Owning a car in college can come in handy, especially when you want to go on a road trip or take your friends out to dinner. Since you might not have access to the newest Ferrari model, learning how to maintain your car while in college is very important.
Making sure you stay updated on the newest car features, even when you’ve been driving it for years, becomes a must. You can take proper care of your vehicle even on a student budget, and today we’ll show you how. Before we get started, let’s see why having a car in college is such a great idea.
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Why Should I Have a Car in College?
There are so many benefits to having a car in college, I don’t even know where to start. Here are the most important ones.
- You can leave campus any time you want. Sometimes, you might need to take a break from campus and get away. If you don’t own a car, this activity might be difficult or sometimes, even impossible. Driving your own car will give you the ability to leave campus when you need a break (or want to take someone on a date, even).
- You can be a better friend. Most international students won’t have a car, so you could meet new people by offering airport drives. You could also help your friends move or drive them somewhere if they don’t have a car.
- You can get an off-campus internship if you own a car. Otherwise, moving from point A to point B might be difficult. If, however, you cannot afford a car and want an internship nevertheless, you can always get an online internship, study at home, and write an essay about it at the end. During the covid-19 pandemic, this option has been successfully used. You can contact an essay creator and check if they might be willing to help you out, in case writing essays is not your strength. Many essay assistants are out there to help you, so don’t be ashamed; it’s totally normal.
- You can save lots of money by shopping in various stores. Some items might be cheaper at Walmart than at Publix, for example, and not having a car stays in the way of checking out multiple stores. Having a car saves you money.
- In case your family needs you, you’ll be able to help them. Maybe your sibling has an emergency or maybe your mom needs help shopping. Whatever it is, you can become more reliable if you’re driving. Plus, you can visit your family whenever you want to if you drive. If you don’t drive, chances are you won’t see your family more than twice per year.
Know the Maintenance Schedule in Great Detail
Here is the car schedule that you should be aware of. Academic education might be important, but so is car education.
- Months 1-3. You should run a general inspection and check the oil, maybe change it. Check the power steering fluid and the breaks. Don’t forget about the lug bolt.
- Months 6-7. Make sure you run another oil check, change it if you need to. Check the tire depth and the breaks again. It’s time to check the battery and the brake fluid, plus don’t forget about the power steering fluid check. The spark plug wire check should also be on your list.
- Months 9-12. Depending on how much you drive, you might want to run another brake inspection and power steering fluid check. Don’t forget about the brake fluid check again and run a tire depth check. Your fuel pressure regulator inspection is due now and your timing belt check is important as well.
Make sure you run these checks regularly, preferably by following the calendar above. Make sure that you write down your next check-up appointment, you don’t want to be too late. Better safe than sorry – so, stay prepared and do the regular inspections according to the calendar.
What Should I Always Have in My Car?
Here are the items that you should always have in your car, no matter how well yours is running right now. Check them out.
- A spare tire
- Non-perishable food for challenging times
- A flashlight to see in the night
- Bottled water, you never know what can happen
- Carjack
- Phone book, just in case you run out of phone battery
- Car charger and extra batteries, just in case again
- Jumper cables
- Ice scraper, especially during the winter
- A blanket
- A tire pressure gauge to know when you’ve got to add more air to your tires
- A first-aid kit, it’s highly important
- A snow brush
Wrapping Up
Make sure you know your car maintenance schedule well enough. You must follow it exactly if you want your car to stay in good shape. Plus, it’s safe for everyone driving with you if you’re getting your car checked on time.
