Our Opinion: Administrative authorities need to plan for the future in terms of layout for parking and scenery.

This time of the semester brings a headache to several students’ heads as papers, projects and presentations pile up with no end in sight.

There is something else on this campus that delivers headaches, although it’s a problem day after day — parking.

Driving up and down rows of filled spots looking for “the one” is time-consuming and stressful. After all, you’re just looking for a place to stash your car for a couple of hours while in class … not a spouse.

Parking a car takes a couple of seconds, but on N.C. State’s campus, it has become a task that requires a time slot of several minutes in your daily agenda and can make or break your good mood for the day.

So the solution for this is easy, right? Just slap up a couple of parking decks where there’s some spare room, such as some grassy areas.

But this only serves as a catalyst for the ongoing issue with campus beautification — or lack thereof, in our case.

The Court of North Carolina is probably one of the most beautiful spot on main campus. Aside from that one scenic splendor, our campus is lacking in terms of dwelling spots. We all know The Princeton Review thinks the main campus leaves a little to be desired, since it ranked us the 17th ugliest in the nation.

But Centennial Campus has the right idea. It has oodles of parking decks and lots, as well as trees and other pleasant greeneries with a river running through it.

One thing Centennial Campus has that main campus is lacking is planning.

This University started out as a small institute of higher education and has expanded into a powerhouse with a population of students, faculty and staff that leaves the existing campus busting at its seams. So, at the time, it was hard to plan for growth because how could they have known this University would need this much space?

But Centennial Campus proves that planning allows for future elbow room and a more enjoyable experience — both for visitors who make special trips for tours or events and for students, faculty and staff who are on campus daily.

So what main campus can learn from its mistake and Centennial Campus’ success is to begin planning now. We need smarter parking.

Don’t take away from the campus to add more. Add to what it already has.

Think about tomorrow today.