At summer orientation, incoming first-year students are told that it's not necessary to have a car on Grounds. And yet, most upper-class students drive while at the University.
The abundance of student drivers may make the car seem like a staple. However, for a student considering whether to bring an automobile to the University next year, there are several factors to consider.
Second-year College student Catherine Hauptfuhrer said the biggest advantage of having a car on Grounds is the freedom it allows.
"If you need a lamp, you can go and get your lamp without getting a cab or waiting for the bus," Hauptfuhrer said. "It makes a lot of errands easier and it kind of opens up your options in terms of activities you can do. If you want to go to movies or different new restaurants, you can. There are a lot of restaurants in Charlottesville that are not so easily accessible."
Second-year College student Chad Ellis also said he enjoys "being able to get away from Grounds."
Still, Ellis said, he does not view the car as a necessity. In his case, he needs a car because he is on the crew team and must drive to practice every day. Were it not for crew, he said, he could live without a car. Hauptfuhrer, on the other hand, said she cannot imagine life without her car.
But having a car on Grounds isn't always a smooth ride.
Many students were emphatic about parking and transportation as the chief problem.
"Parking and Transportation is a bit of a misnomer," first-year Architecure student David Dahl said. "There is no parking."
Dahl, who is also on the crew team, parks his car either at University Hall or the Emmet/Ivy parking garage. The garages are not exactly convenient, he said, because "they're a mile away from my dorm."
Ellis said he has had trouble with parking as well, having received at least five parking tickets. He estimated that the fines amounted to $300.
Hauptfuhrer noted another disadvantage of having a car at the University.
"A lot of college students are not good drivers," she said. "Accidents are easy to come by."
The students offered various words of advice for those thinking about bringing a car next year.
"I would tell them, if they have a place to park it, bring it," Haputfuhrer said. "If they don't have a place to park it, it would be a royal pain to find a place, because there really is a shortage and you don't necessarily want to park it on the side of the street. That's not safe."
Dahl said students should "still be prepared to walk," and that "you still have to ride the bus a lot."
Finally, Ellis warned: "Be careful where you park."
This summer, students who remain undecided on whether or not to bring a car in the fall will have time to ponder whether it is essential for them.
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