As a newly legal driver, you may find yourself in a bit of a dilemma as to whether to bring your car up to university.
That newfound freedom of leaving the house as and when you want to is exciting, so debating what to do with your car is no surprise. For those lucky enough to live close to campus, dragging your car to your university city could be impractical and expensive. Likewise, if you are blessed with adequate public transport, you may be in a similar situation.
However, some people prefer the comfort of their own vehicle, and for those who need their car for work or university, it is best to understand the pros and cons ahead of making their decision. Lucky for us, the car finance experts at Moneybarn have gathered their top ten tips for students considering bringing their car to university.
1. Get the right insurance cover
Insurance is, without a doubt, the most important expenditure when investing in your car. Without insurance, you could be subject to losing out on insane amounts of money due to accidents. More importantly, your insurance details must coincide with your current address, so for those who will be leaving their car at university, you must notify your insurance provider; otherwise, your coverage could be void.
Most insurance providers will include breakdown cover as part of their package, but it is always worth checking what this entails. Nothing is worse, nor scary than breaking down in a city or on a journey where you are unfamiliar with the local rescue points.
2. Calculate your monthly budget for insurance and fuel costs
For many students, their primary source of income is their loans. Budgeting must always include all possible outcomes regardless of where the outgoings end up. Therefore, for those considering bringing their car to university, you must calculate just how much of your loan will be going towards car insurance and fuel costs.
Insurance costs will change between your hometown and university city, so the first step will be getting a quote for both. Your university city will likely mean an increase in insurance costs, so it is important to ensure that you can afford this. Likewise, for those who need their car for university and/or work, a cost analysis should be carried out for fuel usage. If you can equate a rough estimate for how many miles you will drive each month, you can gauge approximate fuel costs.
3. Do the relevant safety and security checks
If you are lucky enough to understand the ins and outs of how your car works, then you will know just how important it is to carry out regular checks. Sadly you will not have the luxury of mum or dad to help out, so learning these safety and security checks is a priority.
When bringing your car to university, it is important to regularly check fluid levels, battery condition, lights and the pressure and tread on your tyres. Similarly, leaving things in your car is easy, but you should always be mindful of leaving valuable items on display.
4. Work out the distance to your local petrol stations
If you are not well versed with the local area or know there is little access to petrol stations nearby, you will need to familiarise yourself with where it is possible to go. Correspondingly, it is worth calculating which petrol providers are the cheapest and where you will get your best deals! This can be done on multiple comparison websites.
5. Check your accommodation’s policy on parking spaces
For those living in halls, the chances of you having access to parking spaces are slim. For those in student housing, you may find that you have a parking space(s) or access to roads available for parking permits.
6. Familiarise yourself with your university car park
As previously mentioned, not everyone has the luxury of living on campus. In those situations, you may find that your university allows parking for students in particular circumstances. In this case, it is worth checking exactly what the rules are and who you will need to get in touch with ahead of arrival. It may be possible that the local council can offer guidance with this, or alternatively, your students union.
7. If possible, do a trial run from your accommodation to your university
This is what catches most students out. Upon the success of obtaining a parking permit or managing to afford to have your car at university, you will often find a slight bit of competition for actually finding a parking space. Once your timetable has been confirmed, you will need to consider if any of your lectures or seminars coincide with rush hours, as this is the last thing you want when making your way to a 9 am. Having this additional knowledge of route time or potential delays will work in your favour as it will also allow you to find a parking space!
8. Don’t be scared to ask for fuel contributions
Everyone hates to do it but ask for fuel contributions! If you are the only member of your university household with a car, you will likely become the designated driver for food shops and/or campus journeys. In these situations, it is important to remember that if you were not providing the passengers with a lift, they would be spending their money on alternate transport, so it is only fair that a contribution is offered/provided. Do not let any petrol-money resentment ruin your university living situation!
9. Update the address on your driver’s licence
Each year at university, you are required to update your personal details. Alongside this, you must remember to keep further important documents up-to-date, the most important being your driver’s license. You may wish to keep your address at your parent’s, but for those who are planning to keep their car at university more frequently than they are at home, it is worth changing your DVLA address to your university address. It is also a legal requirement to keep the information on your driver’s license up-to-date and accurate.
10. Be sensible and plan ahead
This goes without saying, and something that your friends and family will consistently remind you to do. Sensible driving saves lives. Always take care when driving and remember not to speed (no student needs that fine), not to use your mobile phone whilst driving (no one wants those points), and always ensure your tyres are legally permitting.
It is also worth considering your alcohol intake ahead of a big journey. It is illegal to drive under the influence but more importantly for students, drinking the night before can remain in your system the following day. If you can afford it, invest in a breathalyser to keep in the car, which will keep you and others safe.
Lead image: Rucsandra Moldoveanu