For many students who aren't natives of Western New York, the prerogative is getting home as soon as possible when exam week rolls around.
For those who hail from outside the area, travel options from campus have become more plentiful, affordable and efficient. Jet Blue airlines, Greyhound Bus lines and Amtrak railways offer comprehensive services to get people to and from the UB area.
Even for those who have waited until this point to check out the fares, most ticket prices are not astronomical. As of Saturday, making immediate reservations for the midpoint of final exam week -- Dec. 12 -- is not impossible.
Barring major snow delays, air travel is the fastest but most costly way to go.
Jet Blue offers flights to John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York City at a standard rate of $109.00 for a one-way ticket in the coming week, a flight that takes about one hour and 15 minutes.
However, trains and busses offer more local service as well as cheaper prices.
Greyhound is the most comprehensive bus carrier in the state. It stops in almost every city between Niagara Falls and the Port Authority Bus Terminal in New York.
A one-way bus trip from the Buffalo bus station on Ellicott Street downtown to New York without transfers costs $69 standard and takes at least seven hours and 15 minutes according to listed departure and arrival times.
Amtrak offers slightly more pricey transportation. Taking the train to Pennsylvania Station costs $75, taking on average seven and a half hours.
Ruth Kleinman, a junior majoring in psychology and sociology who has a car at UB, flew from Buffalo to her home in Long Island before she brought a car to campus.
"My freshman year I had no car here, so I used JetBlue to travel home because it was a great price if booked enough in advance and was so quick that booking a nine hour train ride seemed hardly worth it," Kleinman said. "The food and snacks are great, and flight attendants are fantastic. Not to mention that getting your own TV screen with over 20 channels."
Kleinman said that even though she has her own vehicle now, the cost of gas makes driving home just as expensive, if not more expensive than flying.
"Now that I have my car here with me at UB, I drive my car home for longer breaks so I have it while I'm home," she said. "This ends up being the same cost in gas money as a cheap Jet Blue flight."
Many students who live just north of the New York metropolitan area say that they prefer to take the bus or train because flying to JFK is inconvenient.
Fares and travel times from Buffalo to Poughkeepsie are comparable for both trains and busses.
Allison Woodin, a junior mathematics major from the Poughkeepsie area, said that while she prefers the comfort of a train, they often run late.
"I usually take the train, because I'm less likely to get bus sick on a train," Woodin said. "However, I don't think I have ever been on a train between Buffalo and Albany that wasn't at least an hour late."
John Sullivan, a freshman psychology major from the Albany area, chooses to ride the rails for the aesthetic pleasure.
"I would take the train, because although I suppose I would consider cost most important, nine dollars is not enough of a difference for me to sacrifice the pleasure I derive from a train ride," said Sullivan. "I consider half an hour to be more or less negligible."
Buses are often the only option for students who live in the state's Southern Tier. The standard one-way fare from Buffalo to Binghamton is $37. The ride takes approximately four and a half hours.
Students from the Syracuse area generally take busses or trains. Alex Bohn, a junior physics major, chooses to bus it to his Syracuse-area home on account of costs and flexible departure times.
"I think what's most important is cost," said Bohn. "With a student advantage card it only costs me $27.20 one way and I usually get there in three and half hours."
