<p>I am an international student and the laws in my country are a little different. I won't be able to complete the driving course before I go to college in the US and I don't think that I am going to have time to do it before I actually graduate, because the course usually lasts for 2-3-4 months and the summer holiday isn't that long...</p>
<p>So..it is embarassing?</p>
<p>Nah, don't worry about it. I'm American and I haven't taken my road test yet, although I know how to drive. Well here in NY most people don't drive, we walk or take the subway.</p>
<p>In rural and suburban campuses, driving will be more important. But most college students don't even own cars, especially freshmen, so you'll be like everyone else. It's not like everyone else will have a car or a license. If they ask why you can't drive, just them the truth - in your country the law is different and you haven't gotten a chance to get your license yet. No big deal.</p>
<p>i don't drive. it's fine for me because i'm in a huge city with comprehensive transportation, but even when it comes up in conversation, i just explain that i don't have a license because driving makes me very very nervous (which it does), so i just never bothered. no one cares.</p>
<p>It's not embarrassing if you don't have a license</p>
<p>It is, however, embarrassing if you drive like this: YouTube</a> - Women Drivers Compilation (</p>
<p>There are plenty of students at my university, international and domestic, who don't have a license or know how to drive. </p>
<p>It's fine. Just do like everyone else without a car...find a friend who drives! :)</p>
<p>The OP is talking about the ability to drive. Not about the possession of a license.</p>
<p>No, it's not embarassing if you don't know how to drive. I'm not even sure why it would be embarassing.</p>
<p>semantics!</p>
<p>i don't know how to drive. therefore, i do not have a license.</p>
<p>Live in a city! If everything's so spread out that you have to drive to get places, you need to move.</p>
<p>i think it's kind of embarrassing..i didn't get my license until i was 18, and it sucked a lot to have people drive me everywhere. my ex-boyfriend's last girlfriend couldn't drive and he saw it as a sign of immaturity & lack of independence.</p>
<p>also if you're in college & you can't drive, you can't pitch in sometimes and DD, which will **** people off.</p>
<p>although i guess if you're an international student people won't care as much.</p>
<p>I knew a couple people (not international) that didn't have their drivers licenses.
They were probably more embarassed about it themselves than anyone else was.</p>
<p>It's not really a hassle (if you don't have a car you can't drive anyway) - it's just -- you want to shake them and scream "Why the hell don't you have your drivers license!!"</p>
<p>My high school required a drivers license for graduation - as it should be. The license is vital to have at bars/ clubs/ places that need ID or a deposit.</p>
<p>But since your international this doesn't really apply to you. You have a valid reason for not having a license other than being pretty lazy.</p>
<p>Depends on the school. Most students at UPenn don't have cars because it's significantly more inefficient and inconvenient than taxis/subway.</p>
<p>I think there's a big difference between not knowing how to drive and not driving. I would imagine that many people (even those in big cities with great public transportation systems) know how to drive and have a license even though they might not own cars or drive on a regular basis. But not knowing how to drive or not being licensed can be a problem when situations arise where you need to be able to drive such as travelling and renting a car, moving and renting a truck, being DD, etc. Plus licenses are the standard ID in the US and carrying a passport around is inconvenient.</p>
<p>The above obviously applies less to internationals since they aren't able to acquire US licenses. But knowing how to drive is still pretty important.</p>
<p>You don't need a car at some colleges - but we are a car-obsessed country as well.</p>
<p>Why would it be embarrassing? There is nothing embarrassing about not spending thousands of dollars on a car and the gas to fuel it. Plus, it saves you the frustration of learning all the wonderful rages of the roads.</p>
<p>I agree im not a driver either</p>
<p>my dad won't let me drive because it would cause our insurance rates to go up and then i'm going to college in a city, and driving isn't all that great for the environment anyway so just carpool..you'll save money and time and energy and stuff.. its just better to bike/walk/take public transportation anyway. </p>
<p>as for being embarrassed. it does make me mad b/c its not me who's lazy its my dad. but i suppose if it saves money, then my dad can now afford to buy me a nice new bike. :)</p>
<p>I don't have or want a license, or know how or want to know how to drive. I live in rural America right now so it's a pain to get to work, but I'm counting down the days until I go somewhere with public transportation. Whatever works for you, works for you.</p>
<p>
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My high school required a drivers license for graduation - as it should be. The license is vital to have at bars/ clubs/ places that need ID or a deposit.
[/quote]
</p>
<p>That's what my state issued ID is for. They are one and the same under the law.</p>
<p>Cars are a huge part of American culture. Parents teaching their teenagers how to drive with the family car is a milestone used to show that their children are becoming adults. Parents are letting go and kids are growing up. Fond but scary memories for most parents and teens.</p>
<p>"American culture" is not the same all over. Drivers are a minority here in Manhattan. Everyone walks or takes the subway or bus. I understand in other parts of America, the most exercise people get is waddling from their houses to the Hummer in the morning and crying over gas prices, but...oh well. Plus I believe there's a stigma about public transportation that exists in most of the country, that the bus is for poor people? In rural places a car is probably necessary as public transportation isn't as common there. I will be taking a road test this summer, although I don't think I'll get a car for years.
[quote]
My high school required a drivers license for graduation - as it should be.
[/quote]
That makes no sense, do you think they wouldn't have let you graduate without a drivers licence? What you mean is they required Govt ID. In states like Texas people are allowed to get their licenses early, but it varies from state to state. In New York State you can get a Learner Permit at 16 after passing a written test. At this point you're allowed to take Driver's Ed and drive with an adult over 21. I believe at 17 you can get a Junior License after passing the road test (there are restrictions), or regular License at 17 if you've taken Driver's Ed. If you never take Driver's Ed but pass your road test at 18 you get a regular license. This is what I was taught in Driver's Ed but I don't know for sure.</p>
<p>i got mine at 18 and i dont like driving i get overwhelmed quick driving but ya i can drive i dont have insurance tho and only took a 1 day course but ive been driving since i was 13 so im decent</p>