In light of CSU campuses accepting 10,000 less students for the Fall ’09 semester, students who are planning on transferring from Pierce College to a university may feel discouraged.
Applications are up 20 percent this semester for CSU schools and 36 percent for transfer students.
Due to the huge amount of students and an even greater lack of funding, students may have to take a semester off school while waiting to be admitted to the university of their choice.
It is frustrating to be forced to put a hold on upper-division education after completing all of the required general-education courses needed to transfer.
The state budget is in the toilet and because of it, secondary education is suffering. I myself will be able to apply to California State University, Northridge at the end of this semester, but I will not be guaranteed acceptance for more than a year.
My goals of earning a bachelor’s degree by the time I am 25 years old seemed possible last semester, but upon hearing the news of 1,000 less students being admitted to CSUN specifically, I came to the harsh realization that I may have to take a semester off school completely.
At first I was pessimistic, as I tend to be when I hear upsetting news, but after thinking the situation through more meticulously, I began to think of some opportunities that may be at available to me that would not have been if I was enrolled in courses.
An internship, for example, is required for many bachelor’s degree programs.
Students who are forced to work while taking classes may not have time to complete an internship during the course of the semester. If you must take time off from your education while waiting to be accepted to a university, this may be a great time to continue working while fulfilling an internship.
Instead of taking out a student loan, it may be wise to work full-time during your off time from school and pay more of your university tuition up front. This may help you avoid the pressure of debt and having to pay pricey interest rates for years.
Do not feel disheartened by situations out of our hands. It will take time for the California budget to resolve its state of deficit.Look at the glass half full instead of half empty and use your time off in a clever manner.
If it is not an internship you are interested in, then travel, enjoy time-consuming hobbies, or brush up on skills that may have been stored in the closet due to lack of time with a busy school and work schedule.
Do not give up on your education simply because of a semester-long wait. You have come this far, and how I see it, there is no looking back.
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