Repost for normals: Taking a car to college-y/n?

"VonBelmont" (jvonbelmont)
01/31/2015 at 11:11 • Filed to: Repost

So a couple of the colleges I'm looking at offer freshman parking, and my mother absolutely refuses to let me take a car to college. She thinks I'll just use it for "boozing and cruising" like my brothers did, which is seriously something I'd never do. The only things I would use it for would be trips to the store, heading to/from home in case of emergency, or maybe (emphasis on maybe)dropping a friend off at their house before break. I do not have the wild-streak my brothers do, especially when it comes to alcohol and drugs. Believe me, I know.

It would be better to have it and not need it than need it and not have it, and frankly I'm not going to rely on other people or (shudder) buses for transportation. The colleges I'm looking at are mostly rural (one being in freaking FarmVille, VA-seriously, that's it's name!)

So, yay/nay on taking a car to college?

Funny BMW ad for your time.

DISCUSSION (21)

sm70- why not Duesenberg? > VonBelmont
01/31/2015 at 11:13

I want too, but my dad says having a car freshman year is pointless, depending on the college. We shall see though.

JKER > VonBelmont
01/31/2015 at 11:14

Public transportation sucks. Especially for getting groceries I would think. Take the car, you won't regret having it.

Side note: I didn't have a wild streak or use drugs or alcohol before I went to college either.

VonBelmont > JKER
01/31/2015 at 11:16

What about after?

Brian Silvestro > VonBelmont
01/31/2015 at 11:16

FUCK taking public transportation. The second they allowed me to bring a car to college I did, and never looked back. So fucking great.

KatzManDu > VonBelmont
01/31/2015 at 11:16

It depends on the college and its location, really. If it's an urban campus and everything is within a few blocks, then it may not make sense. I went to college in a rural community and had on-campus parking. 99% of my school was within a square mile, so I walked everywhere, but having a car was a status symbol (then again, this was 1996-7.) The car was very useful *wink* — even for trips to Wal-Mart or to pick up food.

BeaterGT > VonBelmont
01/31/2015 at 11:16

I wouldn't for freshman year. Enjoy the alcohol and drugs

Flat Six > VonBelmont
01/31/2015 at 11:17

It depends in your school. My school was somewhat urban and having a car was impractical. Most things were walkable/bikable/busable. For everything else I could bum a ride. If you go to a more rural school you might need a car to not die of starvation or boredom.

JKER > VonBelmont
01/31/2015 at 11:19

Still in college so....

TopSirloin > VonBelmont
01/31/2015 at 11:19

Take the car. You don't need another excuse to sit around the dorm or whatever. Taking short road trips on 3-day weekends or what have you is also a nice perk.

VonBelmont > Flat Six
01/31/2015 at 11:20

Pretty much all of the schools I'm looking at are rural.

Cebu > VonBelmont
01/31/2015 at 11:22

The college I'm going to go to doesn't even offer freshman parking, but I'm still taking a car.

Why?

Because it's ruddy cold in Boone...

qbeezy > VonBelmont
01/31/2015 at 11:27

Where is your college located? Rural or metro? If rural, yeah you'll need it. If the school has good public transport like OSU does, then it won't be an issue. You never want to have to rely on others for transportation. I didn't bring my car for two years and it was horrible. Till I found the school bus routes.

Cherry_man1 > VonBelmont
01/31/2015 at 11:32

absolutely take one. No questions asked.

f86sabre > VonBelmont
01/31/2015 at 11:38

Purdue didn't allow freshmen to have cars. So yeah, had to beg for rides from questionable upperclassmen, I took Amtrak home once and had to share a rental car from Chicago to Minnapolis with a scared cooed and two older guys who wanted to smoke pot while we drove. Told them no on that one and I took over the wheel at that point. This was all 20 years ago though. I did live through it.

Funktheduck > VonBelmont
01/31/2015 at 11:45

I did. It got door dinged to hell and back. Random scratches too. I was also the go to guy for getting around town. There were a few of us that had cars so it wasn't always me, but I found it hard to say know when someone asked for a ride to Walmart since the bus ride there took 30+ minutes and I could drive it in 10

Amoore100 > VonBelmont
01/31/2015 at 11:54

Hah, one of the seniors at my high school has a great E38 that I'm jealous of...perfect condition as well, save for a crack in the rear plastic skirting...

benjaminW123 > VonBelmont
01/31/2015 at 11:57

I enjoy having my car at college, but it is necessary since I go to college in a small and spread out town in Mississippi. I'd say take it, because having a car in college is useful for getting things done on your own.

Noah - Now with more boost. > VonBelmont
01/31/2015 at 12:16

I think that depends entirely on where your school is, and how often you'd use your car? Personally, I'd never do college without a car, unless I lived in the city. Relying on others/spotty public transportation to get anywhere gets annoying very quickly. Need to run a quick errand? Too bad! Take a girl out on a date? Bus time!

revrseat70 > VonBelmont
01/31/2015 at 13:26

I seriously can't imagine any of my college years without a car. Cannot fathom it. I went to Alabama. And Tuscaloosa has everything you need. But getting back to visit family, going from place to place (running errands or whatever) T-town was just big enough that you had to have a car... especially a rural school would just be awful. I'm just too independent to ask for rides. But you kinda have to listen to the folks paying your way sometimes.

Flat Six > VonBelmont
01/31/2015 at 13:33

Get a car!

bhardoin > VonBelmont
01/31/2015 at 18:37

Depends on your situation. Pick one:

YOU NEED A CAR:
-You won't be fed by a school cafeteria, and you'll have to go to the grocery store or go out to eat.
-You will need to haul things at least weekly - ex: bikes, instruments, hardware for school projects.
-You actually need to commute to school, and public transport isn't an option.
-You won't have to rely on potentially drunk people to get home from parties/outings. This is THE counter-mom argument. It's almost certain that she would prefer you trust your judgement rather than have to rely on someone else's.

YOU DON'T NEED A CAR:
-You will be able to get rides from somebody in your dorm if you need to go anywhere - freshman always travel in packs.
-If you bring a car, you WILL be "the guy with a car", and you WILL have to give people rides.
-Parking on campus is expensive.
-Campus parking is probably the most dangerous place on earth to park a vehicle.

My general recommendation: get a bike to get around, and if you find out that the convenience of a car is really gonna be worth the expense then you can get one. You'll probably find that you spend a ton of time on campus/in dorms/mooching off the kid whose parents were foolish enough to get him a car.