You don't say where you live, but as you are only 18, I would forget about the car loan. If you can get by on foot/public transportation/bike, that would be the way to go. In fact, if you can avoid it, don't take out any loans at all, and just try to get by as simply as you can, paying cash all the way. Share an apartment with people you can trust. Actually learn how to cook for yourself, and see how many ways you can cook/stretch a pot of brown rice and lentils. Don't think of it as 'depriving yourself', but rather as an adventure or an intellectual exercise. How little can you get by with? Your folks will be happy to have you out of thier hair and not begging them for money, and you will be a lot more at ease without having a huge pile of debt waiting to crash down on top of your head when you graduate. I've known people who took out huge loans while they were in school, went on trips overseas and partied all of their money away, then planned on declairing bankrupcy after they graduated. I haven't heard from them in a while, so I'm not sure if they are in prison or not...
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