With the holiday season drawing near, it’s time for students to start figuring out how they will get home.

Near or far, prices for getting home will be high. With average Oregon gas prices at $3.76, you can bet that the cost to go home won’t be cheap.

First, let’s look at the price of a plane ticket, considering almost half of the Linfield student population is not from Oregon. According to the Bureau of Transportation Statistics, the national average airfare price right now is $355.72.

For college students, that’s a good chunk of change. Then, multiply that by two for a round-trip. That could easily cover part of the cost for our textbooks for a semester.

Look at the price for those of us who drive home for the holidays. The other 52 percent of Linfield students will stay in Oregon for the holidays.

They can decide to drive home with that $3.76 gas, or take the train or bus around the Northwest.

Just going from Portland to Seattle, Wash., will cost you $52 by train, and if you were to go to Eugene from Portland, it would cost $45 to go by train or $25 by bus.

Although these prices are significantly cheaper than paying for a plane ticket or gas, going back and forth can cost you.

Looking for cheap alternatives can be tiresome between finishing up midterms and other things.

But not all is lost. There are ways to get around expensive trips, or at least ways to make them cheaper.

For instance, there’s probably someone who lives somewhere near you.

For those of us from the greater Portland areas, you can get a ride to Portland from a friend, and then catch the public bus.

If you’re from Washington, consider taking the train. It’s cheaper than buying a plane ticket, it just takes a little longer, and sometimes train companies offer student discounts.

For those students from states not on the West Coast, find a frequent flyer program. As long as you’re flying here and back for the next few years, you’re sure to gain enough points to get one of those flights free.

When all else fails, find a good friend or family member who lives in the area. People tend to be nice around the holidays and would love to share it with a friend. Then you’re able to save up your money for the next long break.

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Kaylyn Peterson/Sports editor
Kaylyn Peterson can be reached at [email protected]