OH MY GOD take the car.

My grandparents gifted me a car *a new one* after college because I paid my way through college. That car lasted 15 years of reliable transportation during my most tenuous earning years. I never had to worry about my car getting me to or from whatever job I had, because it was new and reliable and awesome. It was fuel efficient and I could count on it to do what I needed it to do.

If they're paying for you to live in the dorms for four years, live in the dorms. They are fine. They are fantastic. They are where networking happens and people have great conversations at 4am over pizza and studying for finals. Dorms are just fine. Meal plan is paid for and you don't have to worry about feeding yourself. Take. The. Dorms.

I loved living in the dorms because I didn't have to worry about anything. Once I moved into a house with roomies things became so much more complicated and expensive in both time and money. The dorms are fantastic if your parents will pay for it. That's the dream.

If you can get a single in a pod of rooms, that'd be awesome. Do that.

Good luck. Take the car and live in the dorms.