We’ve all been there: just when your enrollment time rolls around, the class that you planned to take next semester is now full. Even though you need that class to qualify for another upper-division course, accept that dream internship AND graduate on time, there just aren’t enough seats. And when you attempt to crash the class, the wait list is moving at a glacial pace and you’re getting seriously desperate. How much would you pay to add that course? Would you pay more than four times the current fee per unit? Is that even fair? Is that even legal?!?

A few things are for certain: it’s happening, it’s pissing people off and, therefore, it’s the Hot Button Issue of the week.

According to the Los Angeles Times, an incredibly popular community college in Southern California will soon implement a two-tiered pricing system that offers high-demand classes at a much higher price. Class fees are currently set at $36 per unit and will rise to $46 beginning this summer. As part of the new system just approved by the school board, crucial classes at Santa Monica College will costs about $200 per unit. The new program would be offered as soon as this summer and winter — the latter of which may only offer the higher-priced classes. Hey, desperate times obviously call for desperate measures.

Here’s how it would work: when popular courses like English and math fill up completely, additional sections would be offered at the higher price. Note: the first round of courses are state-funded, which is why the cost per unit is cheaper than an embellished dress from ASOS). The extra classes would still be taught by campus faculty and would only supplement the current offerings in order to meet student demand, rather than raising prices for all classes, all the time. Government grants and financial aid would still apply, and the school is currently working to secure private funding to offer course scholarships.

Inevitably, upping the buck for anything gets people pissed off, but even more so because it alleviates opportunities for low-income students. People who choose to attend community college first and transfer to a four-year university afterwards sometimes do so solely to live at home, stay out of debt and save money on those general education courses that most of us don’t even use anyway — not because they didn’t get into the universities of their choice straight out of high school.

But hypothetically, if two students with shockingly similar academic records both need the same English course in order to meet a transfer application deadline and get out of Santa Monica College, the one who agrees to pay the higher price will be the one who stays on track, while the other tries their enrollment luck next semester and pushes back their anticipated transfer date another year or so. This rationing of education and lack of access is what defeats the purpose of community colleges altogether, which are supposed to serve the under served in the first place!

However, we should probably just face it once and for all: state funding for public post-secondary education is a hot commodity these days, and the money to pay for the classes that everybody wants must come from somewhere. If enough people are willing to pay a little extra — or a lot extra, proportionally — for that class to be properly funded and actually materialize, shouldn’t they be able to enroll? Or should their academic timelines and transfer transcripts suffer because the state budget can’t get it together and because their classmates can’t afford the same opportunity that they’re definitely paying extra to seize? If an individual can solve a problem brought on by a group they happen to be part of, maybe they should be able to do so for themselves and reap their own rewards.

How can current community college students avoid this altogether? Well, it’s not like people will simply stop going to Santa Monica College as a form of protest — all CC’s are not created equal, and the 34,000-student Santa Monica campus has one of the highest transfer rates to four-year universities in the state and a reputation for innovative programs that are a model for other community colleges. Which means that this two-tier pricing program could soon be implemented at a community college near you…and at the rate that universities are losing public funding as well, I wonder which four-year college will be first to quadruple charge for enrollment in Introduction to Biology and Macroeconomics…

Are crucial classes worth the hefty price tag? Or is Santa Monica College’s new pricing program completely ridiculous, unfair and unethical?

Ashley is a UC San Diego grad who is holding on way too tightly to a potential career in magazines and goes to Vegas all too often. She’s fascinated with celebrities and strawberry beer and doubles as a pathological texter/emailer/blogger. Feed the addiction with tweets @cashleelee. Thanks in advance.

Eating food that come straight out of the back of a truck is heavenly. Seriously. Korean barbeque quesadillas, classic Los Angeles street tacos, lobster cut rolls and more delicious delicacies are prepared fresh in a mini-kitchen that’s smaller than my dorm room. More affordable than a gourmet restaurant and not as unhealthy as fast food dollar menu items, those concoctions are a local indulgence for this California girl, and I’m more than happy to support a little culinary creativity while getting some serious bang for my buck.

Some things food truck menus are not: responsible for childhood obesity or more dangerous than marijuana. Yes, both have been suggested recently and, if a new piece of legislature is passed, may soon be acknowledged as true.

