Most colleges don’t allow students to have cars on campus until sophomore year. The main reason for this is space. For example, if at Penn State (population over 50,000) every student had a car on campus, there would be no room to move. There are a few good reasons, other than space, why cars are not allowed on campus.
With underage drinking on the rise, it’s scary to have someone under the influence on the roads, especially in an overcrowded college town. College students are now in an environment where the only person who can tell them “no” is themselves. Feeling the need to fit in, a “no” never comes out of a rookie’s mouth, making it hard to make the right decisions. Experimentation or what I like to call “learning your limits” is a terrifying cause and effect.
Most students consume well above their tolerance. The only way to sober up is to wait and deal with the sometimes painful hangover the next day. Some are not so lucky. There have been numerous cases of alcohol poisoning, death, or accidents caused by this type of binge drinking. We’ve all been through it before. We drink too much, get spun around and then fall over, wallowing in our own vomit saying we’ll never drink again. However, what usually happens after we recover? We drink a little more, but we learned our limit. “I’ll never drink that much again!”
This is what happens to many freshmen. No responsibilities other than school, maybe a part-time job, and practice if you’re a student athlete. This is one of the factors that underlie why freshmen are not allowed to bring cars to campus. Can you imagine if one of them got behind the wheel? It’s a thousand times safer for them to use their own feet to move instead of a 3,000-pound piece of steel. Universities realize this and make it a strict policy.
After scaring the parents, let me narrow it down a bit. Not all freshmen go crazy and drink to excess, but the influence is there and most students are smart enough to quit and only a few will overstep their limits. Universities also believe that if freshmen don’t have cars then they can’t leave, forcing them to interact with other students and walk around campus and get a sense of the university environment, where the buildings are, etc. Most colleges are surrounded by shops within walking distance that meet the needs of all students, from food to entertainment. It is common for colleges to provide free or low-cost bus or shuttle service throughout campus.
The only reason freshmen might need a cos on campus is for special needs. If you fall into this category, go to your campus parking lot/police office and let them know your situation. Some will oblige without you having to do anything, but most will force you to provide proof and a payment, which is extra stress a freshman could do without.