No Cars For Freshman: Does this mean Freshman pretty much never leave campus?

<p>I read in the ND welcome packet that freshman cant have cars, only some during the 2nd semester if they have real good academic standing. So what do you do if you want to leave the campus for something? What if I want to get a job off campus? Also, can freshman just not have cars on campus or can they not have a car period?</p>

<p>Upperclassmen are very willing to give rides - you will get to know them through dorm life. ND students also get free transportation via the South Bend Transpo, a loop of buses that picks up students at the library and goes by several local hotspots. There are also a plethora of taxi options, though I don't recommend it. </p>

<p>To bring a car 2nd semester, I "think" you just have to have acceptable grades, meaning C's at the minimum. It's your call if you want to bring one back...parking's not that expensive nor is it hard to get a permit. </p>

<p>Working off-campus, on the other hand, does not sound like a great idea. You're free to, but it will make transitioning to freshman year very difficult. If you are constantly commuting to work, you will spend a lot of study / friend time in the car. </p>

<p>I work on campus, so I know a fair amount about the subject. The best thing to do is to get a job early. There are two types of jobs on campus: good jobs, and the dining halls. I had a dining hall job. I know have a really good job. I recommend that you go to the Huddle convenience store the first day you get to campus and try to sign up for a few shifts there. Essentially you'd be swiping student ID's for a couple of hours at a time. Eventually you can meet the right people and get a job either at Recsports, a computer cluster, or as a tutor. </p>

<p>But I will say this: act quick or you might end up in a dining hall like I did.</p>

<p>a lot of off campus places are within walking distance. if not, just get a ride. there are parties in the dorms all the time usually, so there is no need to go off. but, most places like turtle creek and houses on nd ave are within 10 minutes walking distance. plus, i know freshmen with cars, i dunno how they do it.. but they do. plus, there are plenty of jobs on campus. not having a car 1st semester or even for your first two years is no biggie.</p>

<p>irish_hopeful is right, you just need to be passing everything to get a parking permit second semester...dont worry about the car thing though, especially first semester with football games (i count 5 home games in a row this year), and getting used to dorm life -- you'll be very busy...and shes also right that upperclassmen are really cool about that stuff</p>

<p>I had several friends who got cars second semester. The thing is, campus is such a self-contained bubble that you hardly feel compelled to get out first semester (at least, I didn't). You can always find a ride, if necessary.</p>

<p>dude, befriend a cab driver. it's $2 anywhere. my girl goldie would drive me anywhere in the country. or you could walk.</p>

<p>No one ever leaves campus! Not true, but you won't leave much. It's best that way. Everything is a stone's throw away.</p>