Attending a primarily commuter school means a majority of the students, including myself, reside so close to the university that they may continue to live at home throughout the school year. Fortunately, my composite ACT score and GPA were enough to earn full tuition to my institution. This achievement resulted in a luxurious option from my parents: Despite the proximity of a world-class university, they would assist in paying for me to either live on campus or own a car. After spending quite some time thinking it over, I finally decided to ditch the idea of a car and move out of the house.
I am greatly privileged in that I simply do not need a car. I hardly ever travel even two towns over, and as I mentioned, my college is so close. Even if I chose not to live on campus, I technically would not have to own a vehicle in order to get to class. A public bus drives by my street every hour on weekdays and travels to the university within minutes. In fact, I could potentially travel anywhere I want in the tri-state through the complex transit system, free of charge as a benefit of my school ID. Moreover, if I truly need a ride anywhere, I have made generous friends in my dorm who are willing to give me a lift every once in a while.
Besides alternative forms of transportation, convenience is another major reason I chose to live at college and did not bring a car with me. It is beyond outrageous to think of all the time wasted if I drove to and from school everyday. Not only have I saved myself from the daily endless search for a parking spot, I would probably end up traveling that route several times each day. I am a part of several organizations that have meetings and events at times much later than regular classes. Living on campus allows me to get to those places in a more efficient and reasonable way.
Additionally, I have avoided many stressful endeavors by not purchasing a car. I never worry about having a flat tire, getting pulled over, or keeping up with oil changes. I do not feel anxious about saving enough gas money for the week, either, which also proves this has been a 'green' opportunity. I also actually lost the equivalent of the infamous Freshman 15 by walking so much. Furthermore, when meeting new people and breaking the ice, this matter in my life is actually a great conversation starter since not owning a car is seen as such a shocking, rare incidence to many in this day in age.
Today, people seem baffled by the fact that I am almost 20 years old and still do not have a vehicle to call my own. Everyone makes lame jokes when my parents arrive to pick me up from work or even social events. I don’t mind much, though, because when it comes to saving time and money, along with other notable perks, I always have the last laugh.
