As the spring season comes around the corner, it seems like the drastic rise in gas prices is coming along with it. While a few months ago, gas was not too much more than two dollars, the prices have now escalated to numbers even close to two and a half dollars. You may be thinking, it’s less than 50 cents! That’s almost nothing! Amounts less than 50 cents may not seem too drastic of an increase in price, but once you fill your tank and see your total, you may realize how big of a difference there truly is in the long-run.

With many students driving at Westside High School, this increase in prices seems to be turning into a major issue for many students. Students tend to struggle with money quite a bit due to the low income of many teenagers, and with many having to pay for their own gas, consistently spending even more money on this is evidently creating a larger problem.

Sarah Hamdan, a senior at Westside High School, talked about her recent negative experience at the gas station, saying, “I went to fill my entire tank up this past Tuesday, and it cost me more than it has ever cost me.” It was evident that she was not anticipating having to use that much of her money on filling her car’s gas tank that week, as she continued by saying, “I am a student, which means I am already broke, and this situation really isn’t helping with that.”

As a Westside student, I can highly relate. My car is almost out of gas, and I know what is awaiting me when I go to the gas station. I may be leaving the gas station with a full tank, but one thing that will definitely be anything far from full is my wallet.