Should a college student own a car? Is the hassle of student parking and the expense of auto insurance worth it? Are there good alternatives to buying a car, such as a reliable public transportation system or biking trails?
Whether a student ought to have a car depends on his or her personal financial situation, as well as the transportation situation on campus. But there's no doubt that for most students, living without a car is a great way to save money. And here's a great green tip for college students: if you can do without a car, or use a car sparingly, you're helping the environment more than you know.
Here are some questions for college students to ask before investing in an automobile.
How much will the car cost?
This may be the most important factor. If you can do without a car in college, you can almost certainly save a good deal of money and reduce your debt. For starters, cheap car insurance for students can be very hard to come by, especially for young men, and especially if you live in a college town or urban area. Before buying a car, make a realistic assessment of your expenses, which will include:
- Auto insurance
- Registration
- Gas
- Routine maintenance
- Emergency maintenance
- Car payments, if applicable
- Parking expenses and parking ticket fees
How big of a hassle is parking?
On some campuses, student parking is readily available and inexpensive. On other campuses, this is not the case at all! Investigate the situation before you make a decision.
How big of a hassle is traffic?
If you're going to school in a sleepy little town, traffic may not be an issue. But if your school is in a busy urban setting, it may be much less stressful and time consuming to rely on public transportation. Keep driving conditions in mind as well; if you live in an area with regular snowstorms, a bus might be a safer and less stressful alternative.
What's the public transportation situation like?
Investigate this carefully. Some schools go out of their way to make affordable, reliable public transportation available to students, and in some places you can get around very easily without a car. In other places, public transportation can be expensive, unreliable, unsafe, and perhaps nonexistent.
Is biking or walking an option?
There's no better way to work exercise into your busy schedule than by walking or biking to school! Some college towns offer reliable bike path systems and have plenty of housing in walking distance of campus. However, if you go to school in a high crime area or in an area with terrible weather, these might not be realistic options.
Will you need to leave campus often?
If you go home often, have a job far away from campus, or have some other reason to leave campus frequently, a car might be a necessity for you. You might also just want the freedom to leave when needed. If you go to school in a small town with no way out other than a car, the expense and hassle might be worth it to you.
Are car sharing programs available?
Many college campuses are investing in car sharing programs, like Zipcar. These programs allow students to rent cars on an hourly or daily basis for a low price. This allows students to run errands and use a car occasionally without the expense of owning one. Here's more about car sharing programs.
So do you need a car? Some students really do need a vehicle to get to work and other places they need to go. But other students can do without and save quite a bit of money. Consider your sitation carefully before deciding whether or not wheels need to be a part of your college expenses.
For more helpful articles, check out this guide to Money Saving Tips for College Students.
Naomi Rockler-Gladen - Instructional designer and freelance writer, Naomi Rockler-Gladen writes some of Suite101's most read work.
