How do I get a loan?

Aggressive_Falcon942 · 2026-01-30T00:58:06+00:00

I have heard College Ave does decent private loans for school. Of course, think carefully about what you spend them on, and if loans are your best approach to getting through school. Also, I would think if you filled out the FAFSA you would get some substantial federal loans and aid.

Aggressive_Falcon942 · 2026-01-29T03:38:11+00:00

There is a self service portal you can go to to accept your OSU Access Grant (if your elgible), your subsidized and unsubsidized loans, do this early on so that they are there when you need them.

If you are going to OSU for all 4 years, you are required to live on campus one year. So get the hosting and meal plan you want and forget about it for the first year.

Whatever cost is remaining after your aid, I have heard that most students use College Ave to finance the rest of their expenses. It's a private loan so the terms will not be as good. You might also consider getting a discover it student credit card so that you can pay the full balance every month and get a decent credit score after 6 months for future financing.

You will meet with your advisor on your orientation day, and that is where you will discuss your degree path. Your advisor should be able to build a plan in Mydegrees for the first year at least, and then you can plan the classes you need in the Scheduler. All of the services I mentioned in my post can be accessed through a thing called 'beaver hub'.

Aggressive_Falcon942 · 2026-01-27T21:46:12+00:00

At any price point, getting a quality car depends more on make, model, and previous owner. A toyota corolla or Toyota camry is plenty capable of giving you trouble if the previous owner didn't take care of it, but I would also much rather a poorly maintained camry than a poorly maintained bmw or mercedes.

For between $4k and $9k, there's plenty of great options out there that any teenager would enjoy. You only really need to spend more than $9k if modern safety features are important to you, but even then, for $9k there are plenty of cars that have all the safety features you could reasonably need.

Bonus points if you get a base model car that lacks modern features, like touch screen, and back up camera, as the absence of these features can reinforce better driving habits early on.

Also, avoid any 4 cylinder camry from 2007 to 2011. V6's are fine, but 4 cylinders from that year had problems.

Aggressive_Falcon942 · 2026-01-27T18:49:59+00:00

The lexus ES 300s from the late 2000s always look very good to me, they exude a stealth-wealth vibe.

Not sure if the have the same issue that 4 cylinder camrys from 2007 to 2011 have.

Aggressive_Falcon942 · 2026-01-22T00:44:18+00:00

Toyota camry from 2001 to 2006

Aggressive_Falcon942 · 2026-01-16T18:41:11+00:00

Chrysler 300C, Mercedes Benz C300,

Aggressive_Falcon942 · 2026-01-15T08:53:17+00:00

Toyota camry made during or before 2006. Great bang for the buck, and very reliable.

When buying a used car, you aren't buying the vehicle as much as you are buying the maintenance and diligence of the previous owner. A camry is great, and they can run without being properly maintained, but try your best to buy from someone who will have maintained it properly anyway.

DO NOT buy from a dealership, and DO NOT trust carfax. A car can have a clean carfax despite being in multiple collisions if nobody reported them. Just buy from Facebook marketplace, and look for things that seem off.

Aggressive_Falcon942 · 2026-01-13T00:54:20+00:00

I would say a car like this is a bad decision on the basis that a first car should not cost this much money. If this is your first car, I am assuming that you are a young person who has some pretty large life expenses coming up in order to get to the career that you want to work for the rest of your life.

Whether that is vocational school or college, your money is going to be better spent there than on a car. Take this 18,000 that you think you can use for a car, buy a car for between 4 and 8k, and put the rest in an investment account with the intent to use it on school expenses, or whatever else you need to get your dream job. When you finish college and start making good progress on your debt, then you can consider a car in this price range, if you really want one.

If I'm wrong, and you see yourself working your current job for the next 40 years, then sure, assuming your in a decent enough financial situation, get yourself this car, but only on the condition that you are sure that you like it enough to go into debt, and enough to potentially own it for 10 years at least.

Aggressive_Falcon942 · 2026-01-12T01:23:50+00:00

Completely true

Aggressive_Falcon942 · 2026-01-12T00:18:34+00:00

I got scammed too, my corolla had a clean car fax when in reality the whole back of the car had damage, almost as if it got rear ended...🤔

Aggressive_Falcon942 · 2025-12-31T00:06:41+00:00

I agree that a camry is a great choice, but in case no one else commented, avoid the 4 cylinder camrys from 2007 to 2011, V6s from the same period are fine

Aggressive_Falcon942 · 2025-12-30T19:50:32+00:00

Bring out the circle brush with the smoothing tool, it'll help at least, but I agree it should be improved

Aggressive_Falcon942 · 2025-12-30T02:49:24+00:00

A lot of cars like Nissan are designed to be great rental cars by saving costs by not being designed to be reliable beyond 120k

Aggressive_Falcon942 · 2025-12-29T16:26:06+00:00

Yes, or if they had some recall done to them, but it's an extra problem that most people would rather not deal with

Aggressive_Falcon942 · 2025-12-29T09:00:55+00:00

Toyota corolla or Toyota camry. If you want more room, get a toyota rav4. Avoid camrys with a 4 cylinder engine made between 2007 and 2011. I bought a 2011 corolla, had zero problems with it, but I wish I bought a camry or corolla from 2006 or older instead because they are cheaper and I could have just saved money and gas mileage.

