It’s not a surprise that most people who attend college do not own a vehicle. This is typically due to a couple of factors: your parents won’t let you take your car to a foreign environment; gas prices are through the roof; it’s more of a hassle than not. I have come to the realization that most students at Florida State University (FSU) do not own a vehicle. I went from having a car during my first three years of school to not having one my last year. Experiencing both sides has led me to positive and negative factors of it and I will further elaborate so you can make the decision for yourself.
why you are better off without a car
horrendous drivers
Most people in Tallahassee simply cannot drive. If you have seen any of the Instagram posts made by FSU Barstool’s “worst drivers of Tallahassee,” you probably have rethought having a vehicle or ever getting one.
It has gotten to the point that I personally think there should be a separate driver’s test to have a license in Tally. I consider myself on the higher spectrum of good driving and even I was scared to whip these streets. I do not joke when I say anytime I drove my car I almost got in a wreck because of others.
YOU GET YOUR EXERCISE
Whether this be walking, biking, skateboarding or even hauling ass to that class you are late for, these Tallahassee hills are no joke and will get your heart racing and muscles moving. You may be working up a sweat but hey, good health is created through the practice of physical movement.
meeting people
When you are running around this beautiful college town, you are always able to put yourself out there and meet people. Having no car means you are forced to possibly ask a person in class for a ride leading to a new friendship or you get a new walking buddy between classes.
you save money
Not having a car means you get to save some money for other activities. Specifically for me, I paid my monthly car payments and gas on my own, so any money I made at work typically went to these expenses. Once I no longer had a car, I could use this money for going out, food, clothes, etc.
why not having a car kind of stinks
no road trips
You no longer have the luxury of freedom. This could be with or without friends. I definitely miss the ability to stop and grab food when I was not feeling like walking, and I miss driving to Alligator Point with the girls while the windows were down and the music was blasting.
harder to be on time
We have all been in the position of being late for a meeting or work and knowing that at least we won’t be as late when we speed-race there in our car. However, now I have to make extra time for myself to get ready for obligations in order to mitigate the risk of being late.
moving things
Not having a car means that I have to now carry all of my groceries half a mile home from Greenwise or pay extra money to get them delivered. I can’t take my bags of Plato’s Closet clothes into my car and drop them off. I can’t go pick up plants from Tallahassee Nurseries and transport them to my apartment. I can’t bring everything I want back home for break. Moving things around is pretty difficult.
avoiding public transportation
I don’t know about you but the last thing I ever wanted to do was hop on a RedCoach to go home or pay money every day to Uber places. Having a car helped me completely avoid these struggles most of the time.
It is safe to say that much of the FSU community is carless and is what I like to call “pedestrianized,” as they have no vehicle. A lot of college students go back and forth with the idea of getting a car during their time of study. From personal experience, I can say that having your own means of transportation has its benefits and disadvantages. It ultimately is up to you and your personal needs, but it is possible to survive college with and without a car.
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