Student Ditches Campus Housing and Moves Into Van 29
Duke graduate student Ken Ilgunas has come up with a plan to make it through school debt free. He plans on living in his 1994 Ford Econoline van. He showers and exercises in the campus gym, and knows where all the 24-hour buildings are so he can keep warm, and connected to the Internet. "I'm rarely in the van. Just to eat and sleep. Generally it's not the most convenient place. The closest bathroom is a quarter-mile away and there's no source of water nearby. But with that said, I live pretty comfortably. I bring a water jug to campus and fill it up," he said.
Fill 'er up (Score:2, Funny)
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He should had moved his van down by the river [hulu.com]! ;)
Location of van? (Score:1)
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This is something new? (Score:2)
Link to original story, in his own words (Score:2, Informative)
This student posted his own story at http://www.salon.com/life/pinched/2009/12/06/living_in_a_van/index.html [salon.com] - I think it's a much more interesting link.
So (Score:1)
How does this guy pick up a girl and convinces her to go back to his van and not sounds like a rapist/serial killer.
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It sounds like a good plan. Not dating means he isn't paying for dates. No casual sex means no chance of knocking up some girl, and removes the possibility of having child support payments for the following 18 years.
All in all, it's a good plan. :)
I'd park the van closer to the bathroom though. :)
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It depends on your perspective.
Your parents send you to college so you can get a better job when you get out. (or to just get you out of their house)
Your college wants you to attend, so they can make more money.
And most people go to get a degree, get drunk, and get laid. Priorities there are not usually in that order.
Living in his van, the only ladies he's going to see in there are the kind that charge by the act. :) But hey, with
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Well, my parents didn't, but I did attend a few schools. I got laid perfectly well on my own, and still do. :)
By attending, I meant at least applying and enrolling. They can't charge you if you never register.
There is a risk to this (Score:2)
Excellent (Score:2)
If I was as wise as I am now when I was in college, I would definitely do things differently and more along these lines. I love this.
Do what you need to to get through. (Score:3, Interesting)
Over the years I have owned and camped in numerous conversion vans. I've never lived in one though but I wouldn't think that it would be too uncomfortable as long as you lived a minimalist lifestyle. The big problem would be the facilities but my boat has an answer for that. It is a very small chemical toilet. It sits underneath a box that looks like it is a built-in footstool.
Living in a climate where the temp drops to -20 below there are times where you would need some sort of heating. A small catalytic heater could help but would be dangerous unless you also have a CO detector. Perhaps a small furnace from a travel trailer would be a better solution (keep the CO detector to be safe).
What besides space would you be missing? Today you have cell phones, LCD televisions, wireless internet. Almost anything that plugs in can be had for 12V and inverters are available for those things that can't be.
I went to school and emerged debit free. I lived in my parent's old house that hadn't sold yet and only paid utilities (that was a big help) and relied on a part time job for income. I got the GI bill and was lucky enough to win a grants for my text books and other school related expenses and even got some money for tuition. While many of my fellow students emerged with huge bills for student loans, I graduated with zero debit!
Was it worth it? Hell yeah. I only had to concentrate on the future and was not haunted by the ghosts of the past; all those ghosts named "Bill".
I can say if I had to do it again and if I had to live in a van to emerge debit free; I would not think twice.
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It's too bad you didn't learn the difference between debt and debit.
Liberal studies? (Score:2)
As dumb as he is for getting such a worthless Masters, at least he has the forethought to not saddle the rest of us with defaulted student loans!
The whole point (Score:2)
such a worthless Masters
The student admits himself that, given today's economical situation, he won't easily land a big-money job.
The whole experiment stemmed from that fact and trying to avoid accumulating a loan he wouldn't be able to pay.
On the other hand, that's pretty much extreme. Given all the hoops he has jumped through, it would have been much more simple to do his studies abroad, like in any of the European countries where studies are still affordable (don't need to sell a few organs on the black market just to pay tuiti
Solution to the Water and Bathroom Issues (Score:2, Interesting)
Why is he so special? (Score:1)