Summer vacation is over and Cal State LA students look forward to coming back to school.  But for some, their first encounter with the campus after being away for month is the parking.

Coming early to find it. Driving up to an hour. Then, showing up late to class.

That explanation can soften even the most hardened professors.

“And as soon as you say parking they understand why. It’s horrible that we’ve become accustomed to this horrible parking situation,” said anthropology student Carmen Gutierrez.

There is a simple explanation, according to university officials.

Cal State LA is building a new parking structure next to Lot 5: That construction led the campus to temporary lose some existing parking spots, according to the university’s Parking and Transportation website.

Officials from the public safety department said that they’re working hard to try to accommodate students.

For instance, more than  3,000 U passes – or public transit passes  — have been sold for the Fall 2018 session, said Betina Cervantes, a public safety coordinator. That means over 3,000 students are not bringing their car to campus.

“We know that it is very challenging, but this is a program we have had for two years. We hope that students take advantage and make more parking available for those that drive,” Cervantes added.