Is Taking a Car to University a Good Idea? 

If you’ve already passed your driving test before you leave home for university, you might be wondering whether you should have a car at university or not. There are pros and cons of course, and it boils down to a very personal decision. Depending on the city you are studying in, the budget you have to live on, and a range of social factors, you might want to leave the car behind at home or take it with you for another level of independence that you might not otherwise have.  

Let’s look at the pros and cons of having a car at university. 

Reasons to not take a car to university 

Here are a few reasons why you might think twice about having your car at university: 

Do you want to be a taxi service? 

Having a car at university is great for those little runs to the supermarket to get your food shop in (it definitely makes that easier), or for trips back home where you don’t have to worry about the cost and time of buses and trains. But it is easy to slip into being the default designated driver for your flatmates and friends, whether it’s to driver them home after a night out or be the one taking a group away for a day out somewhere. 

Parking 

The cost of student parking is one thing, you might not be lucky enough to have a designated parking spot where you live, but there are more parking fears than just that. There is the fear that you might not be able to find a good parking spot close to your home, or if you’re in a very student heavy area you might worry about damage to your car from drunken students at the end of a night out. 

Insurance, tax, petrol, and other costs 

The costs associated with driving quickly add up. Think about the tax you must pay, insurance costs, petrol costs, and any parking costs. These can all make it harder for you to then spend money socially, to make new friends, and to find new hobbies in your new town or city. 

Stops you walking 

One of the best ways to get to know your new student town, and to keep fit, is to walk everywhere. Obviously, not every person can walk easily, but if you can, it is a great way to maintain a moderate level of fitness. Having a car at university makes it easier to just jump in the car wherever you are going, even if it would be an easy enough walk. 

Reason to take a car to university 

Now, for the reasons you should take a car to university: 

Travel home and away easily 

Sometimes, you might want to head home for a weekend to see your family and friends. If you have a car with you at university, you can travel to see friends and family at the drop of a hat. It gives you complete flexibility to travel as and when you want and need to. Depending on where you live in the country, a car might give you the chance to travel away for weekends with your new friends to see other cities, or to meet up with your friends from home for a city break or to see them at the university they are studying at. Train prices are extortionate in the UK and buses take forever, so a car is a great option.  

Getting around university 

Having a car does make it much easier to get around university, travelling between your home and campus for lectures, seminars, and other events. As long as you know that you have parking that you can readily use that’s easy to find and secure, it’s a no-brainer to have your car with you to get around. For social events, societies, sports clubs, and anything else happening around university, it’s much easier to get in the car and drive at the last minute rather than planning to use public transport. 

Easy access to groceries 

This is especially the case for smaller towns or places where you might not have supermarkets and everything you need on your doorstep. Doing the weekly shop, or a big grocery shop might not be something that you’ve had to worry about in the past. Now that you’re living independently, it’s important that you get into a routine of sticking to a grocery budget and cooking for yourself. It’s easy to get into the bad habits of poor takeaway eating, but a car allows you to do a big food shop regularly. 

Work and placements 

Some students take up a part-time job alongside their studies to earn some extra money or to pay towards their studies. For others, there might be work placements as part of their university course at some point during their time on the course. Either way, if you have a car at university you can ensure that you are always on time and can get to your work placement every time without any problems. For some shift work especially, think hospitality as a student or work placements for medical students, it might not be as straightforward as using public transport to get to and from work due to the time of day. 

Hop in (or Don’t)

It really is down to your own personal preference whether you have a car at university or not. If you’ve just passed your test not long before moving away from home you might want to take a car with you. It opens your life up to easier travel to get back home to visit family and friends and to get around your university town easier. In some student cities though it might stifle you a little, stop you from heading out as often as you like, and it might be too expensive with fuel, insurance, and parking costs. We all find out own pathway to self-discovery at university and having a car at university might hinder or help that.