Tucked away from the downtown core, Carleton’s campus can feel a bit isolated at times, with large and confusing OC Transpo maps being the only guide to Ottawa’s public transit system.

Things have changed this year with the introduction of the U-Pass pilot program, which gives students a year-long transit pass paid for in student’s tuition fees.

The U-Pass is mandatory for all full-time Carleton students and costs $145 per semester.

There was controversy when the project was first suggested because many students who said they would not use the pass wanted the chance to opt out of the program.

After the city approved the plan for Carleton and the University of Ottawa, the Carleton University Students’ Association (CUSA) and the Graduates Students’ Association (GSA) each held a referendum. In both cases, over 70 per cent of voters approved the U-Pass, although some controversy remains.

The U-Pass can be picked up until Sept. 24 in Porter Hall.

But getting the U-Pass is only half of the job.

Next you need to know how to get to and from school or to various locations in Ottawa.

OC Transpo suggests using Travel Planner on its website to figure out the best route for you, but the several routes that come through Carleton’s campus should get you anywhere you need to be.

Routes 4 Downtown and 7 St. Laurent run seven days a week and can take students all the way downtown to the Rideau Centre, Parliament Hill and the Byward Market.

Route 117 Baseline, which only runs through the week, goes west towards Algonquin College.

Students also have the option of the O-Train, which runs every 15 minutes from campus starting at 6:30 a.m. and ending just after 11:30 p.m.

The eight kilometre light-rail service runs from South Keys to Bayview, which is just west of downtown Ottawa.

The South Keys Shopping Centre features a Loblaws, Future Shop, Wal-Mart, Chapters and Cineplex.

So while you will most likely spend most of your time locked in your room with your nose in your textbook, be sure to get out every once in a while to discover campus and to see what Ottawa has to offer.