Getting one's license is one of a young adult's biggest accomplishments, or so they say. However, not everyone meets these milestones at the same time. In movies, they always make it seem like a given that a teenager got a car for his or her 16th birthday, and I thought that was to be expected until I was old enough to understand the magnitude of such a present. Now I am beyond 16, and I'm not only car-less but license-less; they don't make as many '80s movies about that. Yet sometimes things just work out in such a manner: different from expectations. Here are some things that I've learned to be true as a college student without a license:
1. Everybody and their mother automatically assume that you can drive.
It's hardly even a question at this point. People figure that you've been at legal driving age for awhile now, and so you must have your license. And when you tell them that it's not the case, it's usually followed by a, "Wait, really?" or a "How?!"
2. When you tell people that you don't drive, they assume that there's a specific reason why not.
For many people that I've talked to, the need to have a license was simply not there; and so, it was not sought after. Yet people are often very shocked to learn that you are still unlicensed.
3. Everyone around you talks about how they miss their cars, and you really can't relate.
I miss my family's cars, sure, but I'm not thinking it's the same type of longing.
4. There is an even bigger difference between the freedom at college and the freedom at home.
This is probably especially true since I attend college in the city, but when I need to go somewhere, I do it without a second thought. At home I need to wait until someone is available to drive me or the local bus comes around. With the latter route, It always ends up a more complicated outing.
5. And that is a good enough reason to motivate you to at least think about getting your license in the foreseeable future.
I, for one, got my permit this past winter break to start moving forward with that process. Once there's been a taste of that independence, it's much harder to go without.
6. While your parents were tired of driving you around before you went to college, they don't mind it as much now.
Asking your parents to drive you places means that they feel needed again, and this is something that some parents miss, especially if you are the first child to leave the nest. Time in between destinations is also extra time to be spent with you!
7. You've gotten used to being in charge of the music when you drive with your friends.
You're never the one who gets to drive your friends around, so you pretty much expect now that you'll be in control of the music. Not quite as important of a job, but important nonetheless.
8. You feel like an adult in a lot of ways, but the lack of total mobility does make a difference in that regard.
This has to do with the preconception of adulthood that a lot of us had growing up. Most adults that I knew as a child had a car, and that was a key in my identifying adults as different from children.
9. You save a whole lot of money.
So, maybe it isn't all negative! Car insurance and gas are very demanding costs. On average, including payments for the car itself, drivers will spend $22,750 within five years on all car-related expenses. Bikers and commuters on public transportation spend roughly $1,535 dollars within five years on transportation costs (Biking vs. Driving Calculator). This adds up especially during college years. However, the advantages of having a car are most often worth the hefty costs in the long run.
10. While being license-less can be a pain in the butt, it isn't the end of the world.
Many people nowadays don't even need cars as staple transportation, especially those who live or work in a city. For those of us who only notice our lack of a license now during semester breaks, we've already been chauffeured around for 18+ years just fine. Some of us just take our strides at a difference pace; we'll all be on the road eventually.
