<p>I have to say I am like everyone else, I bought the education. He is fortunate that he lives in an area that they have the metro to go into town. </p>
<p>Better give those folks a big hug and a kiss, and when they complain about your grades, remember those keys can disappear mighty fast. Our friends sent their DD with her car they bought used, when she came home for TDAY and announced/prepared them for her grades due in Dec. She went back, but Dad this time was driving. Wheels were pulled until after spring break.</p>
<p>Personally, I also wouldn’t send them with a car, because that typically turns into the hey, I need to go here can you give me a lift situation?</p>
<p>I remember having to sell my bicycle to pay for a speeding ticket (in the car, not the bicycle). When I came out of the Post Office across the street from the University, a policeman was giving me a parking ticket because he thought I was leaving the car there to go to class (where would he get the idea that students did that). Ended up I had to go get the Postmaster to reluctantly come out and convince him to take the ticket away. I was late to class.</p>
<p>Onthefly, it wasn’t the “rite of passage” that got you in trouble, it was this statement, “It is amazing to me because I used to think that intelligence roughly=wealth, but most people on this website are way smarter than the people of my community and yet they have comparatively low incomes. And I don’t even live in a particularly rich area, just a typical suburb, so why is this?”</p>
<p>We own four cars. Our son has the oldest car that used to belong to my parents. It’s a 1991 Dodge Spirit (do I win for oldest kid car?) he got it when his sister got the second oldest car, the 1994 VW Jetta. It’s dependable enough to get him to and from college 6+ hours away and that’s all we wanted. We got our first new car about 10 years ago, new cars were never a priority for us. There are many more things we choose to spend our money on.</p>
<p>I can’t imagine why anyone would need a car at a college nevermind a freshman at a college except for maybe taking road trips to places away from the college and taking away from his/her precious time needed for studying.</p>
<p>Since our kids attends(ed) distant programs rather than the local HS, their commutes were considerably longer than usual and would involve driving on the Beltway and major interstates at rush hour (yes, at 6:30 am). Many of their friends are in the same boat. As a result, not many of them drive, either.</p>
<p>My folks bought a 1969 Chevy Impala for $50 my senior year of HS. Dad fixed up the V-8 350 engine and put recap tires on it. The door locks didn’t work and the ignition key was broken off in the steering column. The thing was impervious to dents and dings. My brother proved this by plowing into several mailboxes.</p>
<p>It did not go to college with me.</p>
<p>There are some schools in the area where the student parking lot looks like a BMW dealership. </p>
<p>My kids have not bugged us about vehicles, for which I am grateful. I don’t mind picking up S2 – usually coordinate it with other errands. If he got major merit $$ and took it, we’d probably talk about giving him the 10 yo CR-V and getting a small commuter car for us. However, he says he’s not making college decisions based on an old car. OK by us.</p>
<p>S1 would not want to drive 10 hours to his college, anyway – it’s a loss of precious reading/programming/nap time. ;)</p>
<p>There are a lot of reasons for upperclassmen to have cars IMO. </p>
<p>Jobs or internships off-campus for one. One of my daughters jobs actually required her to run errands during work, so public transportation would not have been an option even if they had it. </p>
<p>Getting home for breaks when the drive is much farther than a parent wants to do a round-trip and airfares are high is another. </p>
<p>Being able to get groceries for an apartment is much easier, but can be done without a car. </p>
<p>I am sure there are many other reasons.</p>
<p>It also depends on the school…D2 is at a school that has good public transport as well as being very bike friendly. She does not have a car, but bikes everywhere including the grocery store and hardware/art supply stores when needed.</p>
<p>Agree 100% with thumper1 (Post # 76) and kathiep (first part of # 83)! It certainly appears OP was simply posting to brag, and onthefly was making huge, incorrect leaps of logic.</p>
<p>Besides the responses offered by PA Mom, I’ll add a few more.</p>
<p>My son was a combined music performance/ed major (at a non-urban setting). The dictates of the ed curriculum mandated off site for degree required for credit participation and classwork at a number of regional public schools. The university did not provide (nor did they suggest how the student) was to obtain the transportation needs of the student getting to and from these classes. Not all were served by the limited public transportation, nor back to campus for the next class. Student teaching assignments were also off-site, typically within a 30 mile suburban environment. Driving or carpooling was the typical mode of transport. I’d imagine the experience of general ed majors and some science disciplines (in terms of intern and research apprenticeships) to be similar.</p>
<p>The vehicle was also instrumental in increasing his earning power. It broadened the range of his ability to seek out paid performance opportunities within a broader geographic area.</p>
<p>My d was at a more rural environment, and the program did not require the need to have the flexibility of personal transport. To her chagrin, the “family fleet” vehicle at her disposal stayed at home.</p>
<p>I see what you are saying for some people who might need to do something off campus. I think that is a small minority and definitely very remotely true for a freshman.</p>
<p>To answer the OP’s question… Goodness, no, yD did not get a new car to take with her to Boston - but we did buy another Corolla for me to replace the one that I gave to our college grad who needed reliable transportation. I’m “making” another used Corolla to give to yD when she graduates. Both kiddos were/are in big cities and relied/rely on public transportation to get to their classe, jobs, etc. For everything else, there is Zipcar.</p>
<p>Well, not to be redundant, but as I posted earlier we started out with a used car. When it had outlived it’s usefullness and dependability, we purchased a new car. The reasoning was that the maintenance and warranty were worth it for my peace of mind. Our daughter will be graduating in May and will not have to deal with whether her car will be reliable on top of getting set up in a new career, new home, on her own etc. The payments will be hers, the car will be hers.
