College acceptances are rolling in, which means it’s time to start planning your big move! Moving to college comes with a lot of changes, and bringing your car can help make the adjustment easier by providing you with the freedom you need to get around.
At the same time, taking a car to college can present challenges. However, you can successfully conquer these challenges with these ten tips from Carvaygo:
Should You Bring Your Car to College?
Whether or not you should bring your car to college really depends on your campus and your location. For example, if you’re going to college in a big city and your campus has limited parking, then bringing your car might not be a good idea. Alternatively, if you’re going to college in a small town and your campus has been designed for commuters with plenty of parking, then you may want to consider bringing your car.
That being said, there are alternatives to driving in college, for example, riding a bike and taking public transportation. Here’s what you need to know about these alternatives so that you can make an informed and beneficial decision:
Having a Car on Campus vs. a Bike
Parking for cars on college campuses is usually quite limited. There may only be a few parking lots to choose from that are far away from your actual classes. This means that you would have to battle for a parking spot before taking extra time to walk to where you need to go. Additionally, many colleges will make you pay for a parking permit to park on-campus, costing hundreds of dollars every semester.
Alternatively, you could choose to bike instead of drive. Whereas parking lots are few and far between on college campuses, there are bike racks everywhere where you can park your bike for free. At the same time, although biking might be more convenient and cost-effective than driving, it can also be more dangerous since college students aren’t known for their safe driving practices.
Driving in College vs. Taking Public Transportation
Another alternative to driving in college involves taking public transportation. Some colleges include “free” public transportation passes that are accounted for in your student fees. So instead of worrying about where you’re going to park your car or your bike, you can simply hop on the bus and quickly reach your destination.
However, public transportation isn’t always the most reliable service, as buses often run late and might make you late to your classes as a result. Additionally, there might not be a convenient bus route that services your dorm/apartment and your classes. So when weighing your options and making your decision, be sure to look into different bus routes to see where they go and how often they run.
10 Tips for Bringing Your Car to College
If after you’ve weighed your options and have decided to bring your car to college, here are ten tips to help make the process easier:
1. Notify Your Insurance Provider
First, you need to notify your insurance provider that you’re moving. Insurance rates are based on where you park your car, so they need to know this information and see if your new location will impact your rates at all. Before you contact your insurance provider, make sure to have your new address handy so they can use it to calculate your new rates.
2. Consider Switching to a New Auto Insurance Policy
If your new address results in a higher auto insurance policy, you may want to switch to a new company. At the very least, you should shop around with other companies to see if you can get a lower rate elsewhere.
Some auto insurance providers offer discounts for college students that maintain a good GPA. Other auto insurance providers also offer discounts for students who participate in certain college-centered groups like alumni associations, fraternities, and sororities.
Get quotes from different companies by visiting their websites and providing information about where you live, your vehicle, and how much you drive. From there, choose the company that offers the best rate for the best policy and the best service.
3. Sign Up for an On-Campus Parking Pass
Many colleges offer on-campus parking permits for students to use. However, these permits often have limited availability, so receiving one can be quite competitive. Some colleges also offer priority for parking permits based on how many credits you have. For example, seniors with the most credits are given priority when it comes to parking passes, whereas freshmen with the least amount of credits have to wait.
Another common system involves different types of parking permits for different lots. For example, faculty-only parking lots might require a special parking permit that students aren’t eligible for.
Again, these typically utilize a tier system where the students with the most credits can purchase a parking pass that can be used in multiple centrally located lots. In contrast, students with few credits can only purchase passes for a single lot that may be far away from their classes.
No matter how your college manages parking permits, it’s important to research all of this information ahead of time so that you know what to register for and when to register for it. That way, you’re not left with a car but without a campus parking permit.
4. Don’t Feel Pressured To Drive Everyone Everywhere
Since not everyone brings a car to college, you might be in a unique position if you have one. If you’re not careful, you could end up as a chauffeur for all of your friends. This is not ideal as driving is a lot of work and costs a lot of money.
