Reddit mentions of Walden on Wheels: On the Open Road from Debt to Freedom

Don't listen to the haters, OP. You've got this. I suggest that you read a couple of books on RV and van living, though. It will give you a great perspective.

There are a lot of workarounds for modern convenience. Living in an RV is not an easy prospect, but it is very doable.

Here are a few practical guides, though many of them pertain to living in a 15 passenger or cargo van.

How to Live in a Car, Van or RV

The VanDweller's Guide

Van Living: The Freedom of the Road

The Tiniest Mansion

Live In a Van, Truck, Trailer, or Motorhome

Living in a Van Down By The River

My House Has Wheels

The Simple RV Life

So, You Want to Be an RVer?

Retire To an RV


Here's one just for fun, though you may glean something from it.
Walden On Wheels

I also suggest /r/vandwellers and /r/gorving for tips and tricks on living in a small mobile space.

The topic comes up about once a week. There's even a book about it.

Edit: there is nothing special about med/grad school and vanlife. Yours truly, Ph.D. dropout.

I'm nearly finished w/ an audiobook (I can send to you for free if you don't have an audible account already) .

But there was a section close to the end here that really kind of brought that perspective into focus.

https://www.amazon.com/Walden-Wheels-Open-Road-Freedom-ebook/dp/B00B77UDWU/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1525449719&sr=8-1&keywords=walden+on+wheels+by+ken+ilgunas

Confirmed. Here is the link to it at Amazon:
https://smile.amazon.com/Walden-Wheels-Open-Road-Freedom-ebook/dp/B00B77UDWU/

Totally get what you are aiming to do. Although I am older, I, too am in college and trying to defray costs. And, I'm in to vandwelling as a backup living plan and a way to travel cheap. Here are a few links that could help if you haven't already seen them:
About a guy that lived in a van at Duke University, interesting read, addresses a lot of the mental struggle: Walden on Wheels https://www.amazon.com/Walden-Wheels-Open-Road-Freedom-ebook/dp/B00B77UDWU/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1495889664&sr=8-1&keywords=walden+on+wheels
If you haven't seen this website, the forums have a ton of info on everything to do with living in a van/car/rv/whatever cheaply and comfortably: www.cheaprvliving.com
And, if you want an idea of a quick, cheap and easy van conversion complete with links to the stuff for it: http://www.vanlifecrisis.com/2015/09/the-320-1-hour-van-conversion.html
I found an older van for $900 a few months back. I'm doing a easy build. Back seats/bench went out. Wood platform for the bed across the back, will be ordering mattress foam to be cut down to fit from http://www.thefoamfactory.com/ Had a few storage bins with drawers to hold my stuff. Camping gear I already have is going in, stuff for cooking, heating, and ventilation. I blacked out the side windows the cheap way, cut out black poster board and put them up with sticky squares of Velcro on the side wells for easy removal, and the back and front areas will get black out curtains that can be closed for privacy.
I, too, tend to hole up and have tendencies towards agoraphobia. I like feeling like I have my "home" with me wherever I go, as this van is also my daily driver. Add homey touches inside to make it feel cozy. Drive out to a park to do your homework, it will be more relaxing. Eat fresher foods, just hit the grocery store more often. Good sleep is utmost important to pull this off, so make that the second utmost priority, mechanics first.
Best of luck!!!

There was a book written about the authors experiences. Would that interest you, I could lookup my history

Edit: No longer mobile and I found it. Walden on wheels https://www.amazon.com/Walden-Wheels-Open-Road-Freedom-ebook/dp/B00B77UDWU/