cheaper ways to get to school to avoid adding on to the expenses that come with being a college student.

Students are taking their bikes, their motorcycles, carpooling and taking public transportation to get to their destinations in a land where automobiles rule the highways and fill up garages.

“My car was costing over a few hundred dollars a month to drive around and gets about eight miles per gallon,” Alex Abad, business administration major, who decided to start driving his motorcycle to school, said.

Not all students can afford a motorcycle.

Many students have to get on a freeway to get to school.

“I take the bus to school; it is kind of drag, but I save money,” Kyle Cannell, auto technology major, said.

Cannell lives in Torrance and it takes him about 30 minutes to get to school if he takes the bus.

“My sister and I sometimes carpool in order to save gas,” Erica Shaw, fashion merchandising major, said. “Although sometimes it’s difficult because we have different schedules, but in the end it’s worth saving $50 that would fill up my tank.”

Students are thinking outside the box and are accessing public transportation or finding alternate ways to avoid driving their cars as much or lowering the gas consumtion whether it is switching to a smaller car or to motorcycles.

“If I drove my truck for a week, it would cost me over one hundred dollars to fill up. My motorcycle costs me four dollars to fill up.” Abad said.

When people think of college expenses, the first things that come to mind are books, class fees and class materials, yet not many think of the great of cost of transportation.

Transportation is an expense to consider, especially for those who commute and who have classes four to five days during the week.

“If students turn to alternate ways of transportation to get to school, they will not only save money but also benefit in other areas such as time, less stress and even learn to stop depending on their cars,” Abad said. “If students ride their bikes, they no longer have to worry about finding a parking spot in the infamous campus parking lot.”

If a student drives a motorcycle, they can cut through traffic and save time.

“Riding a motorcycle is definitely a better way to get around if you are able to. The parking situation is never an issue,” Abad said. “The money issue is next to nothing, the pollution factor is much less and you can split traffic as long as you’re careful doing so.”

As the Mercedes Benz advertisement says, “Around here, you have to love what you drive.”

The Mercedes Benz slogan caputres the lifestyle of Southern California since people spend most of their time in their cars.

Yet with high gasoline prices, people no longer love the cost of the ride.

Gas prices have been high for a while and a cost drop is not in sight.

“College is already expensive as it is, now with gas prices going up, you now have to cut back on other expenses like eating at restaurants or going out,” Shaw said.