This time of year usually begins the debate between parents and students as to whether or not they truly need a car on campus.  I remember it well.  I began college carless, but by the end of September my mom caved and let me bring my car to school.  There was no public transportation off-campus available and my younger brother was not old enough to drive anyway.

At the time I did have to pay a parking fee (that was minimal) and I was sentenced to a parking lot on the far outskirts of campus…if I wanted to drive somewhere, I was going to have to walk first to do it.  My school did not want students driving to class from their dorm rooms, and that was their way of making sure the campus remained pedestrian friendly.  With more and more students wanting to take their car to schools, parking availability has become a hot commodity.  Oftentimes there are more requests for parking than there are slots available.  What’s a college to do?

Many are encouraging students to bring bicycles to campus, in some circumstances even offering incentives for students to leave their car at home and bring their bike (or get a discounted one through the college) instead.  While this mode of transportation may not be convenient for the person looking to go grocery shopping, it is certainly a viable option to commute to their classroom building.

Other colleges are promoting the use of public transit.  Depending on your college’s location, urban versus rural, this option may or may not be realistic for you.  But the more you can take public transit, the more you can save on the ever-increasing gas prices.  Let’s face it, as a college student you have zero discretionary funds.  Why spend your hard-earned money on gas when a more affordable option is available?

What are your thoughts on bringing a car to college?

Val