<prompt> Human: My car was recently totaled and Im not sure how to proceed. Im entering my senior year of college, and Im a little bit ahead of the curve so this fall will be my last true semester filled with classes. Next semester Ill have a class or two, so Ill be able to work almost full-time. Im currently an intern at a place that is willing to work around my schedule, and I have a guaranteed position there if I choose to do so after graduation. I have about 4,000 saved up, but 1,000 will be going towards out-of-pocket tuition costs. Therefore Im working with about 3,000 to put towards a car. I live at home with my parents and they charge me 150month in rent. They said they might cut it down to 50 due to my accident and financial issues.I intended to work during the semester a day or two a week, but now that Im out of a car, Im not sure what to do. Its about a 40 mile drive from my house to where I work.The way I see it, I have a few options.1. Try to find a car in the 2000-2500 range. Its definitely possible, but in that price range Ill end up with something that is late 90s or early 00s with roughly 100k miles - not something reliable. This is what I chose to do for my last car. Every few months something was going wrong with it. If I go with this option Ill still be able to work during the semester. A conservative estimate for my net income if I chose to work during the semester is around 530month.2. Finance a car now. With the money I have, Id be able to make a decent down payment. Yesterday I went to a dealership and was looking at a 2010 Toyota Corolla with 72k miles for about 10,000 after taxes and fees. They ran my credit and said if I put 1,000 down, my monthly payment 60 months would be around 170month. Including a conservative estimate for insurance, Id be spending close to 300month for my auto expenses. Throw in gas and rent, my net income will be close to nothing.3. Go car-less for the time-being and wait to finance a car until next semester. If I wait until Im working practically full-time in the spring, then Ill be able to afford a higher car payment, and hence get a much better car; most likely brand new. Getting a car for 10,000 with 72k miles is a good deal, but nonetheless cars with such high mileage, even Corollas, which are known to last over 200,000 miles, can run into problems. My father works at the university I attend, so I could carpool with him every day. If went with this option, I wouldnt work during the fall semester. This semester will be rough in terms of coursework, so the bonus here is that Id be able to focus completely on coursework. My internship will not be jeopardized as its part of a program that is a pathway to a full-time job there after graduation. A lot of students in this program only work during the holidays and summer. Of course it would suck not having a car for a few months, but I think that its certainly doable.The bottom line is that I need to figure something out, and I need to figure it out soon if I intend to work during the semester. Im leaning more towards options 2 and 3, but as far as picking between the two its about even in my mind. They both have pros and cons. Any help or advice is GREATLY appreciated!  <response>: Option 3. Especially because your father can take you to school, you wont have to work, and you can focus full-time on your coursework and get the most out of your education. 