When you move off-campus, one of the things that can become an issue is transportation.
It’s relatively easy to live on campus and do without wheels. When you move even a few miles away, living without a car can present new challenges.
There are many reasons for trying to do without a car while you’re in college. The expense is the obvious reason. You can probably save hundreds if not thousands of dollars a year if you don’t have to make car payments or buy gas and oil. Without a car, you don’t have to worry about unexpected maintenance, insurance costs and other hefty expenses.
On the flip side, obviously, living without a car can present some challenges. If you live on a bus line or have a bike, you can get just about anywhere. Problems can arise when you need to transport a large amount of something from somewhere. Grocery purchases are definitely limited when you ride a bike. If you can work out grocery shopping chores with roommates who have a car, or if the market is on the bus line, that problem also goes away.
Basically, you don’t have to have a car when you move off campus. Thousands of students live without one every day.
Before you make the decision to forgo using a car as your mode of transportation, make sure your apartment community is close to public transit.
Another option for students who don’t have a car despite living off-campus, is to use Uber or similar taxi service. The absence of a car means that you will have more money in your pocket, because you don’t have to make car payments or pay for gas. With this extra money, you can use a Uber or another taxi service a couple time per week to get to restaurants or groceries if you don’t have access to a buddy’s car.
Note: Don’t use Uber or a taxi to get to class or as your regular mode of transportation: the cab fare will quickly add up.
Like every decision you make, evaluate the alternatives, then pick the one that’s best for you. Car or no car, you can still manage in an apartment if you know what you’re getting into and plan accordingly.
Do you have any other transportation solutions for getting around campus? Let us know about it in the comment section.
Equal Housing Opportunity
4 Comments. Leave new
Yes when I moved into my College apartment I ended up having to by a scooter. Much cheaper than a car but still you are limited. Next time I am looking to move into a new College apartment I will use some of the tips here to help with my decision
This is really dependent on where you live, too. A short walk might not seem so short in a blizzard or heatwave, or if you have to carry a lot of groceries. My roommates and I got a better deal on an apartment when we moved further off campus than most other students, but even with buses, I would hate to imagine what it’d be like if none of us had a car!
I can’t imagine not having a car in college! But, I also work off campus and also live in an off campus apartment, so I think that it’s just way easier to have my own, dependable transportation.
[…] your new apartment is directly across the street from campus, you need to know how you will get to campus every day including when it rains or gets cold. Here are a few college transportation related […]