California Assemblyman William Monning argues that though some food trucks are trendy and social media savvy and profiled on Food Network television shows, most of the ones on the road “are contributing to an epidemic of childhood obesity on California school campuses by supplying youngsters with greasy burgers, sodas and high-calorie ice cream,” according to the LA Times. Therefore, the only logical solution to the great issue of childhood obesity is to ban all food trucks and pushcarts from within 1,500 feet of schools during daytime hours on weekdays. (At this time, marijuana dispensaries must only be 600 feet from schools in California, which insinuates that a hot dog is more deadly to a child than a play date with Mary Jane.)

The problem isn’t just that AB 1678 would triple the current limit of 500 feet in Los Angeles. What concerns me is that in many other cities, this would create a new blackout zone for food trucks — as much as 80% of streets in some places — and may snowball lawmakers nationwide to address these rolling restaurants altogether. College girls would have to unfollow the Twitter accounts of their favorite mobile cupcakeries and forgo the craving for greasy street food after a long night of dancing/burning off a ton of calories. Food trucks aren’t just a California thing or an NYC trademark; they’ve been setting up shop at remote construction sites and office buildings for years and are making their way into smaller towns across the nation. And their healthy ingredients and trendy menus are improving across the board and becoming part of our culture.

Not the part that’s making American kids fat, though. After genetics, lack of exercise and whatever parents are putting on the table for mealtimes, childhood obesity is more likely to be encouraged by the sodas that used to be sold in school vending machines and the unhealthy foods offered in the cafeterias — two changes brought on by the California Food Policy Advocates, the same group who thought up this anti-food truck madness. Since these previous measures have already been taken, it’s more than likely that Monning’s measure will pass in order to “protect the kids,” and shaved ice on wheels on a weekday afternoon will be a thing of the past.

I hate to disappoint you, Monning, but telling all food trucks to park their loads elsewhere isn’t going to slim down the kids of America. In fact, I don’t think it’ll even make a dent in all that eventual cellulite. Because creating a virtual no-go zone for both gourmet and greasy food trucks — as in Carmel, where you hail from — won’t stop a hungry child from spending their money on fattening foods elsewhere. Like in places that don’t have the option of relocating on a whim, as Matt Geller, chief executive of the Southern California Mobile Food Vendors Association, explained:

“This bill won’t do anything to cut children’s access to unhealthy food,” Geller said. “They won’t eat at the food trucks, but they are going to eat at the McDonald’s nearby. They are going to eat at the convenience store, the gas station.”

Besides, why do children even have the option to leave their campuses and buy sugary snacks from food trucks or push carts? Rather than passing a law that prevents everyone who is old enough to understand how to read a nutrition facts label from grabbing a faster and healthier bite during lunch hour, it’d probably be much easier — and more profitable for the economically struggling state — to simply double-check that schools are watching their kids’ activity during recess and after school, and making sure that they aren’t leaving school grounds in general. You know, to buy pot from the store that’s only 600 feet away.

AB 1678 will be up for debate later this month, and Monning says that he’s open to tweaking his proposal to a certain extent. So this is a legitimate excuse to stock up on vegan wraps, fusion burritos and all your favorite treats from those ice cream trucks — just in case.

Should Monning’s legislature be passed in order to protect children’s health? Or is Monning just completely out of his mind?

Ashley is a UC San Diego grad who is holding on way too tightly to a potential career in magazines and goes to Vegas all too often. She’s fascinated with celebrities and strawberry beer and doubles as a pathological texter/emailer/blogger. Feed the addiction with tweets @cashleelee. Thanks in advance.

Dear Jordan Powers,

Today, as I was lustily lounging in the luscious California sun, I heard about your secretive sexual affair with your balding babe of a teacher. As things got hot and humid, I also heard that your modest, meek town of Modesto has their purple polka-dotted panties all in a bunch. They’re upset because your titillating teacher is tastelessly taking off and leaving his wonderful wife and children. You’re an enchanting 18 year old, and he’s a fun 41 year old.

