Freshman year of college, I did not have a car. I lived on campus, and for the most part, was fine without having a car. Everywhere I needed to go, my bike was fine. If certain places were a little hard to get to with a bike, I would either Uber or call a friend to take me. I hated doing that though, so I avoided leaving campus for the most part.

Since freshmen live on campus, it is not such a big deal to not have a car. Those who I have talked to over my time at Texas Tech said that they did not use their car very much during their freshman year.

Speaking as a person who did not have a car their freshman year, I can say that it would have been nice to have one, but it was not hard to get through my first year without a car. I definitely did not need one, and for the most part, did not miss having access to a car too much.

However, that all changed when sophomore year came. I moved off campus, and was then faced with the task of getting groceries and a decent job...both of which require a car. I lived near a Walmart, but that Walmart isn't exactly in a safe neighborhood. I could only buy what I could fit into my empty backpack (which I used specifically for Walmart trips). This got to be not only inconvenient, but annoying after a while.

Then there was the job situation. All the jobs near campus do not pay very much. I soon realized I would need to go further from campus to get a job that would pay enough, but that also requires a car. Managing extra-curricular activities and social activities can be difficult without a car as well. For example, after chapter, my sorority sisters usually all go out to eat together, which again, requires a car. Even though I could usually catch a ride to and from the restaurant with no problem, life would have been a lot easier if I could have driven myself.

My point is, freshmen do not need a car. You can survive without one. But having a car makes life a heck of a lot easier, especially if you live off campus. For me, having a car opens up a lot of doors (no pun intended) because not only can I go to Market Street and get all the groceries I need, but I can also get a decent job away from campus, which pays for said car.