Move out or get a car?

hooked96

So I've the choice of moving out or getting a car. I want to go to UL after my leaving cert in June and live 30 mins away. I have friends who live very close to campus and I can stay at theirs whenever. Which would do you think would be better if you had the option?

Fireball07

Move out every time for me.


I lived at home for 1st year and first semester of 2nd year before eventually moving out. My only real regret of college is not moving out sooner. I have found it to be by far the best way to meet new people and make friends, etc.


There are some disadvantages for sure, it's probably more expensive, home cooking is probably nicer, I'm sure you'll be kept awake some night when you really want to sleep.... but the positives far outweigh the negatives imo.

Ave Sodalis

Move out! You'll have to do so at some stage, you may as well learn independent living along with everyone else

Plus, you're only half an hour away if you do miss home so can quite easily go home at the weekends

Precious flower

Yeah I'd say move out!:) I wish it had been a viable option for me (I've been commuting for the four years) so I would encourage you, if you're being given the option to move out versus a car it''l be much better experience!:)

hooked96

Thanks for the advice. Ill think about it. My friends live a 10 min walk away from UL and are not on campus. Did any of ye live off campus?

Fireball07

hooked96 wrote: »

Thanks for the advice. Ill think about it. My friends live a 10 min walk away from UL and are not on campus. Did any of ye live off campus?

I've lived in College Court, Elm Park and Briarfied... none of which are official student accommodation but are pretty much filled with students. Obviously I've never experienced on-campus accommodation but it never really appealed to me (although it probably would have been good in 1st year). It is generally more expensive- whether it's worth the extra expense, I couldn't say.


Although, as far as I know, if you move to on-campus accommodation, you tend to get put with other people in the same year as far as I know, whereas if you move off-campus, you could get landed with people from any year.

William F

Get a car and then move out after you've settled it.

onethreefive

I would move out instead of getting a car, I live off campus and its all students where I am

Beargrylls01

Get a car if it's your parents paying, if it's you, move out.

wnolan1992

TBH it sort of depends on your relationship with your parents. Are they going to be hassling you every day to go to college? Are you going to get lectures if you come home reeking of beer and regret, fit for nothing more than to crawl under a duvet and sleep for the rest of the day?

Are those friends reliable? Are you always going to be able to stay at their houses, or are you going to end up having to drive home pissed off because their offer has fallen through?

Those're the things I'd be weighing up tbh. For me, I'd move out and save every penny I had for a car for second year.

hooked96

wnolan1992 wrote: »

TBH it sort of depends on your relationship with your parents. Are they going to be hassling you every day to go to college? Are you going to get lectures if you come home reeking of beer and regret, fit for nothing more than to crawl under a duvet and sleep for the rest of the day?

Are those friends reliable? Are you always going to be able to stay at their houses, or are you going to end up having to drive home pissed off because their offer has fallen through?

Those're the things I'd be weighing up tbh. For me, I'd move out and save every penny I had for a car for second year.

Yeah the relationship is good in that way so I don't need to worry about lectures and that at all. I wont have to worry about the offer falling through either

Queenalocin

As the 'mammy' of a 3rd level student, MOVE OUT! There is no comparison between commuting to college and life close to campus. You need your space to do all the nutty college stuff that students do and your mother is better off not knowing any of it!!

ninty9er

I lived at home through my whole 4 years. There's a lot to be said for clean clothes and not having to worry about the kitchen stinking or losing your deposit.

If you can get lifts in even better. A car is a serious drain on the wallet, convenient, yes.

I'm at the point now where I could go on 3/4 holidays a year for what my car costs in tax, insurance, maintenance, fuel, repayments. It's a choice, but unless you actually need the car, don't do either, stay at home and get a bus ticket, otherwise you'd better start looking for a well paid part time job.

Precious flower

ninty9er wrote: »

I lived at home through my whole 4 years. There's a lot to be said for clean clothes and not having to worry about the kitchen stinking or losing your deposit.

If you can get lifts in even better. A car is a serious drain on the wallet, convenient, yes.