Feel free to say no to driving if you don’t want to and propose using rideshare instead like Uber or Lyft. And if you do drive, feel free to ask your friends to cover the cost of gas, that way, you’re not fully responsible for everything from gas to insurance and car maintenance.
5. Remember That Your Car Can Be a Distraction
Even if you don’t mind driving all the time, it’s still important to remember that your car can be a distraction. For example, why would you stay at home and study when you have a car and can easily go out? In this case, it’s important to keep your priorities straight and remember why you’re in college in the first place — to learn and earn a degree.
So instead of using your car to go out every night, maybe use it to go on a few fun weekend trips with your friends. Just make sure that you’re not neglecting any homework or studying in the process.
6. Get Used to Driving in a New State
If you’re going to college out of state, driving in a new state can be challenging and confusing. Not only that, but different states may have different driving laws and regulations that you need to be aware of before you hit the road.
For example, some states don’t even allow you to touch your phone while driving, even if it’s for a hands-free call. Other states might have speed cameras that are able to clock your speed, take a picture of your car, and send you a ticket if you’re going above a certain speed. So to avoid getting tickets, make sure that you’re well-versed in driving laws and regulations like these.
7. Leave Home With a Clean Driving Record
It’s not enough to avoid tickets in your new state. You need to leave home with a clean driving record as well.
Having a clean driving record will help you get a better rate if you have to get a new auto insurance policy. Having a clean driving record may also make it easier to switch your license to your new state.
That being said, you may not have to switch your driver’s license to your new state, depending on local laws and regulations. In many states, you don’t have to obtain a new driver’s license if you’re a temporary resident. And in most cases, students are considered temporary residents. Again, just make sure to check the laws and regulations for your new state to see if you’ll need a new license or not.
8. Never Drink and Drive
Drinking and driving is a huge problem in college. According to a recent study from the Harvard School of Public Health, about 30% of college students reported driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol, and 23% of students reported being in the car with a driver who was drunk or high.
Drunk driving is incredibly dangerous and causes ⅓ of all traffic-related deaths in the United States — totaling around 10,000 deaths every year. Not only that, but drunk driving is also expensive. The national average cost of being charged with a DUI is around $10,000 in fines and penalties. As a college student, odds are that you don’t have that money to spare.
These days, drunk driving is completely inexcusable due to the existence of rideshares and other services designed to limit drunk driving. Some colleges even have special late-night ride services that students can call for a ride home instead of spending money on rideshare or reaching for the keys themselves.
9. Budget for Car Expenses
With the high cost of college these days, many college students are on tight budgets that can make driving difficult. As a result, it’s important to set aside money in your budget to cover car expenses as needed.
Obviously, you will need to budget for gas. However, you will also need to budget for car insurance, regular car maintenance, and unexpected car repairs. Generally speaking, you should set aside between $50 to $100 per month for car maintenance, depending on your car’s age and overall condition.
10. Ship Your Car to College
Dealing with a car in college is one thing, but how do you actually get it there if you’re going to college in a different state? The best way to get your car to college is to ship it with an auto transport company like Carvaygo.
When you ship your car, you can actually save a lot of time and money. Instead of putting potentially thousands of miles on your car, spending hundreds of dollars in gas, and performing additional maintenance, you can simply pay an auto transport company to ship it for you.
While the price of shipping your car varies based on the shipping distance, car type, time of year, and more, you can get a quick and easy car shipping quote by visiting Carvaygo’s website. Just enter your car’s year, make, model, condition, pick-up location, drop-off location, shipping date, and contact information.
From there, you will receive a competitive quote and can move forward with booking the shipment if you’re ready.
Ready To Move?
So if you’re ready to move now, don’t waste any time! Peak moving and shipping season is in the summer, so it can be difficult to arrange for movers and car shippers during this time. Working with an auto transport company like Carvaygo that has a large network of drivers helps ensure that your car can be shipped in a timely manner for a reasonable price.
Sources:
State Traffic Laws | FindLaw
How Much Does a DUI Cost? | US News
Average Car Maintenance Cost for Your Vehicle | The Balance
