<p>can u survive at usc (la in general) without a car?</p>
<p>Short answer - yes. Try the search function:</p>
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<p>thanks a lot!</p>
<p>
I think that the answer “technically yes”. You will live, but may not be happy, particularly if one of the factors is access to a large city. Public transportation in Los Angeles is <strong><em>terrible</em></strong>, if you just have to take one bus you can get there, but god forbid if you have change buses — a trip of just a few miles can turn into a 1+ hour affair.</p>
<p>Bottom line is — if the only reason you need to go off campus is minor shopping for food and necessities you will be just fine and don’t need a car. If you want to take advantage of what LA has to offer, then either your own car or buddying up with others to get a zipcar may be a wise move. Cars in LA are expensive, though, so consider the decision carefully.</p>
<p>You can certainly survive. But to thrive… in L.A.? </p>
<p>A fabulous number of interesting restaurants, shops, sporting events, concerts, beaches, walks, theme parks, hiking trails, skiing, malls, other college campuses, clubs and museums really require a car for transportation. The L.A. area is spread-out and public transportation is mostly inconvenient. The good news is–a lot of local kids bring cars and someone in your group of friends most likely will have one there. I hear having a car can make a person pretty popular. But watch out. Gasoline is still way expensive. ;)</p>
<p>Note of counterbalance. Actually, if you are a hard-working freshman, are determined to work long hours to get great grades, will take advantage of the awesome array of Visions & Voices presentations, including free concerts, plays, art exhibits, performances, and panels all presented right on-campus or with free transportation provided, go to Trojan home sports events and cheer, and can handle eating on campus a lot, a student really has very little time to even think about leaving campus. When they do, they can rent a zipcar.</p>
<p>A car for an out of state student living on campus is really an extravagance. Considering the purchase price and all the fixed costs, to have a car just to drive a few hundred miles a semester to the beach or the mall is hard to justify. Even taking a cab every time would make more sense. The thing to do is to start off without a car, then revisit the issue once you are familiar with the environment.</p>
<p>If a student lands a great internship which is far from campus and not easy to get to on one bus, then a car is really a necessity. Students who live driving distance of campus and who want to go home on the week-ends also need a car. Otherwise, there is zip car and buses near the campus. Also, there are probably organized social activities sponsored by the dorms at USC which should be able to get you to where you want to go.</p>
<p>you really don’t need a car, but I personally feel as if I’m stuck on campus and confined to just what’s on USC’s campus and like, University Village. Being from LA anyway, I know that public transportation is available, but unreliable. Make sure you have a friend who has a car! It reeeally comes in handy when you wanna shop for clothes or whatever. Other than that, you don’t really need to have a car to enjoy college! :)</p>
<p>You’ll find people with cars. A bike is fine for the surrounding areas.</p>