I'm at the point now where I could go on 3/4 holidays a year for what my car costs in tax, insurance, maintenance, fuel, repayments. It's a choice, but unless you actually need the car, don't do either, stay at home and get a bus ticket, otherwise you'd better start looking for a well paid part time job.

I don't know. If I had had the option I would have chosen to move out over a car (as it stood, I had neither option!:pac:). I think it's nice to experience college and it's easier to make friends. A car is a serious money drainer as pointed out above and I think you'd get more bang for your buck if you just moved out really especially with all the social benefits/experiences that comes with as well.

More importantly, if college life doesn't suit you you can always move back move back home after first year. It'll be the must fun in first year anyway! However even with a car you might well get sick of commuting and you'll only have the college experience one. You've tons of time to buy a car and drive around in that to and from work for the rest of your life!!:)

Ompala

I lived on campus for 1st year then lived at home for 2nd and 3rd year.
Move out, the freedom is amazing.

CatFromHue

What's the traffic like in UL in the mornings nowadays?

Fireball07

CatFromHue wrote: »

What's the traffic like in UL in the mornings nowadays?

Still pretty hectic, although it does seem to be better than it was a couple of years ago when I was commutting. Groody Roundabout is still a bit of a nightmare.

sibby

Move out! Move out! Move out!
It's more expensive but worth it! You'll get to experience college life in a way that you can't if you're living at home and also being away from the parents will make you be more mature and help you grow up!

Coming from someone who had to live with people over the summer who had always lived at home, the difference between those who live at home and who live in college is notable!

Precious flower

sibby wrote: »

Move out! Move out! Move out!
It's more expensive but worth it! You'll get to experience college life in a way that you can't if you're living at home and also being away from the parents will make you be more mature and help you grow up!

Coming from someone who had to live with people over the summer who had always lived at home, the difference between those who live at home and who live in college is notable!

I'm all for the OP for moving out but I hate that notion that living on campus and away from your parents somehow makes you "more mature and grown up". I have lived at home for the four years and I'm no less mature than my friends who live in college, in fact a lot of people in college are far lazier and more immature than they would be if they were living at home! Depends on the person tbh.

ninty9er

There is also the freedom a car gives, plus a car enables better co-op opportunities depending on your course, some companies where field work is required will not hire unless you have a car.

You could spend €8k in rent over 4 years at least, for some ***hole, plus bills, or you could spend €2k once off on a car. the running costs will equal the bills, but you're still no worse off.

There's benefits of both really, but I never felt I missed out on anything because I lived at home; it was the best of both worlds really.

Tonyandthewhale

I'd say move out. It's nice to have somewhere to bring a young wan home after a night out without waking up the aul pair. No more than riding in the back of a car it doesn't exactly set a romantic mood.

Learn to cook though and wash your sheets on the regular. Just because you're living in Elm or where-ever doesn't mean you can't be a civilsed adult (though you'd be forgiven for thinking the two are incompatible given the way some residents behave). Don't live on-campus either (especially if it's your poor parents picking up the tab) you're paying more money for less freedom.

hooked96

So I got my course in UL and decided not to move out, I've been thinking and am worried I've made the wrong decision.. I'm gonna miss out on the uni lifestyle aren't I? **** it I think I wanna move out!

FlyingIrishMan

hooked96 wrote: »

So I got my course in UL and decided not to move out, I've been thinking and am worried I've made the wrong decision.. I'm gonna miss out on the uni lifestyle aren't I? **** it I think I wanna move out!

Did you end up getting the car? You can always move out in second year if you still feel you want to.

CatFromHue

Or even for the second semester to cover someone moving out due to Co Op

hooked96

No, no car yet.. changed my mind in the end and decided its unfair to expect my parents to pay for accommodation/car. Yeah i got a summer job so I think ill see how I get on in 1st semester and then I have the option to decide if I wanna cover a friend who's going on co-op At least then I can experience the uni lifestyle without breaking the bank as its only 1 semester