It's a tough time to be a student. Competitive to say the least at College of the Sequoias. "It's hectic fun and crazy, but it's also very nerve wracking."
Nerve wracking because classes are limited. Christie Perry is trying to take on 13 units. She tried to crash a few classes Monday, but only got into one. "I have a job, I work five days a week, I'd rather quit school and work cause that's gonna get me money that's gonna get me to other places but education wise, I have to do it."
The campus is dealing with a $4 million budget deficit. It's been forced to cut hundreds of classes over the past few years, not to mention summer classes all together.
COS president Stan Carrizoza says more cuts could be on the way. "We have about a 10% hole of red ink that we're bleeding right now we've gotta make the cuts necessary in the next year or two to get that deficit corrected."
Its really tough on Brook Dempsey. She tried to crash three classes and ended up on waiting lists. "We just wait it out. Sometimes it takes a month before they tell you. You just have to go to class everyday thinking, maybe I have this class maybe I don't."
Her husband Joshua had better luck. He got into all his classes, but they weren't the ones he wanted. He says it'll likely hold him back. "It's pretty cruddy, you have to keep paying another two, three years so you can make money later. Maybe."
There are a lot of "maybes" but Carrizosa says there is hope. "Those that have a plan and stick with the plan, or adjust to it and take advantage of everything they've already taken are gonna be the students in the best possible position to get the classes they need and get the transfer opportunity they need."
School officials say COS normally takes in 10,000 students. This year, the campus can only handle 9,000.
TXT 24
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