SPONSORED — College students are known for living on a shoestring budget, but when you consider the compounding costs of commuting, you’ll need to pull a lot more (shoe) strings.

From auto loan payments to gas prices to insurance premiums, it’s easy to spend a small fortune just to get to class. And with the logistical nightmare of crowded college campuses, getting to point B might be more difficult than pulling a B in microbiology. That’s why it can pay (literally) to reconsider your commute.

Get close

While living on campus may have its drawbacks (hello, dorm mother), the college dorm life is certainly appealing when you’re looking to save money and time during those long school days. Living on campus means forgoing the costs of getting to school — and then parking your car. If you need to get off campus now and then, public transportation is a great (and cost-effective) way to zip to the grocery store, shopping mall or movie theater.

Get “on board” public transportation

You might enjoy the freedom your car provides, but when your wallet is empty and your car is stuck in gridlocked traffic, “freedom” doesn’t seem so appealing. Believe it or not, trading your car for public transit can save you as much as you paid for said car. According to The American Public Transportation Association, Seattle residents who ditch their cars in favor of public transport can save as much as $12,000 per year. That equates to a whole lot of food, textbooks and tuition fees for struggling students.

Public transportation is a particularly smart idea for students. Learn.org states:

“College students who live on or near campus are uniquely positioned to enjoy the benefits of public transportation given the centralized locale in which most of their activities occur,” the website reports. It can be time-consuming and costly to locate and pay for parking around campus, but most colleges have free student transit options that allow individuals to get to and from various facilities.”

Get “trained”

While public transportation is always a good (and economical) idea, it’s especially smart for Seattle students. Sound Transit is currently expanding its light rail service and will open new stations at the University of Washington and Capitol Hill in early 2016. This means university students can zip from UW to Pioneer Square in 12 minutes — and get some class reading done along the way. Students living on Capitol Hill will arrive on campus in four minutes. Try that in a car.

Get with the (rideshare) program

Most colleges offer great rideshare programs, which can help you save a lot of money when you’re looking for a regular or even occasional lifts. “Ride boards” or rideshare groups can be great resources if you’re hoping to share daily commute expenses, or even when you need a ride home for the holidays. Don’t have a rideshare program? Talk to your student’s union or other student association about starting one up.

Stack classes

Choosing your own schedule is one of the perks of college life. That said, commuting to campus every day is certainly no perk. You can cut your transportation costs significantly by scheduling classes just two or three days per week. By giving yourself “off” days, you’ll spend less time and money commuting to class, while giving yourself free days devoted to studying or working.

School can be hard work, but save your stress for the classroom, not the commute.