All UO students have access to the city-wide bus system free of charge. You just show your student ID when you board. Buses can drop you right on campus from all over town. There are bike paths all over town, many of which are seperate from automobile traffic. Many students do not own cars.
Doctoral students can begin working in a lab the summer before they begin classes.
For some students, this provides a way to get settled into graduate life before classes are added to the mix. Summers in Eugene are worth waiting for. Winters are mild and wet, with sunbreaks in between. Average winter temperatures are 53 degrees. Rain in the winter provides for the lush green of summer - and a chance to get work done in the lab.