Off to college. Keep the G...or no?
05-04-2012 | 11:08 AM
#16
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Joined: Sep 2011
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From: Burleson, Tx
From the tone of the post, he probably didn't buy the car and his parents are probably paying for school. It's their choice if that's the case...
Like most people, I agree that this makes sense...no need to take a nice car to college; especially freshman year where you will be in a dorm.
The beater idea is a good one...my daughter just went through her first year. She is driving a 1999 Mitsubishi Eclipse so we are not worried about the car at her dorm. She completely understands and is happy with having a car at all while in her freshman year. She commented after her first week that most freshmen don't have a car at school.
I know it seems tough that your parents made this decision, but they are probably doing you a lot more good than you realize right now. If they are getting you and eduction and they bought the car, be happy for what you have. Many people don't get those things and have to do it themselves.
05-04-2012 | 11:26 AM
#17
A college campus to a car is the equivalent of one of us running through the Navy Seal Hell Week Gauntlet.
All the aforementioned negative possibilities? They aren't possibilities, trust me they are realities: drunk friend scuffing your sh*t, door dings, douches who like to key nice cars, drunk driving fender benders, girls spilling drinks. Don't even get me started on Winter/Spring break when everything shuts down; with less people on campus car thieves have a field day on college campuses. The list is endless. Sharkroy1 is right, buy a beater. That's why it's called a beater, your car will get its *** kicked on campus I know mine did.
All the aforementioned negative possibilities? They aren't possibilities, trust me they are realities: drunk friend scuffing your sh*t, door dings, douches who like to key nice cars, drunk driving fender benders, girls spilling drinks. Don't even get me started on Winter/Spring break when everything shuts down; with less people on campus car thieves have a field day on college campuses. The list is endless. Sharkroy1 is right, buy a beater. That's why it's called a beater, your car will get its *** kicked on campus I know mine did.
05-04-2012 | 11:40 AM
#18
Honestly, frosh year is ripe with stupidity and a nice car on campus that year is a pretty big liability for YOU and your nice car. Sure, there are plusses to having your sweet ride with you, but you will be pressured by friends to have everyone pile in your car since they won't have one, and you will most assuredly have many chances where you can make a bad and costly decision. I remember piling in a friend's car once to go to a restaurant. We put 8 people into an integra which included one in the trunk.
I didn't have my car freshman year (3 series) and I didn't really miss it that much...most freshmen do this. I did a lot of walking from A to B with friends and had a great time doing it because you tend to run into people this way. Also, next year, like most sophomores, I moved to an apartment, where having a spot to park the car made it more practical. Although I still didn't use it much because the buses were more convenient than dealing with campus parking (YMMV).
Seattle is a long *** drive and parking sucks. If the weather is bad enough to get your flight canceled, why would you be driving anyway (especially if you're from socal?).
I think your parents are right on this and you should just enjoy your first year without worrying about your car. If you move out of the dorms and into a different place, having a car makes more sense IMO, but not for your first year. There are a number of things that can happen with drunk kids, of which there will be many in Pullman (not including you). You are also severely underestimating the wisdom you will gain from your first year there that will greatly benefit you if/when you decide to bring your car there.
TL;DR version- your parents are right. I'm not some old geezer either--I got my degree from U of Oregon in 06 and I'm 27.
I didn't have my car freshman year (3 series) and I didn't really miss it that much...most freshmen do this. I did a lot of walking from A to B with friends and had a great time doing it because you tend to run into people this way. Also, next year, like most sophomores, I moved to an apartment, where having a spot to park the car made it more practical. Although I still didn't use it much because the buses were more convenient than dealing with campus parking (YMMV).
Seattle is a long *** drive and parking sucks. If the weather is bad enough to get your flight canceled, why would you be driving anyway (especially if you're from socal?).
I think your parents are right on this and you should just enjoy your first year without worrying about your car. If you move out of the dorms and into a different place, having a car makes more sense IMO, but not for your first year. There are a number of things that can happen with drunk kids, of which there will be many in Pullman (not including you). You are also severely underestimating the wisdom you will gain from your first year there that will greatly benefit you if/when you decide to bring your car there.
