New to UT: II. Do I Need a Car?

This matter is obviously one of preference. It is a question I receive often though, especially from incoming freshmen, so I decided to address it here. There are some pros and cons to having a car as a UT Austin student that I will cover, and even though I believe that it is not necessary to have a car, at least my reasoning will be transparent enough.

First, some highlights from the past week…

Congratulations for Graduating!

Congratulations to all the UT students who graduated this past weekend. I’d like to give a special shoutout to my roommate of four years, who probably deserves a medal for tolerating me for eight semesters. Congratulations on graduation and on your full-time offer!

The Rapture…

…either didn’t happen, or we all got left behind. I hope for the former. In case you didn’t hear, Harold Camping, an 89-year-old retired civil engineer in California, predicted Judgment Day would occur on Saturday, May 21; the prediction did not manifest. Nevertheless, the most famous end-of-days prediction in U.S. history occurred in 1844 when William Miller predicted the second coming would occur on October 22, 1844. Many followers gathered in anticipation (some even quit their jobs) of this prediction and waited all day only to discover that nothing happened; as such, this event was known as “The Great Disappointment. 

Bee Week

May 29-June 4 is Bee Week in Washington DC, and it is probably one of my favorite events of the year after the NCAA Basketball Tournament.

In what I would now describe as a hyper-recruiting-event-like party, contestants and their coaches and families (usually the same people) stay in the Grand Hyatt for a week. While there, contestants engage in meet-and-greets, game nights, several tours throughout the nation’s capital, a barbecue, and a final banquet. Wednesday and Thursday are set aside for competition, however, as students (none past the 8th grade are allowed) try to spell their way to a $30,000 cash grand prize (and about an extra $10,000 in other prizes). To gauge the types of words these spellers face, Scripps Howard offers this sample test

And back to the main topic…

Do I Need a Car?

No. This is circumstantial, of course, but an automobile is not necessary for a handful of reasons. I can empathize as to why being carless in a city the size of Austin may be scary, but depending on your choice of housing (see last week’s installment), a car may actually feel like more of a liability anyway.

(1) Proximity

If you live near campus, you probably won’t have a need to drive to school because school is a five-minute walk away. This is especially true if you live in any of the campus residence halls: if you’re a business student and live in Jester, classes are conducted across the street. Thus, the lack of use is enough reason to not need a car.

(2) Parking

Parking on campus is a scarce commodity, and it will cost you money. And Parking and Traffic Services will give you a parking ticket if you violate their rules—which is a blessing compared to having your car towed if you pick a bad spot just off campus. Aside from not being able to find a spot to park, if you live on campus and buy a parking spot in the garages, you may have to move your car to a further garage for season football ticketholders on weekends. (That’s like your neighbor requiring you to move your car out of your own driveway for their party, but that’s how it works.) Thus, even when you have a spot, you have the hassle of moving it to the distant Guadalupe Garage for home games.

(3) CapMetro

Because of the proximity, anywhere you probably want to go (most of the time) can be reached using any of the UT Shuttles or CapMetro—including the grocery store which lies on several routes. Most of the downtown routes run down Guadalupe St. which is right on campus, making access to downtown or South Congress Avenue a lot simpler (because then you don’t have to deal with parking there, either).

(4) Miscellaneous

Other reasons I do not recommend a vehicle are trivial, but to me, they make a difference. The E-Bus can sufficiently transport me downtown to the entertainment district, so no need for a car to go out on the town. Another example is the costs of driving: gasoline, parking, and insurance are substantial costs that can be avoided. Overall, I would say that not owning a car is less stressful.

This would not be fair if I didn’t present the other side, especially since, well, I now have a car. Here are my favorite advantages of owning a car.

(1) Efficiency

Knowing that I have a whole car to help me transport stuff, making trips to the grocery store becomes a bit less selective because I know that I don’t have to worry about carrying too much stuff or wondering if anything would spoil by the time I got back home. This issue is less significant if you live in a residence hall because of the convenience stores located inside them, but don’t expect to necessarily stock up the fridge if you’re walking or taking the bus. Plus, it’s nice to be able to just be on your way instead of waiting around for a bus… 

(2) Convenience

I love being able to come and go as I please. It’s a bit refreshing now to be able to leave my apartment without having to study the bus schedules before I go. This is especially true for events, interviews (too hot to walk), anything else academically related (GMAT testing, etc.), and just trying new places. Having the freedom to go where I want and when I want has definitely opened up a lot of options (including where I shop, where I eat, and where I can work). 

(3) Proximity

Proximity–not to your everyday destinations, but to nearby cities like San Antonio, Dallas, and Houston. Being an El Pasoan, I pretty much never go back, and when I do, I fly. (With gas prices, I usually break even with a flight.) However, for those that are from the aforementioned cities, home is only a couple hours away, and visiting family is simple drive if you have a car. Thus, if you are so inclined to visit home a couple times a month and you live nearby, then a car might be a good option for that.

(4) Salt Lick

CapMetro does not stop anywhere near the Salt Lick barbecue restaurant, which now serves beef ribs every day of the week. If you haven’t dined at this Driftwood, Texas delight, I recommend doing so as soon as possible. (Don’t even finish reading this article; leave now.)

Final Thoughts

So why do I have a car and recommend not to have one? I needed a car for my internship, where I did need it. However, I did not need a car for seven semesters, and now that I’m back in classes, I find myself using my car less frequently than before. (Obviously, if you live farther away from campus, a vehicle is very important; thus, it is important to consider the context of my recommendation.) Furthermore, similar to being in an apartment as opposed living on campus, having a car entails a lot of responsibility. While I enjoy the ability to do more as I wish instead of per the bus schedule, an automobile requires maintenance, maturity, and consideration. If you are a freshman and not used to having you own car, adding that responsibility right off the bat may be too much added stress at one time. Now when it rains, I think to myself, “I hope there’s no hail.” 

The next installment of this series will address how to obtain football tickets. If you have any additional car questions, please feel free to leave a comment below:

2 thoughts on “New to UT: II. Do I Need a Car?”

  1. I’m doing a stats survey and was wondering if there is any way I could get information on the percent of UT students that do bring their cars to school in their freshman year? Thanks!

  2. Great Article. discussion , I Appreciate the analysis – Does someone know if my assistant can access a blank a form version to use ?

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