I was accepted yesterday and I plan to attend UC Berkeley! I am an OOS student from Tennessee, so I will be far away from family and such. Do students absolutely need a car at Berkeley? Would I be at a disadvantage if I did not have a car?
The BART system in the Bay Area is actually quite good as far as public transit systems in the USA go. It can easily get you to the airport, San Francisco, etc. I don’t know how much a parking permit is at Berkeley, but it is unlikely to be cheap. Make friends with people who have cars. Uber or Zipcar if necessary.
It is actually a hassle to have a car at Berkeley - you are better off relying on uber, BART etc. You will be perfectly fine without a car.
Unless you could rent a garage from a private party, you would be at a disadvantage if I DID have a car.
Public parking on the street is almost impossible. If you can find a spot, you’re limited to 2 hr at MOST.
Definitely you don’t need a car.