As all my fabulously flirtatious fans know, I love mature men. I created daring drama when I married my luscious, libidinous lover Doug Hutchinson a few marvelous, memorable months ago. He was manly and mature at 51, and I was a fresh, fierce fledgling at 16. Petty people put down our passion, but our lusty love was legitimate.

I’m a commendable Christian girl. My risqué romance had my parents’ benevolent blessing, and I remained arousingly, ardently abstinent until my wanton wedding day. But your mother found 8,000 tantalizing, taboo texts on your phone starting way back in the dangerous, dripping days of summer. Your passionate professor was still married then.

Adultery is a sin. There’s nothing sexy, sensuous, seductive, slinky, spicy, steamy, snazzy, sultry, stimulating, sublime, shimmering, or stirring about it. Find yourself a lascivious, lusty older lover. But find one who’s salaciously single. I can’t support unchaste unions that involve awful adultery.

Besides, only I can be America’s favorite seductive, scandalous spouse.

Lots of lustful luscious love,

Courtney Stodden

Great news out of California this week! Proposition 8, the voter-approved ban on same sex marriage in California, was ruled unconstitutional by a federal appeals court on Tuesday.

Prop 8 has been very controversial since 2008, when it was narrowly passed by a vote of 52 percent to 48 percent. You probably remember the Yes on Prop 8/No on Prop 8 campaigns. Even though the law only affected California, people from around the country got involved with the issue. And even though countless celebrities and big companies like Google threw their weight behind the No on Prop 8 campaign, it still managed to pass.

Ever since then, activists have been fighting Prop 8 in court, trying to get it declared unconstitutional. The recent decision by the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals actually upholds the decision of a lower court from 2010. Prop 8 has now been ruled unconstitutional twice, but both sides are looking to decide the issue for good. The only way to do that is to take the case all the way to the Supreme Court, so it looks like that is probably going to be the next step.

So what exactly does that mean? It creates a lot of what-ifs. First of all, the Supreme Court could decide not to take the case at all. That would make this week’s decision final, and Prop 8 would be squashed.

But because marriage equality is such a big issue, the Supreme Court will probably take the case. And if they do, their decision could have huge long-term effects on the entire country. If the Supreme Court reversed the decision of the Ninth Circuit Court, Prop 8 would be upheld and same sex marriage would be illegal in California. But if the Supreme Court upheld the decision of the Ninth Circuit Court, Prop 8 would be gone for good.

Supreme Court decisions set precedent for other courts, and influence their verdicts. So a Supreme Court ruling on Prop 8 could set the standard for same sex marriage laws and court cases across the country.

It’s a lot to think about, and there’s no way to know what the future of Prop 8 might be. But for now, one more court has ruled it unconstitutional. And that’s one big step in the right direction.

Garnet is a student at Columbia University in New York City. She is “that person” who starts dancing at a party when everyone else is standing around, and if there were a Facebook stalking Olympics, she would be a gold medalist. She also has a love for cheesy 90s music, and almost died of happiness when Vanilla Ice retweeted her. Once. Follow her on Twitter @garnethenderson.

So, it’s a bad week for Sarabeth. My boyfriend and I broke up since I last posted. Yeah, as you can imagine, all I want right now is music that supports my (for lack of a better term) cranky mood. I thought about dabbling in a little Avril Lavigne for a hot minute, but we all know she’s more pop than angry rock. So I went back to an old favorite for this week: She Wants Revenge’s self-titled first album.

It’s the perfect soundtrack for a break up.

About the Band:
She Wants Revenge is a musical duo from San Fernando Valley, California consisting of Justin Warfield and “Adam 12″ Bravin. While they’re pretty hard to classify into a genre, they tend to get lumped into the dark wave category. They’re still fairly unknown but have been featured in Fringe and the movie 23.

Top 3 Tracks:

These Things

Out of Control

Tear You Apart

Why You Should Listen to It:
She Wants Revenge to me is something to listen to whenever you’re in a cynical mood. This album is perfect for me this week because it feels like most of their songs are about failed relationships and bad romances (no Lady Gaga reference intended). However, it’s got this dark, mysterious sound to it that makes me want to get out of my bed where I’ve been sitting with a box of cereal and just move. If you’re looking to get over someone or something or you just have some hormone issues that are making you angry at the world, turn to this album. It’s total musical therapy.

