College without a vehicle

Well, I've been considering my financial situation for university, which will start this summer, and I'm wondering if any of you got around college without having a vehicle. My family's financial situation is a lot different than when I got the car, so I am paying more for the car than I initially anticipated.

As the subtitle suggests, I'll be living in Gainesville. I suppose that their bus system is alright; it covers basically the whole town/city. Traffic can get really congested in some parts of town; namely, the roads that surround the school; even during non-peak hours, as I've experienced the few times I've been down there. Last time I rode, the bus driver decided to take a 15 minute break mid-route, so I'm sure most buses don't abide by the schedule too well. For those that live in Gainesville, how is it to ride a bike in town? I've heard of a few people getting getting run into/over in the past month or so, which doesn't really surprise me, considering the average Florida driver (or any driver).

Did you guys find that you'd need to leave town very often? If I needed to come home to Jacksonville, I'd obvious be SOL unless I could mooch a ride off of someone else.

Well I went to college in LA, very far from home, and obviously LA is not a pedestrian or bike friendly town. It sucked, in short. But, I was able to do what I had to do. I brought a car around for my final half year and didn't use it much. I recommend NOT taking a car to college, at least for your freshman year, parking is usually very expensive and its a PITA. I dunno how it is in UF but at UCLA getting a parking pass was almost impossible. That or you pay someone for their apartment spot, it was ridiculously expensive ($100+ a month) but it was that or deal with street parking.

By your 2nd year if you want a car then bring it along, at least you'll have a better idea of the situation.

I took mine with me and I just finished my freshman year. It's good sometimes, but if you have friends there from way off and they dont have one its tempting to charge for taxing them around the city. Its good most of the time to have one, but you really wont have time to go too far away from school unless its a holiday. Its up to you, there are pros and cons depending on if you're willing to help out those without their car. Believe me, you will be asked. That, along with your own agenda you need a car for, and paying for gas...which right now is a bitch.

Well, parking won't be too much of a problem, as after my summer session (July-August), I'll be an apartment-dweller. I don't know how appartments were in L.A., but in Gainesville, it seems like complexes have ample parking.

I'm kind of wondering the same thing myself. I'm going to WSU, which is on the opposite side of Washington. As of right now, I plan on driving over to Moscow, Idaho for jiu jitsu, so I guess I don't really have much of a choice but to bring my car, seeing as I doubt the bus schedual would work around my desired times, but we'll see.

Either way, i wonder how driving home will be? Did you guys have to bum a ride with friends?

I'm bringing my car next semester since I'll be in an apartment, and will need to buy groceries and shit since I won't have a meal plan. I also spent a grand+ on train tickets this year, so the price won't be much different.

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Originally Posted by Tones

parking won't be too much of a problem

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Naivete.

Public Transit + Bicycle = Total Victory. A car in Gainesville is a really, really poor choice.

Just listen to what diffusionx said, he hit the nail right on the head.

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Originally Posted by diffusionx

That or you pay someone for their apartment spot, it was ridiculously expensive ($100+ a month) but it was that or deal with street parking.

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I pay $215 a month to park in Georgetown. I got a good deal from what I hear, for garage parking.

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Originally Posted by Mykozo

I pay $215 a month to park in Georgetown. I got a good deal from what I hear, for garage parking.

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My exact number was $135 for a nice, below ground spot. I didn't want to spend that much but I got two $35 tickets in one week parking on the street. But ut was stacked parking, so the noob who I got it from would move my shit out when he had to leave and stuff, very dissapointing. My last quarter my gf pulled some strings and got me a spot for about $85 a month. The garages were $200+.

I have a feeling that if the people in Westwood weren't all broke as fuck from living in LA the prices would be higher.

As far as I know me and Johnjk are the only Gainesville peeps here.

Me, I live a stones throw away from the campus and can walk when I need to, driving to campus - yeah - dont do it. The parking situation sucks, you can pay to park in a select few lots behind Gator City or close to HourGlass Apartments but its just not worth it. I know you can park in the lots on campus, but I've never had need to because of how close I live to it. I hear most of the good spots are all mainly for staff. Maybe John would know?

The bus route is our best option and is free for UF students.There are multiple routes and busses that go past all of the major apartments/roads, and a few that arent so major. I'll be moving out of my swank apartment this summer in with a bunch of guys off of Archer, and the bus thing is how I'll be getting to class. Everyone uses it. really. Everything in Gainesville seems really centralized and not too spread out so you can get pretty much anywhere by bus.

Check this site out for detailed route maps and such:
http://www.go-rts.com/

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UF Students
All UF students have unlimited access to all RTS bus services anytime, anywhere we operate. Your ride is pre-paid with your Gator One ID card. Don't leave home without this card.

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My current gf uses the bus a lot and I've looked at the route map she has and it seems like a pain in the ass to read. But, apparently, the drivers are really knowledgeable on certain stops and will help you out in you arent sure where you should be getting off etc.

Thanks for the heads up. I never really planned on driving to school; I know that traffic's a bitch and parking even moreso. I was considering a combo of bus and bike; it's nice how the buses all have bike racks on the front. My main concern was just taking a car so that I could drive places like work or elsewhere other than Gainesville. I have 2 appartment considerations; one off of Archer, and another off of 39th. The one on 39th Blvd looks like it's taking priority right now.

They've changed things since I've been in college. Usually they force you to stay in dorms the first two years.

