A back-to-school wake up call

Going back to school is nerve-wracking for students as they begin worrying about what to wear, if they will make friends and how much homework they will get, but for 19-year-old Musa Ahmed, the real worry comes from whether he will be able to get all his classes — and his financial aid.

Ahmed’s financial aid is contingent upon being a full-time student at Orange Coast College, but so far, he hasn’t been able to register for enough classes. Ahmed said he is petitioning to get into three classes, but he is up against countless students for the few, if any, spots left.

The influx in students, compounded with class cuts, is making it difficult for students to get into the classes they need. Returning students have priority registration over new ones, but they are still finding classes full.

“They fill up really fast — more than normal,” said sophomore Ben Grunbaum, 19.

Grunbaum managed to get all his classes, but had to get creative with his schedule. The real crisis arises for new students, who get the last registration times.

“It seems like it’s more of a problem for the new kids who don’t get priority,” Grunbaum said. “If you weren’t one of the first to register, you weren’t getting the classes you wanted.”

Freshman Jessica Cabida, 18, didn’t register until two weeks ago, but all the classes she needed were full. Now she is trying to petition all her classes, something that is going to be nearly impossible.

Dean of Enrollment Services Kristin Clark said trying to get classes the first week of school might have worked last year, but not this semester.

“I’m hearing stories of hundreds of students trying to petition,” Clark said.

OCC has seen a 25% increase in admission applications, but has had to cut classes, Clark said. The cuts have been minimal — the fall offering is almost the same size as last fall — but the college has still had to cut about 70 sections, said Melinda Nish, vice president of instruction. The difference is that more students are coming back to school after losing their jobs, wanting to gain additional skills, or not being accepted in the UC or Cal State systems because of decreases in admissions.

“We didn’t cut too much. I just think everyone is feeling it more because of the influx,” Clark said.

The college is going to offer fewer classes in the spring, said Vice President of Administrative Services Rich Pagel. The college decided to leave its fall offerings mostly intact despite additional state cuts, leaving the spring open to additional cuts to balance it out, Clark said.

With fewer classes offered in spring and summer, and a slimmed down intersession, students are worried about getting the classes they need to graduate or transfer. Grunbaum said it is going to take him a year longer to transfer than he originally thought, something Nish said is the biggest issue facing students right now.

“Students are going to need to revise their expectations,” Nish said. “I think they are going to need to plan to take longer.”

Better plan ahead

Past: In the spring, classes were cut by 11% and summer offerings were slashed by half.

Present: Demand for classes has increased by 20 to 30%.

Future: Intersession has been cut down, and spring and summer class offerings will most likely be down.

What to do: Register for classes early and pay fees on time. Spring admission begins Oct. 5