TL;DR version- your parents are right. I'm not some old geezer either--I got my degree from U of Oregon in 06 and I'm 27.
Let me put this into perspective a different way. Your car is probably really exciting to you right now. As high school senior, having a sweet ride probably ranks higher on your give-a-**** meter than actually graduating high school. But going to college is going to be a very new experience that will probably overshadow all of that as you learn and experience freedom from home.
I think you are overestimating how useful & important a car is for a college freshman that will likely spend most of their time at or near campus.
You will walk to class, walk to other dorms, walk to the gym, hang out at dorms, hang out at campus. This will likely comprise 90% of your first year. You will walk because driving across campus will suck, because parking will suck.
You will make friends that have cars.
You can keep your car safe in a garage at home.
I think you are overestimating how useful & important a car is for a college freshman that will likely spend most of their time at or near campus.
You will walk to class, walk to other dorms, walk to the gym, hang out at dorms, hang out at campus. This will likely comprise 90% of your first year. You will walk because driving across campus will suck, because parking will suck.
You will make friends that have cars.
You can keep your car safe in a garage at home.
I totally agree with these guys. Your a senior in High school still a kid IMO so yeah you want this so and so car. Heck when I was a senior I wanted a G35 so bad. Here is my 2 cents from my experience.
I think every college kid unless their family is just stupid rich should wait till after college and until they have a good paying job. I've seen to many college kids trying to be cool and drive bmw's, mercs, and stuff instead on focusing on school.
I too like many of us here drove a POS car. I drove a 1992 Sentra through out college and guess what, I had no car payment, insurance was only $400 for 6 months and it gas mileage was good. Now once I got out of college and found a good paying job like where I am at now. That is when I upgraded my car to a G and soon to be Audi.
So my .2 cents students should just focus on being a student. Worry about good cars once you are done being a student and I can bet you my life it will work out better in the long run.
05-04-2012 | 12:07 PM
#19
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Joined: Oct 2010
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You probably do not need a car on campus for your first year, especially if you are living in a dorm. Having said that, I did bring my car to school with me my first year at the University of Florida - just so I could drive home to South Florida. I rarely used the car. I think that some of the comments above about being on campus about 90% of the time are spot on (though it does depend on your particular school's campus, and how big it is). I can tell you first hand that having a car on campus was nice, but all of the friends you make that don't have cars will be asking you to take them places. If that does not drive you crazy, the door dings you will receive on a daily basis will. Most college campus parking spots are very narrow, and most other students don't care about dinging your doors. You will probably have a tough time finding a spot, let alone a good end spot. I'd personally wait until you live in an off campus apartment to have a car.
Having said all of this, my buddy brought his M3 to school freshman year, and the 18 year old girls loved it!
Having said all of this, my buddy brought his M3 to school freshman year, and the 18 year old girls loved it!
05-04-2012 | 12:08 PM
#20
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Joined: May 2012
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I just graduated from Texas Tech University in December.
I went all four years without having a car in po-dunk Lubbock, TX. Living in the dorms costs a ridiculous amount as it is and everything is within walking distance. I moved to apartments off-campus for the last two years but was still within walking distance of campus and a grocery store. Working on campus for four years saved me enough to buy my 08' G35 as a nice graduation present, and I appreciate it much more everyday knowing I saved 4 years of insurance, gas, and wear and tear.
Parking on campus here also sucks and is quite costly.
Everyone here has pretty good advice. Freshman year is for meeting people (meet someone who lives in Seattle and carpool!).
Now I'm being paid to stay for grad school and I still only use the G on the weekends. Gas up once a month and have enough money for mods, keeping it clean, etc.
At least try it for fall semester and let your parents know if it was a huge pain.
I went all four years without having a car in po-dunk Lubbock, TX. Living in the dorms costs a ridiculous amount as it is and everything is within walking distance. I moved to apartments off-campus for the last two years but was still within walking distance of campus and a grocery store. Working on campus for four years saved me enough to buy my 08' G35 as a nice graduation present, and I appreciate it much more everyday knowing I saved 4 years of insurance, gas, and wear and tear.
Parking on campus here also sucks and is quite costly.
