst of the four zones to park in is the red zone. This area is far from the school, meaning that students with these spots have a long walk from their cars to the building and they are slow to get back to their cars once school gets out. Also, despite being right next to the lot exit, students in these spots have to wait through the entire parent carpool line when they are trying to leave. The only benefit of these spots is their proximity to the office entrance, which is helpful if a student has a first-period class in the art or science hallway.

While getting a parking spot may be an easily overlooked part of senior year, a good parking spot can help you start off every day of the year on the right foot. “I’m really excited to have a parking spot next year and I’m going to try my hardest to get a good one,” junior Tati Pacheco said.