Surviving College Without a Car

By Sarabeth

I go to a school of about 50,000 students, in a metropolitan area of approx. 1.6 million. It’d be a bit redundant to tell you that driving is an issue. A parking permit at my school alone will set you back $700. Plus, you have to move your car for all home sporting events and any other time the school says, “Hey, the space is ours, we’re taking it back.”

For everyone else out there who will be walking (literally) in my shoes this fall, here are some ideas to get you by…

Getting back home: Just because you’re without a car, doesn’t mean everyone else is. This is the one instance where I think bribing is ok. Be nice and offer to help pay for the gas. It goes a long way.

Getting around town: It’s called walking. It’s what people did before cars. It’s good for the environment, and good for you. So strech out those legs every now and then. Heck, even a bike will suffice. But if you need to go somewhere a bit out of walking/biking distance, looking into public transit is a good idea. Most college towns have a bus system, and you can look up the routes online. In my case, it’s free for students, but just in case, I’d start saving coins if I were you. And if you really are just the laziest person in the world, buy a Vespa.

Getting to class: My campus is huge, and parking on campus is pretty much non existant. If you live on campus, be sure to leave with enough time to actually get there. There’s no longer a “drive 80 on back roads to get to school” option. You have to hoof it.

Getting around for fun: In high school, my friends and I would cram in a car and just drive. We’d roll the window’s down and blast the radio. Well, I don’t do that very often anymore (except for the occasional late night pancake run). But a good replacement is a group bike ride. Get your friends together and try to go somewhere none of you have been before. Find a quiet park or a restaraunt that you haven’t tried yet. It’s an adventure and a good work out. And as for the blasting radio, just start singing. Seriously, just sing. More than likely your friends will join in.