I've been without a car for maybe 4 semesters now. My sister got the one I was using after she got a divorce.

Other than going home I don't really have a problem. I just walk everywhere which can be enjoyable, especially at night. There is something cool about walking around in a dead town listening to old Elvis songs blaring on a loud speaker.

ETSU is essentially a commuter campus so everyone HAS to drive and thus parking is a NIGHTMARE. If I could do it some other way, I'd jump on it in a second.

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Originally Posted by IronPlant

I've been without a car for maybe 4 semesters now. My sister got the one I was using after she got a divorce.

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LOL!

And I really thought things would work between you two.

alabamowned.

Ive gone through 4 years of college without a car. Means lots of walking and lots of biking. I go to school in a small town though, so it wasn't too bad (except when there is a foot plus of snow). The real problems I had were not getting to school, but shopping and such. Real pain in the ass to go grocery shopping w/o a car. If you have a roomate who drives you can usually plan days to go shopping if they are decent at all. But it sucks having to depend on people to a certain degree to do neccesary things like get food to eat.

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Originally Posted by Kano on the Phone

LOL!

And I really thought things would work between you two.

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:lol: :lol: :lol:

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Originally Posted by Mman

Ive gone through 4 years of college without a car. Means lots of walking and lots of biking. I go to school in a small town though, so it wasn't too bad (except when there is a foot plus of snow). The real problems I had were not getting to school, but shopping and such. Real pain in the ass to go grocery shopping w/o a car. If you have a roomate who drives you can usually plan days to go shopping if they are decent at all. But it sucks having to depend on people to a certain degree to do neccesary things like get food to eat.

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The store was like 4 blocks from me, I walked 100% of the time... it kind of sucked but it was great exercise. The only problem was I was too poor to afford enough food. If I could have eaten right I would've been jacked (I was never able to put on muscle during school, even though I exercised a lot)

And why are you living in apartments right from the start? Dorms are a must for any freshman. You're really losing out on the whole college experience.

I did local colleges. I've always regretted not going away and dorming for at least a semester or two.

I will be living in a dorm for this summer semester. The main reason that I'm living in an appartment is that when I sent in my housing deposit, I didn't see a little disclaimer saying that if I didn't send in the deposit within 30 days of acceptance, my priority date would be jacked. UF has both temp. triples and un-air-conditioned dorms, and I really didn't want to risk being in either for 2 semesters, as my priority date (basically a reservation) would be late March instead of early October. During summer, freshman must live in dorms, and the priority date issue isn't a big deal, since not too many people live in dorms during the summer.

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Originally Posted by Dolemite

I did local colleges. I've always regretted not going away and dorming for at least a semester or two.

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I'm also all local-ish colleges. I really don't regret not going away, though.
Who the fuck wants to deal with random roommates?

I'll take random roommates over my parents 8 days a week.

Besides, it thickens your skin a little.

I think I have the best of both worlds: my roommate isn't a stranger, but he's not a great friend, either, so if we end up hating each other after our tenure; whoops.

At Bowling Green, the past year, I only knew of one freshman who brought a car. The parking lots are so far away from the freshman dorms that there's almost no point.

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Besides, it thickens your skin a little.

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I'm stuck with one this year (managed a single before), and while I was kinda upset at first, I figure it will do me good in the long run.

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Originally Posted by Tones

I think I have the best of both worlds: my roommate isn't a stranger, but he's not a great friend, either, so if we end up hating each other after our tenure; whoops.

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It is like a hundred times worse if you already know your roommate beforehand.

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Originally Posted by diffusionx

It is like a hundred times worse if you already know your roommate beforehand.

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I agree with this 110%

I made that mistake.

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Originally Posted by Rich

I agree with this 110%

I made that mistake.

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I could swear I remember telling you, too.

lols.

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Originally Posted by diffusionx

I could swear I remember telling you, too.

lols.

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You did. I'd probably do it all over again, too, even though I know better...with a different friend

It's just that knowing him so well before hand caused his quirks to annoy me so much more because I would otherwise let them go in a stranger.

When we're home though, it's as if we never fought like a married couple here.

Oh well, I'll let whatever comes come.

yeah, as people have said, living in a dorm is better than living at home with your folks.

It isn't becasue of some angsty teenage shit like "parents suck" or something like that. It is becuase if you don't change anything about your life, you're going to go into college with the same aditude you had in highschool, as to say, fucking lazy.

It doesn't matter what your major is, you do not want to go through college being a lazy douche. You'll mis out on a ton of things.

And besides, your folks' house is a shitty place to pick up tail and make freinds. Dorms arn't.

As I think I already said, the dorm for fall/spring isn't even a possibility now. The sign-up date has already gone, so the dorm is a no-go, after summer, at least (which I did sign up for).

I'm going to have to look into houseing in a few days. I was so into my school work this semester I forgot to send off the dorm form.

But I got all As/Bs this semester =3

If your lucky you go to a school with great transportation. I'm going back to UW for grad school and busses were great never needed a car. I'm thinking about getting a bike as well. But i never needed car the bus can take you anywhere...

I got my parking permit for next semester info and I'm about a mile away from my apartment. Gay. MD parking sucks. Lots. I think I'm going to just wait until the Spring so I can park on south campus where my apartment is, because freshman and sophmores are assigned to north campus which is, at a minimum, at least a mile away. It'll save me $150, and let me get a quality spot for the spring as opposed to a shitty spot all year.