Attention student drivers: you might want to crack the books more diligently.

Our over-populated school can’t provide a parking spot for everyone, so it’s first come, first served for students who are willing to pay the overwhelming price for a spot just a few feet away from the lower level entrances.

It is bad enough that the price of a parking spot has increased to a whopping $200, but what makes it even worse is the lack of spots to supply all drivers. On top of that, the seniority rightly plays in as well.

Students do not want to leave their houses at the crack of dawn to get a spot on Rolling. Taking that ten minute walk from Hillside is even worse. If there’s even a hint of precipitation, then scavenging for a spot becomes more difficult than normal, and snow makes it nearly impossible since plows push the snow into potential parking spots.

One way to better the situation that so many students dread each morning would to change the system of distributing parking spots.

Parking lotteries offer students a chance to gain one of these parking spots, and right now, they are won completely by the luck of the contestants.

Why not give out these parking spots based on merit instead?

Merit-based parking spots would not only give over-achievers a reward for all their hard work, but it would also be a way to encourage other students who normally slack off to spend more time studying and doing homework.

Parking spots given out to students with the highest GPA who apply, rather than whoever’s name is randomly chosen out of the hat, would likely improve grades for the entire school.

With that being said, students with higher a GPA are also more likely to have better attendance than students who don’t try as hard in school.

While that may not always be the case, it is more common. For that reason, a student who shows up to school more should have the pass over someone who skips. On days when the student doesn’t show up, that parking spot is just going to waste, so it puts them to better use as well.

It would be a good incentive scholastically to give students the chance to win parking spots according to the work they put in, instead of by the luck of the draw.