To Drive or Not to Drive?
11 August 2010
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To drive or not to drive? That is the question. When you make your transition to the United States, it’s important to adjust and make your new atmosphere as comforting as possible. You want to continue having a normal life, actually an extraordinary life. Getting a US driver’s license is one way to adjust to the American lifestyle.
Receiving your driver’s license can be a difficult task, but it is rewarding just like every other hard thing in life. There is a specific process you must go through before you are granted your license. This process varies from state to state. You will need to follow the guidelines of the state which your college or university is located. Besides the specifics, here are the basics which are constant in every state provided by USA.gov:
- Foreign visitors who become U.S. residents can only obtain a driver’s license from the state in which they reside (not from the federal government). Each state has its own driving rules and regulations. Check with your state’s motor vehicles department to find out how to apply.
- Once you receive your U.S. driver’s license from a state motor vehicles department, you will be permitted to drive in all other U.S. states. The laws in each state vary from one to another. It is your responsibility to know and obey the laws of that state while driving.
- The residency requirement for obtaining a U.S. driver’s license varies with each state. Consult the motor vehicles department in your state for more information.
- If you are a foreign student coming to the U.S. to study, contact the university or college you will attend, as most institutions provide students with additional driving information. The best option would be to contact your International Director.
Prepare to take and pass a written knowledge test, which gives you a driving permit, by studying your state’s Driver’s Manual. When you go to test for your actual license, you will need to pass a vision test and a driving test. You will also need to show identification (passport, documentation of new address, I-94 card).
But is getting your license worthwhile? Sometimes a US driver’s license is unnecessary. I would suggest every student to give the car-less life a try. Here are the reasons to not get a license versus reason you should:
Reasons to drive
There is poor public transportation at your university
You can be reliable on yourself
Having the leisure of going places on your own time and schedule
You plan on traveling to nearby attractions (road trips!)
You just love driving
Reasons NOT to drive
It will take time to study and take all tests
Paying for the actual license
Paying for a vehicle
Paying for gas
Paying for school parking
Basically, a whole lot of paying for things
The public transportation at your university is reliable and efficient
It is environmentally better to be car-less
If you are decided on getting your license or you are still unsure, talk to your International Student Director. They can tell you more information about the transportation at your university and help guide you through the process of testing for your driver’s test.
Allizon Munoz is a junior at Ohio Dominican University studying Public Relations and minoring in Marketing. She serves as the 2010-2011 Ohio Dominican PRSSA President and Vice President of Professional Activities for Delta Sigma Pi Omicron Tau. Connect with her here: http://card.ly/allizonmunoz
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Great post! Living in NYC, I've never had to learn to drive because of all the public transit. Starting to think that maybe it's about time that I do!
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