Everyone here has pretty good advice. Freshman year is for meeting people (meet someone who lives in Seattle and carpool!).
Now I'm being paid to stay for grad school and I still only use the G on the weekends. Gas up once a month and have enough money for mods, keeping it clean, etc.
At least try it for fall semester and let your parents know if it was a huge pain.
05-04-2012 | 12:25 PM
#22
I just graduated from Texas Tech University in December.
I went all four years without having a car in po-dunk Lubbock, TX. Living in the dorms costs a ridiculous amount as it is and everything is within walking distance. I moved to apartments off-campus for the last two years but was still within walking distance of campus and a grocery store. Working on campus for four years saved me enough to buy my 08' G35 as a nice graduation present, and I appreciate it much more everyday knowing I saved 4 years of insurance, gas, and wear and tear.
Parking on campus here also sucks and is quite costly.
Everyone here has pretty good advice. Freshman year is for meeting people (meet someone who lives in Seattle and carpool!).
Now I'm being paid to stay for grad school and I still only use the G on the weekends. Gas up once a month and have enough money for mods, keeping it clean, etc.
At least try it for fall semester and let your parents know if it was a huge pain.
I went all four years without having a car in po-dunk Lubbock, TX. Living in the dorms costs a ridiculous amount as it is and everything is within walking distance. I moved to apartments off-campus for the last two years but was still within walking distance of campus and a grocery store. Working on campus for four years saved me enough to buy my 08' G35 as a nice graduation present, and I appreciate it much more everyday knowing I saved 4 years of insurance, gas, and wear and tear.
Parking on campus here also sucks and is quite costly.
Everyone here has pretty good advice. Freshman year is for meeting people (meet someone who lives in Seattle and carpool!).
Now I'm being paid to stay for grad school and I still only use the G on the weekends. Gas up once a month and have enough money for mods, keeping it clean, etc.
At least try it for fall semester and let your parents know if it was a huge pain.
05-04-2012 | 12:32 PM
#23
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Joined: Oct 2009
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From: South West FL
My college car was a 1958 VW bug ... it truely was a POS. Don't go to that extreme (it was my first car period) as I spent more time working on it than studying but leave the G home. Good luck at school, don't let that freshman year get away from you.
05-04-2012 | 03:39 PM
#26
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From: Northridge, CA
Aright I guess I'm leaving it at home. A dead battery isn't as bad as missing wheels, rusted paint, scratches, accidents, college pranks on the car, etc. etc. It'll have less miles, be worth more, have less damage, I won't have to worry about it as much. Thank you all for your responses! Feel free to lock up this thread mods, I've made my decision 
05-04-2012 | 04:31 PM
#28
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Joined: Feb 2012
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From: Fort Lauderdale
A little off topic, but make sure you stay out of trouble in college. Those little college write-ups can come back to bite you in the *** later on. Anyways, I think you made the right decision on leaving the car at home. I didn't have a car freshman year, it honestly was great because if you do have to drive somewhere, someone else has to drive, and therefore you don't have to worry about drinking and driving!
05-04-2012 | 04:38 PM
#29
Just like JMueller said, stay focused in school. I didn't and it ended up costing me thousands of dollars in future earnings. I graduated with an ok GPA and partied my *** off in school and now make 10-20K less than friends I know who kept themselves busy while in school. Looking back I really regret not studying harder, I mean think about it like this: Why party when you're poor? You're not gonna be "doing it right" anyway trying to party on a budget, might as well study when you are poor, get out of school with a nice well-paying job and party like a rock star then. Alas such is life, hindsight is 20/20. Good luck in school.
05-04-2012 | 04:43 PM
#30
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Joined: Feb 2012
Posts: 160
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From: Fort Lauderdale
Just like JMueller said, stay focused in school. I didn't and it ended up costing me thousands of dollars in future earnings. I graduated with an ok GPA and partied my *** off in school and now make 10-20K less than friends I know who kept themselves busy while in school. Looking back I really regret not studying harder, I mean think about it like this: Why party when you're poor? You're not gonna be "doing it right" anyway trying to party on a budget, might as well study when you are poor, get out of school with a nice well-paying job and party like a rock star then. Alas such is life, hindsight is 20/20. Good luck in school.