So maybe we do not even qualify to comment here because we did not " buy her a new car", but facilitated her buying one…</p>
<p>Either way, I think it is sad how people are so judgmental of other families decisions. I like to discuss because I find the thought processes enlightening and I learn things from other people’s decision making, but I think it is their decision.</p>
<p>I also find it humorous that so many college students are told to “find a ride” from the parents at the same time as the parents are mocking the families of students with cars…</p>
<p>PA Mom, every family and every situation is not the same and each obviously has to decide for themselves, but there ought to be a good reason to have a car as a college student. Convenience alone might be good enough reason for somebody but may not be for me. A car is a big responsibility, with parties and alcohol on campus, it is something that every parents should be concerned.</p>
<p>ttparent, good heavens, how can you possibly make such blanket statements about what is “remotely true” for all freshmen? You have every right to not provide your son/daughter with a car, but anyone who chooses to do so does not need to provide a reason that is good enough for you.
And if someone who can afford it chooses to buy new, again how is that anyone’s business?</p>
<p>Warranties, reliability, less loss of time dealing with repair shops, less chance of a breakdown on the long (8 hr) drive home on breaks.</p>
<p>I’m not kidding anybody. Why on earth would I feel a need to apologize to people who think it is OK to adopt an attitude of moral superiority about something as stupid as cars?</p>
<p>PS If parents are worried their kids are unreliable with regard to parties and alcohol, then they should act accordingly. I’m not worried.</p>
<p>dbwes, good heavens back at you. You can do what you want, I stated as much. Do I have to agree with what you decide? Are you saying majority of freshman in college should have a car on campus?</p>
<p>I personally think the “car decision” is a family decision and what works for one family or college student may not work for another. I’m not “casting stones” at those who bought new cars for their college kids. That is THEIR decision. BUT the OP wanted to know “did you buy your kid a new car for college?” and I responded to THAT post…and figured a reason why THIS family didn’t do so might be helpful. BUT so much for that idea. The OP has disappeared. </p>
<p>There are many reasons why students should…or shouldn’t need cars while they are in college (or high school for that matter). Like I said…in my area, it’s “self defense”. I can’t tell you how liberating it was for ME when I didn’t have to drive my son all over kingdom come anymore. And in fact, we really had a crisis the year he was a freshman in college because it put the PARENTS back into “car pool” mode (after having been out of it for a couple of years…DD didn’t get her license until about 1 1/2 years after DS left for college). And yes…by that time, DH and I had gotten ourselves a new “used” car…and DD got the car at the bottom of the food chain to use for her junior and senior years of high school. It sure beat driving her to school every morning at 6:45 for her job as the school morning receptionist!!</p>
<p>You absolutely don’t have to agree with me! What fun would it be if we all agreed? I was taking issue with you claiming what is “definitely” true or not true and for seeming to know who falls into very “small” minorities.
Sorry if I sounded belligerent. Peace.</p>
<p>And in answer to your question – well, many campuses are not set up for that many cars and many people do believe as you do, so I don’t think the majority of freshmen will have cars any time soon. But if they did, it wouldn’t bother me.</p>
<p>Well, I don’t really have an opinion one way or the other about what other people do. I can see both sides of it and expect to have to figure it out a different way with my next D. But, the question was did you buy your kid a NEW car? And so, the answer, for us, was no. I don’t personally buy new cars because the book value goes down so far the minute you drive it off the lot and there are many pre-driven cars that you can drive off the lot and maintain the same value. That’s me. But, we also don’t use credit. I know we have a strange view and it isn’t for everyone. I also really understand what PA mom was talking about in terms of peace of mind about her daughter’s safety. OTOH, for me, I encourage my children to NOT ride in other people’s cars and to use public transportation. Obviously not an option in many cases, but it is for D who is at school. Freshman and alcohol are enough of a problem on college campuses. I don’t want cars involved, if I can help it. Just my opinion. But, NOT an opinion about anyone else’s decision, at all.</p>