I have a few areas with some surface rust that is just in the paint bubbling stage. I will not be repainting my car until after college most likely. What can I do now to stop it? Or do I just need to fix it and just paint it, even though it might not mach?

 

Yes, fix it now. Rust will only get worse with time. I'd rater to a cheap easy fix now then cut/weld in new metal later.

 

Do you have any suggestions on things I should do when fixing the rust? I don't want it to come back. Thanks.

 

Sand the paint down to bare metal further than the surface rust extends. If you are lucky it hasn't eaten all the way through yet and all you need to do is prep and paint. For the prep work I would suggest sandblasting the rusted area and treating with prep-solv or the like, use body filler if necessary, and then use a sealer-primer. Then give the area a coat of paint, even if it doesn't quite match.

If it turns out you have a hole, you should cut out the cancerous area and weld in new metal if possible. If you absolutely can't afford that, then the very least you need to do is get rid of the bad metal and treat the surrounding area with something like POR-15 before filling the hole (with filler if small or with fiberglass if larger). Filling holes in this manner should only be considered temporary.

Good luck.