<p>Ok, so when I went there I felt that I wouldn't need a car because...well...ill be able to walk to pretty much anywhere I need to go, but I have my own car at home and I don't see how it could hurt if I bring it and it's not gonna do anything at home and plus i want to see what would happen if i hit those hills at 80...jk of course. Would there be any use at all to having a car, freshman year? How many kids do that? Leaving the car in a lot for months isn't too much of a concern for me because it's not worth much (aproaching 200k miles, 13 years, toyota camry).</p>
<p>Ummm, lots of kids who live close to Cornell have cars. Quite a few go home some weekends. It's really useful since you have more freedom to go places like the movies or shopping and such. It costs around $600/academic year for a parking permit. I'm pretty sure that if you do bring your car you'll use it quite a bit.</p>
<p>I don't live that close to Cornell. I live in maryland and It'll take me a about 6 hours each way, so i won't be going home on weekends.</p>
<p>Oh...hmmm, depends if you want to drive home or not during breaks. Might be cheaper than flying. But everything else I said holds true. It would mostly be used for going off-campus. Depends on you really.</p>
<p>I would not recommend bringing the car, just because of the the parking. Not only is it extremely expensive, but you probably can't get a good spot close to campus as a freshmen. Most people who have cars don't use it to get around campus, just because you would be walking 20min to your car to drive somewhere you can walk to in 10 min. But it is good if you plan on going shopping alot. But as a freshmen, you don't need to. So most people I know who have cars use it to go home on the weekends (if they live <2hrs away), and perhaps the occasional shopping trip. If that is not your intent, then leave the car at home and maybe bring it up when you're an upperclassman.</p>
<p>Well, the A lot is like right across from RPCC and everyone I know what has a car parks there, which is like a minute away from most of the dorms.</p>
<p>i love having my car at school, and i was really happy i brought it second semester my freshman year. it was really nice to be able to explore the town, go out to dinners, get groceries, etc much easier. it was also nice to have for pledging, so i didnt have to walk down to the house in the cold all the time. there are good parking spots near rpu, or by appel (next to jam) that are close and accessible to the dorms. most people probably wont use it to go home, but it is nice to have for going home because you can bring whatever you need, and dont have to wait for parents. it will be cheaper to pay for parking than for 2 plane tickets. you can use your car to visit friends at other schools etc. it is nice.</p>
<p>A car's definitely not a necessity to have, but it's nice. Parking is never really a problem, at least not for the low-rises--the lot is right next door. I would never use it to drive to class, but it's good for the weekends. You have more freedom. Some people use their cars a lot, others don't. If you bring a car, expect a lot of people to bum rides off you.</p>
<p>That being said, the bus can take you to the places you really need to go (central campus, Collegetown, the Commons, Pyramid Mall, etc.) It's free for freshmen, so that's a plus.</p>
<p>Leave your old camry at home. You'll hit and ice patch and slide down one of the 89 degree inclines around campus. Though with the weather as it is, I'm not sure how true that is.</p>
<p>If you had a nice 4WD SUV sitting at home in your driveway, and would mind neither paying the $600 bucks for parking nor the fact that your car will be outside in the snow all year, I'd say go for it. </p>
<p>But, as everyone else has said, a car is far from necessary, and I don't think small sedans are a good idea anyway in Ithaca. I'd say leave it at home, it's probably more trouble than it's worth, but it's your decision.</p>
<p>Quick note: AFAIK, bus passes, according to the current deal, won't be free in coming years for any undergrads. This may change, however...</p>
<p>As a freshman, I really don't think you need a car - especially if you live in the dorms on north. But if you're living somwhere on West as an upperclassman, I can see why you'd want one. The walk up Libe Slope can be really annoying in the winter - especially on the weekends when there aren't many buses running. </p>
<p>In general, as others have said, I wouldn't recommend driving to class because it's more trouble than it's worth. But there is free parking behind Willard Straight Hall after 5 in the afternoon, so if you're planning a late-night study session at the library, you can always park there (and not have to walk home at like 2 in the morning.)</p>