Want more awesome iPod suggestions?

As you may remember in May, I decided I need a change of pace and new scenery after graduation, which lead me to the Golden Coast of California. While so many good things happened for me out there (especially in the midst of LSAT prep), it wasn’t what I was looking for. In fact, a lot more was pushed upon my plate than I ever intended or imagined.

While a lot of people in my day-to-day life think I’m crazy for the flip-flop, and many people think “Why would you move away from being so close to LA to go back to the Southeast?” I have to do what is best for me – like any post-grad, college student, or human being should. When I tell people that I’m moving back, they immediately think “It didn’t work out for her” or “It was too hard.” And then some think this was just some minor decision I’ve made without any consideration at all.

Surprise! It’s not. There’s always more to the story.

Just as most post-grads do, we dream up our lives after college. And then if those dreams and ideal images don’t fit into the picture perfect box of hopeful life-after-college expectations, we do what we can to alter them. While I have done everything I can do to keep up with my dreams and expectations, I’ve had a lot of other stuff I never asked for fall onto my plate. See, I moved in with my dad – who is an alcoholic. And with that came tons of things I wasn’t prepared to handle. Every day it seemed like something new would happen or some kind of drama would ensue. Every day I find myself worried about what could happen. And I’ve had enough.

We live in an age of Intervention, Lindsay Lohan’s rehab stints, and constant talk about addictions. It’s life – seriously, who doesn’t know someone who is struggling or once struggled with an addiction? But like anyone who has ever loved someone with an addiction or some kind of life-altering problem, it’s not easy trek – and I’m done. I’m 22, and as much as I want to fix and help my dad, I can’t.

So with the New Year to look towards, I think it’s time for me to put my best shoes on and hit the road once again to see what else is in store for me (especially once those damn LSAT scores come out – yes, I’m still waiting)!

I was one of those kids that never really got homesick when I was in college. While my friends would have occasional breakdowns and cry about not being with their families or their hometown friends, I never spent too much time dwelling on what I could have been missing at home – I was too busy doing everything else. But now, as a fully functioning member of real life, I think I’m suffering from my first adult case of homesickness.

Maybe it’s the advent of fall or just the general time of year – back to school – but everything just feels off. While everyone on the East coast is talking about the leaves starting to change, I’m anxiously awaiting for some kind of sign that a seasonal change is about to take place. While I’m looking to head back to school next year, Facebook is blowing up with status updates about first day of classes, professor quotes, and new discoveries out in the real world.

And as the world turns, well – I just feel like something is missing.

Despite running around like a chicken with its head cut off interning in Los Angeles and studying wayyyy more than I ever did in college for one little test known as the LSAT, I feel like what little downtime I have is making me feel like I’m missing something out there – but I can’t necessarily put my finger on it.

Yes, college is over. No more Solo cup littered lawns, boys in bowties for no reason, the dining hall’s Swedish meatballs, the anxious anticipation for traditions, and the engaging class discussions. It’s over, and I don’t really wish I could do it over again. So, what is this feeling? Maybe my body feels like I should be back in some hardwood floored dorm room watching the leaves fall onto the quad, and it hasn’t synched with my mind that certainly knows I don’t really want to be there.

Maybe I’m just waiting for something to happen. This whole LSAT process involves a lot of practice – a lot of constant build up. Since things are up in the air until my mailbox has admissions letters, maybe this feeling will stick around – and I should just accept it.  But boy, it’s making me homesick, and living out in California is one of the most interesting experiences. Some days, I feel like the luckiest person alive – living mere minutes from the beach. And then other days, I feel like I’m being swallowed by this soulless place.

Knowing this humors me though. The minute I go back home, whether it’s to live or to visit, I know I will be ready to leave again. To find something new.  Maybe everything I wanted was right in front of me throughout the last four years, and now everything I want is scattered across the United States – including myself.

All in all, this dilemma of homesickness and the feelings of something missing makes me think everything I’ve ever read about being a twenty-something is right: you really are always on the search for something, and there’s no one telling you how or when or where you’ll find it.

So maybe that’s what I’m homesick for – the certainty and routine that life in college can provide. Well, that and 3-day weekends. Those were nice.

