No student will ever be marked down on any assignment because of a lack of a car. Parking is the major hassle of owning a car, other than the expense of upkeep. Some Evanston and Chicago neighborhoods are very crowded and on-street parking can be hard to find. Some Chicago neighborhoods do offer residential parking permits which alleviate some of the parking hassles. Evanston campus parking usually isn't a problem, but Chicago campus parking will not be possible if you live within two miles of the campus.
Some spaces are available for students commuting from one campus to another.
The parking office only accepts checks or cash. The convenience of having your own computer is undeniable. Medill has computer labs, so having your own computer is not required. But there is a considerable amount of outside work in most classes. All Northwestern computers have Internet access.