Most colleges do not allow students to have cars on campus until the 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, having someone under the influence on the roads is scary, especially in an overcrowded college town. College students now find themselves in an environment where the only person who can say “no” to them is themselves. Feeling the need to fit in, the “no” never comes out of a newbie’s mouth and makes it difficult to make the right decisions. Experimentation, or what I like to call “learning your limits,” is terrifying cause and effect.

Most students consume 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 intoxication, death or accidents caused by this type of excessive alcohol consumption. We’ve all been through it before. We drink too much, spin around, and then fall over, rolling 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 will never drink that much again!”

This is what happens to many freshmen. There are no responsibilities other than school, maybe a part time job and practice if you are a student athlete. This is one of the factors that underscores why freshmen cannot bring cars to campus. Can you imagine if one of them got behind the wheel? They are a thousand times safer to use their own feet to move than a 3,000 pound piece of steel. Universities realize this and make it a strict policy.

After scaring the parents, let me lower it a bit. Not all freshmen go crazy and drink heavily, but the clout is there and most students are smart enough to quit and only a few will push their limits. Universities also believe that if freshmen don’t have a car, then they can’t leave, forcing them to interact with other students and walk around campus and get a feel for 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 universities to provide free or low-cost bus or transportation service throughout the university city.

The only reason freshmen may need a car on campus is for special needs purposes. If you fall into this category, go to your campus parking police / office and let them know your situation. Some will force you without you having to do anything, but most will force you to submit voucher and payment, which is added stress a freshman might do without.