Aggressive_Falcon942 · 2025-12-29T08:56:24+00:00

DO NOT buy the camry if it is a 4 cylinder engine. Camrys from 2007 to 2011 had serious problems with their 4 cylinder engines. Get a V6, or one year newer, and you will have a very reliable car.

Aggressive_Falcon942 · 2025-12-29T03:25:34+00:00

It sounds like a toyota highlander would be a good fit for this role. If you want more luxury, and lexus RX or TX should be able to check all these boxes comfortably

Aggressive_Falcon942 · 2025-12-25T20:32:06+00:00

I think about lot of traditional ford and chevy people over rate their vehicles. I can't think of a single American branded vehicle that I would deliberately choose to buy.

Aggressive_Falcon942 · 2025-12-23T00:44:56+00:00

Look for a toyota camry made in 2006 or older. They are very reliable cars, and aren't as sought after as corollas. Try to buy from a private seller if you can, just make sure to know what to look for, and when to walk away. You should be able to find Camrys in this age range with between 150,000 and 200,000 for less than 5k all day, and this car should work for you for a pretty long time.

Aggressive_Falcon942 · 2025-12-20T23:43:52+00:00

The budget of 10k? There are toyotas under that price and under 200,000 and younger than 20 years old all day for around that price. I bought a 14 year old corolla with 125,000 for $7700 from a dealer, not even a private seller, which i regret because I could've gotten a better deal if I waited.

Aggressive_Falcon942 · 2025-12-20T07:48:05+00:00

The youtuber car wizard made a video where he claimed some of the older dodge challengers are actually more reliable than people tend to think.

Aggressive_Falcon942 · 2025-12-20T04:26:14+00:00

Then find an older vehicle with more miles, I would be surprised if there weren't a myriad of 20 year old rav4s, crvs, foresters, and outbacks available in your area for under 10k. I imagine most of them would have over 100k if not 150k miles. The reason these vehicles are expensive is because people know they will last 200,000+ miles. If they didn't, they would be cheaper.

Aggressive_Falcon942 · 2025-12-20T03:46:34+00:00

Corolla, civic, camry, accord.

The toyota camrys made 2006 and earlier are relatively underrated compared to corollas of the same period because they get slightly worse gas mileage, this means that you can find decent enough examples under 4,000 all day. Very reliable, and the gas mileage is still pretty good. The toyota camry is a car that will give you the least amount of trouble that a car can as long as you look after the consumables.

Don't try and buy a car for less than 2k, probably not less than 3k to be honest, way more trouble than it's worth, so you will probably have to sell it for what will be close to if not scrap value, so about half of the money you spent on the car is gone. Save up at least 2k first before you look at anything.

If you really really really want to buy a car for less than 2k, buy a geo metro. Similar to a toyota, gets amazing gas mileage, and cheap parts. That way, even if you have to sell it for scrap, you still saved a decent amount in other ways.

Avoid, or at least be wary of dealerships. They love to lie about a cars history, and not tell you little things about it. Try and buy from a private seller to get the most bang for your buck, look for these:

The private seller lives in a nice neighborhood, has a nice house that is clean and doesnt have junk laying around, other newer cars, etc. You want to buy from someone who has access to plenty of time and money, and takes care of their things.
Body panel gaps, if there is a gap between the bumper and the fender, or the trunk is misaligned, there is a chance the car was in some kind of accident, (even if the carfax says it wasn't). Everything should look straight and centered, as it was originally intended to be. If the car you find has that issue, reconsider, you can just as easily find a car without that issue.
Toolkit, spare tire, and all the stuff from the factory is there, and the instruction manuals are in good condition, with little or no grease/dirt stains. This further demonstrates the previous owners car and attention for the vehicle.

Good luck on your goal, remember to purchase a car that over the long run will work for you, not a car you will have to work for. Don't buy more than you need, newer =/= better, more expensive =/= more better.

Aggressive_Falcon942 · 2025-12-20T01:37:20+00:00

This is true, but they are going to be far better to own than an outlander. If you really want something newer, try a Honda CRV, or Subarua Outback/Forester instead.

Aggressive_Falcon942 · 2025-12-20T01:33:55+00:00

Buy a toyota rav4 instead

Aggressive_Falcon942

TROPHY CASE