I’ve been in California for nearly two months now, but everyone I run into asks the same question: “Are you going to move here permanently?” Those back in Georgia frequently ask me “Do you see yourself moving back home?” And of course, with the LSAT on my mind 24/7, the inevitable question of “Where do you want to go to law school?” comes up. Apparently all things post-grad rely on geography!

Where you go to law school matters a lot – especially for where you want to live. If you go to a school that isn’t nationally recognized, job perspectives outside of that region shrink. Am I spending all of my time thinking about law school in the context of location? No – there are more initial factors, but picking a future residence does have a major importance. But how daunting is that? Although it may be a little drastic to say, it really feels like I have to answer “Where do you want to live for the rest of your life?” right now at this very second.

So, the plan was to move out here – get my post-grad life together, and then figure out where to go after I worked hard enough to make my plans happen. Since I’ve been here, a lot of people assume this is where I plan to reside forever. Do I want to end up in Orange County or Southern California forever? Honestly, I don’t know if it’s for me. While California is gorgeous, I still don’t feel like I can call this place home. I haven’t had my “ah-ha” moment of residential happiness.

But then again, I can’t help but think that if my boyfriend lived out here with me, would I feel differently? Chances are pretty likely that I would. What if my sister lived out here? I think I’d have a different attitude. Maybe the idea of a place to call home is all perspective, but even though I’m living with my dad – it just feels like I can’t get too comfortable out here on the Golden Coast (but then again, can anyone get too comfortable when they have logic games on their minds all day?).

I am a believer that where you live has a huge impact on who you are, who you will become in the future, and your overall happiness. According to The Happiness Project, one major happiness killer is “living somewhere that does not let you be you” and as every day passes, I feel like I need to figure the answer to where I will be happiest, location wise. Am I getting too ahead of myself in figuring out where I possibly want to live as a future cat lady?

Maybe I’ll just move to South Africa. My younger sister took off and lives there now – it works for her, so maybe I should do it too. I could always close my eyes and pick a random spot on a map. And of course, there is the Elizabeth Gilbert approach. Why not  Eat, Pray, Love my way across the United States – and maybe even the world – until I feel confident I can find the perfect place to spend what could be the rest of my life?

Moving is an inevitable part of life. I moved across the country when my parents divorced. I left home for a college seven hours away in Virgina. I lived in New York City by myself for an entire summer. I lived in London. Hell, I moved dorm rooms more than three times my freshman year. I know that I won’t stay in the same place forever, so maybe I shouldn’t think too much into it right now.

However, if anything my post-grad life has taught me it’s not to make plans, so maybe geographically speaking, the future of where I live and work and rejoice in happiness will be out of my control. And that’s the scariest thing of all.

With a full week in California under my belt, I’ve officially moved in. This move-in was a lot different than any dorm room move-in I’ve done throughout college. Instead of signing for my dorm key, I signed a lease. A real “I’m an adult, I must abide by this contract or I’m legally responsible” lease. In fact, everything I’ve done this past week had a stamp of “Adult” on it, making post-grad a lot different than any undergrad experience.

So, now that I traded my student checking for an everyday bank account, I think it’s time to put some money in there. Maybe it’s my drive to be successful, even when my life is in limbo, or all the California wealth around me, but I have been looking for some kind of job to occupy my time. However, job hunting is a full time job, and it seems like the job market has turned its back on us post-grads.

Nearly every job listing requires three to five years of experience. Uh … I’ve been in college classrooms for the last four years, does that count? It’s kind of scary to think that I spent all this time getting my B.A. degree, only to be told that I need experience to match my degree – full time experience. It seems like entry level positions, which used to require a degree and interest (not a few years of experience), don’t exist anymore. I want to use my skills, so I can build up experience – but I can’t gain experience when I can’t get hired. Some listings I’ve seen even say that if resume don’t show three to five years of job experience in the field, they will be tossed. Yikes!

Like a lot of college students, I have equated experience as being something I’ve gained during my internships. I was told over and over again “internships offer invaluable experiences” and that they were necessary to obtaining any post-grad jobs. It sure doesn’t seem like it now. I’ve had some great internships – but those aren’t going to count as prior experience in any field, and while I think they say “Hey look at what I’ve done and where I was hired as an intern at,” they aren’t offering much of anything else.

