Paying for gas has always been a hassle for students, but prices are up more than 60% from a year ago, according to AAA.com.

With the increase in gas prices, students and families have had to alter their budgets to be able to travel. For some, this jump in cost has affected how and when they drive.

“I tend to carpool more than I did before,” senior Mackenzie Elward said. “I’ll carpool with my teammates after practice to go get food before various sporting events, and I also carpool to school with neighbors. I usually carpool by taking turns on who’s car is being used so that way we both save gas equally.”

Others are re-thinking if they even need to drive at all. “The cost has made me think harder about whether I go to places farther away,” senior Reilly Bonham said. “I will ask myself if it is worth it to go depending on the distance.”

Though the rise in price of gas is inconvenient for everybody, not everyone is bothered. “I have not changed how I go about my life because of the increase in gas prices,” senior Jaden Shelton said. He added that the reason is that his parents are “covering the extra cost of gas for him.”

Students are not the only ones who have had to deal with paying more at the pump. Teachers have also struggled with the price increase. “One of the things that I’m doing is that I got a hybrid car, so I can save gas in that way,” personal finance teacher Gabrielle Sukovich said.

“I have stopped frivolously driving around, so I intentionally go where I’m going, not just driving around for fun. Plus I live over the mountain, so it takes a decent chunk of gas to get to work every day.”

As gas prices continue to hit highs, students and teachers remain hopeful that it will soon drop.

Why so High?