<p>A car can be a bigger hassle than it’s worth, especially if you’re assigned to a lot that’s far away from your classes or your dorm. Most everything you can get to using the metro or a bus.</p>
<p>Well…having a car on campus is MOSTLY a hassle for parents, not students. So telling a student that the car will be a “hassle” to them is probably not gonna work. 'Cause if they aren’t paying the insurance, it’s just a freebie sitting there. What do they care if it’s in a far off lot? Walking 15 mins to the lot still beats the time public transport adds to your commute, or paying $40 bucks for a cab because public transportation has stopped running. The one concrete downside to a car is your friends WILL ask you for rides when they can get someplace themselves (it’s just more convenient). You will probably not get all (or most or any depending on your friends) your gas money back. You will end up being DD (unless you let somebody else drive your car, and do you really want that?). That can get extremely annoying.</p>
<p>One thing I would say to an incoming transfer, though, is how liberating it can be to live without a car. For me, that’s what it was. Liberating. I was getting by on my own dime, not my parents’. I was protecting the environment. I developed a love for cities and have committed to try my hardest to go into post college life without a car, too. I learned how to get around places, how to fend for myself, how to be “street smart.” A car is a kiddie toy. If they want to be a grown up, learn to take the bus ;). A car is not necessary at MD. It is a luxury and can be nice for some things, but the bus system at MD connecting the surrounding neighborhoods to far off metro areas + the metro itself + the metro buses is just…well, trust me, you can get anywhere without a car, from places in DC/silver spring/bethesda/virginia to boston, philly, and nyc. It is a very well-connected place, it is not like living in a crappy “20 mins from everything” suburb/boonies/etc. You can get everything you need without a car and then some.</p>
<p>Plus all of my adventures navigating public transit have made me much more confident to travel and generally go to unknown places/cities by myself. You learn a lot.</p>
<p>Save the environment, learn your way around better, be more awesome, don’t take a car :).</p>
<p>I will say DS also gained a lot of confidence by riding the metro (raised in NC, there really isn’t even a bus system). When the metro crashed a couple of weeks ago. DS said oh it had to be at Fort Trotten, that’s where it comes out above ground. He lived in No VA from 12-16, but never went to Dupont Circle or other DC areas. Now he is the one that calls his Dad up and says you want to meet for lunch? He has no fear hopping on the metro and transferring to get over to the Pentagon.</p>
<p>I asked him if he wanted to take his car since he would be in new leonardtown to get to the grocery store, he looked at me like I was crazy, he said no, there is a bus that goes right to the grocery store, plus, if I take my car, than everybody will be asking for a ride to somewhere.</p>
<p>Then he shyly added and this way you’ll bring more food up for me when you come for football games, and Meema will send me goody packages (she fills it with the expensive stuff for college kids, Milano cookies, swedish fish, pop tarst, Devil Dogs and archway cookies!)</p>
<p>My son really does not like to drive. Okay by me! He loved the Metro when we visited DC last summer. I just can’t get over Union Station, that you can take an Acela train to New Jersey! I lived in the city most of my life and took the bus everywhere, but son unfortunately has spent most of his life in the suburb and never even ridden a bus. Of course, we’re his taxi. </p>
<p>So, he could really take the Metro from campus to Union Station, and then go from there? </p>
<p>Can the kids really take the Metro from campus, or do they have to take a bus and then transfer? And is this available on weekends, too? I know the MARC and the VRE only run on weekdays.</p>
<p>There is a UM shuttle in front of the Stamp that goes to the Metro, they can take it to DC. There is also a bus that goes from UMD to NYC.</p>
<p>The VRE runs on weekends, just limited hours, but the VRE stands for VIRGINIA RAIL, it does not go into MD. MARC is Maryland. DS’s roommates’ folks only come down for drop off and pick up (Aug/May) he takes the metro to Union and the Acela back to NJ. A couple of times he has hitched a ride with us if we were going to NJ. Bullet did that back in the late 80’s there are always kids going home to NJ/NY it is not hard for them to get back home.</p>
<p>If he knows someone with a car he can have them take him to New Carrolton and get the Amtrack from there to cut off time. It is probably 20 mins from UMD</p>
<p>Thanks for the VRE info. My sister lives in Virginia, and had wanted us to take it to meet her while we were in DC on vacation, but internet said it didn’t run on weekend. Maybe that’s changed since then?</p>
<p>So, there is not a Metro stop on campus? I thought there was a Metro stop called UMCP. Is that just a general location, like the infamous Georgetown Holiday Inn my son and I stayed in?</p>
