Students find relief at gas pumps

Anticipating a stressful week of finals after Thanksgiving break, many students want to go home and enjoy their breaks without worrying about the price they will have to pay to get there. Thanks to lower gas prices, this might be possible.

Gas prices in Virginia have been dropping since earlier this summer, allowing students to travel at a lower cost. With oil prices as low as $58 a barrel, gas prices nationwide are falling and students are feeling the relief.

Virginiagasprices.com is a Web site that allows drivers to find the lowest gas prices in their area. According to the Web site, the average price of unleaded gasoline in Virginia is $1.92 a gallon compared to $2.85 a gallon last month.

In late summer, when gas prices peaked to an average of $3.99 a gallon, many students had to limit off-campus activities.

“The high prices definitely affected how much I drove,” said marketing major Janel Sears. “I would have to pick and choose between extracurricular activities and try not to drive as much in order to save gas to get to work.”

Marketing major Vnai Bell had the same problem.

“When gas prices were high, I only drove places when it was absolutely necessary for me to drive,” Bell said. “I hardly ever got a chance to go home to Virginia Beach.”

A majority of students are from Northern Virginia, Tidewater, Richmond and its surrounding areas. The average price of gas is $1.81 in Northern Virginia, $1.79 in Tidewater and $1.83 in Richmond.

“It’s about time,” said Rainelle Jackson, a criminal justice and psychology major who lives in Chesterfield and commutes to class. “These low gas prices are way overdue.”

Sears said the lower prices make it possible for her to drive out of town.

“I was paying $3.89 for far too long,” Sears said. “Now, I am paying $1.75 and ,at these prices, I can afford to drive home for the holidays.”

It’s impossible to tell how long these low prices will last-or if they will drop even lower.

“I hope gas prices stay this way,” Jackson said. “With the rise in tuition and the high prices I already pay for parking on campus, it is good to have one less thing to worry about.”

For the time being, many students seem to be pleased with the relief at the gas pumps and will enjoy the prices for however long it lasts.

“With gas prices the way they were, I was contemplating staying in Richmond for the holidays,” Bell said. “Now I get to go home.”