While looking for jobs, I have also been on the prowl for internships. When applying to law school in the fall, I feel like it’s really important to have an internship experience during my time off to show that I’m dedicated to hands-on learning. However, the outlook on the internship search is not so good. Maybe it’s just California, but every single internship listing requires that the intern must get “college credit.” Now that I’m not enrolled in school, it seems like all these opportunities are closed off to me. I don’t want monetary compensation for an internship and I don’t need college credit – I just want to learn.

I haven’t given up on the job and internship search yet. In fact, all the little detours that have come my way so far have encouraged me to keep looking for the job that will offer me what I want. If anything, college taught me to be determined in everything I do (whether it’s finishing off a bottle of wine or getting the internship that I want).

And hey, it’s not completely bleak…I have an interview for a part-time babysitting position today – and the mom is taking me out for frozen yogurt with her kids. Free frozen yogurt and a possible reoccurring babysitting job that won’t tax my cash money? At least it’s a place to start!

Finally! I get to settle somewhere!

After a week long trip, complete with a surplus of roadkilled armadillos and a 24-hour stomach bug that caused me to projectile vomit on a cactus in New Mexico, I have finally made it to California.

First things, first though. Just because I’m living in “Southern California” doesn’t mean I’m living in Los Angeles (I’m living in Newport Beach). Everyone I have met along the way has not realized this, but this state is gigantic. And just because I’m moving out to California doesn’t mean that I am here to get on The Hills (I’m pretty sure I could take Kristin, though) or find a husband to marry and get on The Real Housewives of Orange County. It’s not just what the media portrays … especially when you’re living with parents.

One of the hardest transitions will definitely be residing with my dad. I haven’t lived with him since the ‘90s, when I was rocking clothes from The Limited Too and speaking in a British accent like my idols, the Spice Girls. In fact, I haven’t even seen my dad that much since my parents divorced and I moved to Georgia. How are you supposed to make up for lost time when more than decade has gone by? My memories with my dad are from my childhood. And now – hello – I’m out of college and on a war path to become a successful force in the world of law. Times have changed.

Even though it’s kind of awkward to get used to living with him, I’m happy for the experience and whatever may come from it. This is my chance to not only prepare for my future and my career, but I get the opportunity to live on the opposite side of the country while getting to know my dad as he is today, and he can get to know me as a 22-year-old woman instead of a ten year old girl. And hopefully, even though both of us are stuck in our ways, we don’t butt heads too much along the way.

But wow, it’s certainly going to be different than the dorm room living and random home stays I have become used to over the last four years. It’s weird having to say “I’m going out, Dad” instead of “I’m going out, Mom” or just walking out of my dorm and doing as I please. After being semi-on-my-own throughout college, living on someone else’s schedule is a little weird. It’s do-able, but there is going to be some major compromises to get used to things.

Since my arrival this past weekend (I really have only been here for about three days), I have been wondering whether or not California will feel like home to me – like it did when I was a kid. I don’t have that answer right now, and that’s okay because I have a lot of stuff to do. I actually need to move in completely, and stop living out of my Vera Bradley duffel bag and my ever growing collection of cardboard boxes. Most importantly, I need to get on the move with my main goal: studying for the evil LSAT and taking the Kaplan Prep Course for the next 14 weeks of my life. Oh, and ideally, I’d like an internship – anywhere. And a job, for the sake of pleasing my dad and paying for my own necessities, such as In-N-Out Burger (yes, this is a necessity) and gym membership (so I can work off the In-N-Out).

I’m motivated, but I have to admit – with the beach less than a mile away, endless bars and restaurants to check out, and every kind of entertainment around the corner from me, it may be hard to focus. But sometimes you have to work hard to play hard, right?

And even though California doesn’t feel like home right now, maybe that won’t be so important in the long run. I’m here to study my ass off for the LSAT, so I can get into a good law school. I’m here to reconnect with my dad, and possibly have a normal relationship with him for the first time in years. And hopefully jump start myself towards the future. The outcomes of those priorities matter more than whether or not California will ever feel like home, and right now, that’s more than okay with me.