<p>I took the MARC to BWI when leaving son off at American for a program last year. It was great to talk to all the commuters, and it sure beat the 30 bucks I paid to take the SuperShuttle with son to the hotel! Another parent took the Acela to Jersey, so that’s how I knew about it. </p>
<p>Y’all are so lucky up there. It takes us six hours to drive north to get to another state, that being Arkansas. Whoopee! Of course, going east, we get Miss, Ala, and beautiful Florida panhandle, so can’t complain. It’s about 3 to 4 hours west to Texas.</p>
<p>My sister loves Virginia and goes exploring all the time. She’s even driven to Hershey, Pennsylvania! I think it would take us a week to drive to Pennsylvania. Just kidding! But it would feel like a week, believe me.</p>
<p>Sorry for hijacking the thread, but hoping this rant will point out how unnecessary a car is up there!</p>
<p>Oops, almost forgot. My sister said there’s something called Zip cars that some people get to do grocery shopping, etc. Not at the college, just regular working people without cars.</p>
<p>Zip cars are in DC. </p>
<p>The college park station is about a 20-25 minute walk. (It is about a mile from the front entrance, figure for Easton that is a long haul) The UM shuttle takes you to the metro, which is alot easier than dragging your dirty bag of laundry and your luggage.</p>
<p>Where in VA is your sister, I would assume she is in NO VA, since she goes into DC</p>
<p>Contrary to what the rest of the thread is saying, I feel like not having a car restricts you.
You’re bound to the areas that public transportation goes to. You’re also bound to the time buses leave. It’s not like you can’t take public transportation if you don’t have a car either.</p>
<p>I also want to point out that some people are pointing out other people’s cars as options for transportation, but at the same time people are saying that other people wanting rides is a drawback.</p>
<p>gina this maybe true, but let’s also put in another factor…costs…cost for the gas, the upkeep, the insurance and the parking pass. That is alot of money to spend if you are going to use public transportation. That could tally another grand a semester, are you paying it or are the folks? It seems a pretty expensive thing to have when you will park it in a lot. There is a difference if you are interning or living off campus, because it is a hassle to use public and it probably won’t work anyway. </p>
<p>As a parent, bullet and I have a rule, 1st yr NO. We know way too many kids that come home Thanksgiving with their tail between their legs sitting their folks down to say they will be on academic probation. Many will tell you it was because they had a car and the freedom to come and go as they pleased. Instead of studying they go to the mall. UMD is a campus that you can survive just fine without a car, it is not like you are stranded in the boonies</p>
<p>My sister works in Manasses, but lives in Gainesville, commonly referred to as Haymarket.</p>
<p>She will drive anywhere, though, like me. She drove us to the mountains of Shenandoah Valley while we were up in DC. Saw a bear and lots of deer! Wow!</p>
<p>She has mentioned NOVA, the community college, many times, and her older son sometimes comes home and takes classes there in between semesters at a local college.</p>
<p>Her younger son goes to Hampden Sydney. He went to Battlefield High School, I think, not sure of the name, but it was a huge high school, and he is enjoying the smaller school atmosphere.</p>
<p>She is enjoying the lower cost of car insurance and the fact that she no longer has to pay tuition to go to a good school, but bemoans the fact that she had to pay over 300K for a townhouse the size of an apartment. We’re from New Orleans, so cost of living and quality of life is definitely different up there. </p>
<p>She hardly ever goes to DC, much to her disappointment, but loves to go to wineries in the Virginia area on the weekends.</p>
<p>Oops, I hijacked this thread. But rather than PM you, I’ll share the points of view to others looking in the area, and also, the winery tip will probably be enjoyed by some. </p>
<p>She and her husband “work” at the wineries, ie, they put labels on bottles, and in return, they get to take a case home. Now, that’s a job for a wine lover!</p>
<p>Tell her we live in Nokesville/Bristow (literally Gainesvilles neighbor)</p>
<p>NoVa stands for Northern Virginia, not just the school NOVA. People in VA are picky that way, if you live in NoVa you say I live in Northern Virginia, for internet purposes you say NoVa. Battlefield is the right name, our DD and DS2 go to Brentsville High, also known as Cow Pie High, the majority of the students live on 10 acres.</p>
<p>For her to visit your son it is about 45 minutes. 66 to 495</p>
<p>We have done the wineries, for anybody going to UMD, especially those that will cut through the WV side, you should stop there. They have great wines. It is also about an hour out of the UMD campus, so if you go visit the kids take a side trip. There are some great antique shops too.</p>
<p>The one place you must all go to one time during your childs collegiate life is 5 GUYS BURGERS. They are great.</p>