The Cost Question

When students graduate to high school, many are allowed to drive a car to school every day. But how many students buy their gas (about $3 a gallon), and how do they afford fuel and other driving costs?

The easiest and most common method is for parents to pay for their child’s fuel. Of the students I asked, about half have parents who pay for them. But for students under eighteen, parents probably bought the car anyways. This is the case with me; however, I don’t drive much. To parents of a teenager who drives very often (to school and back, to friends’ houses, to church, etc.) I can see the cost of fuel becoming an issue.

Overall, I’d say those who pay for their own gas have jobs, unless they’re pulling from Christmas money or some other source. Although it is more common for seniors to have a job and pay for gas due to older age, they’re not the only ones who do it. Juniors have jobs too, and even sophomores. Some of these jobs are located near the school, like the 3 Flamingoes and Sonic. But I also know of a student, Ashton Fleming, who works at the Garland County Library. She says that “The job is worth the drive out here.” So although it costs money to get around and to go to work, the spending money and enjoyment that results from a job is worth the cost.

          No doubt, next year, I’m going to have a job and pay for my vehicle myself. What I’ve realized, however, is that for many of my fellow students, paying for fuel is manageable. The responsibility expected of students is what prepares us for events to come – most importantly, graduation and independence.

by Westan Lakey