In my country, people learn to drive when they are 18. Like everyone else my age, I got a driver’s license at that age after much antagonism from my father. After then, I rarely used it because I lived in a large enough city where I had public transportation.
Cut to a year later, I was living in the Brown dorms in Neosho, Mo., without any transportation. So how do students cope without transportation?
Living On Campus
Since I lived in the dorms, I could walk to classes, which was nice; however, I couldn’t get to the nearest supermarket or the movies by myself. If you live in the dorms:
- Get a friend with a car. Sure, this is a no-brainer, but I was surprised how many people didn’t want to risk having someone say “no” to them. If you have a car, be generous. And remember that everyone was given many rides before you could drive yourself.
- Be open, and open your e-mails. There are art groups, humanitarian groups, and even sports clubs that all get together in a place that isn’t campus. Sometimes, these groups will even let you bum a ride with them.
Living off Campus
- Sign up for a carpool system at Crowder’s organization at: http://www.carpoolworld.com/crowder. It allows students to coordinate with someone who is willing to give rides. Most people want company when they are driving 30 minutes to get to their campus, and sometimes the radio just doesn’t cut it. It’s free, and you might be able to make a friend. Remember, some gas money every now and then is a polite gesture.
- Sign up for online classes. Some people shy away from online classes because they think that it would be harder, but it isn’t. If you absolutely cannot make it to school (you have kids, a job, or maybe you are scared of the color blue), you can still attend school online and not even have to change from your pajamas.
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