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.

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You finished your last exam early and, after waiting for someone else to turn theirs in (you don’t want to be first!), ran down the steps of that lecture hall, slammed that baby on the desk and skipped your way to freedom. As you walk home you notice how great the air smells, how bright the sun is and how beautiful your campus is. School is out and you are feelin’ groovy.

After regaling your roommates with tales from your 90-minute essay exam (“I totally rocked that shiz!”), you head to your room to start the end-of-the-year cleaning session, beer in hand. You grab a garbage bag, sit down at your desk and start sifting through the piles of papers, books and notebooks that litter your desk.

In the back of your mind, you know that some of those notebooks will come in handy for next year’s classes. In the front of your mind, though, you know you will never look at them ever again. So, in a celebratory fashion, you toss one binder after another into the Hefty.

“Bye bye, Econ! See ya never, Psych 240!” The feeling is euphoric. All those syllibi, gone. All those Power Point slides, gone. Those damn course packs, gone. All those near-empty highlighters, gone.

Before you know it, you are left with nothing but a stack of books.

You gather the books, throw them into your backpack and head to the bookstore to sell them back. On your way, you start planning what you will do with all that extra money. A keg for the big end-of-the-year bash? A new bag?  The possibilities are endless. Even though you know the bookstores totally screw you with the buy-back, you have, like, 12 books this time! Giant, expensive textbooks and lots of novels. You’re sure there is some serious cash flow coming your way.

The bag is heavy and by the time you make it to the bookstore you are sweating. Naturally, the line is super long and filled with other students hoping to make it rain. You stand there, cocked to the side from that overflowing bag of books, and watch student after student happily free themselves of the semester. Only the looks on their faces as they leave isn’t one of big money – it is anger.

When it is finally your turn, you unload your books onto the counter. The cashier scans them one at a time, forming two piles.

“We can’t use these,” he says, pointing to the larger stack. “They’re going with the new edition next year.” He offers to let you take them home (so nice of him), or he can donate them to whatever organization it is that wants your used copy of Tom Jones. You consider taking them – you aren’t going to give those away for free! – but then you realize that you’d have to carry those all back home, not to mention pack them up and move them.

“Ugh. Just keep them,” you say.

You don’t think things can get any worse and then he hands you your money. A whole $26. For 5 books. That wasn’t even a quarter of the cost of one! You rip that money out of his hands and storm out of the store.

——

Yeah, we’ve all been there. Maybe if you combine your money with all of your friends, you’d have enough for that keg.

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So in case you think you’re the only one with confused parents (why don’t you just pick up the phone and call her! Why do you always have to text everyone!?), this list will help you to see that you’re not the only constantly having to justify to your parents that slapping a bag of boxed wine is a fine way to spend a Saturday night.

1. We drink like champions

Let me just start by saying, parents will NEVER UNDERSTAND why college kids drink so much. I think we can all say that it’s a fun thing to do, a great way to meet people, and an easy way to break the ice with the cute guy across the room. Yet parents will always wonder if a kegstand is actually safe and why taping cheap beer to your hands is fun. Just accept the fact that no matter how many times you try to explain the rules of Beer Pong, parents will think that package of ping pong balls in your room is because you and your friends reaaally got into ping pong this past summer.

2. Hungry? Let’s Order Pizza!

If you didn’t make it to the dining hall before it closed or ran out of pasta to make at your apartment, pizza is usually the first thing to come to mind. Parents don’t understand that it completely normal to order pizza seven nights a week without even peeking inside the fridge. Healthy eating doesn’t really exist in college. Sure we go to the gym and sure we sometimes make sure to order chicken AND BROCCOLI from the Chinese place, but we rarely pull out the food pyramid and consult it.

3. Dating? What’s that?

Our parents grew up in an era when men held the door open for women and automatically picked up the check at a restaurant. In this day and age, they are shocked to find out that you met a hot guy at a party a few weekends ago, but have only texted back and forth a few times. The extent of a date is a swipe into the dining hall — and if you are really getting crazy maybe a movie back at the dorm while your roommate is blasting music/studying/bbming. Personally, I’m good with the random make out sessions on the weekends; the dating can wait until after college when guys are more interested in dating than how many beers they can chug in 2 minutes.

4. Hey dad? So I kind of need some money…

As we all know, everything costs money and sometimes parents don’t understand what we’re doing with that $500 they put in the bank account at the beginning of the semester. Let’s face it, college is expensive and if you ARE ordering that pizza all the time you probably will need a constant influx of money from your parents. Yet, in case your parents are stubborn, I usually just tell them I’ll pay them back in full when I become rich and famous. Gets them every time!

5. School > Home

When college kids go home for breaks or vacations, parents are usually the ones that are more excited than the students. Coming home means having an actual curfew. And worse than the curfew, it means actually sleeping alone, like no inviting your former high school flame to spend the night. They’ll never understand why you’re so excited to go back to school, nor will they ever get why we sit on the couch for our entire break watching horrible TV,  with our laptops on our lap, videochatting with all our college friends.

What about you? What are you constantly trying to explain to the parental units?

Student loans have turned me into a Grinch this Christmas.

Even though Christmas is on Saturday, I honestly couldn’t care less this year. With everyone around me so happy and festive, I feel like the odd-woman-out. However, I think I have a decent excuse. Instead of “Jingle Bell Rock” in my head and busy days spent shopping at the mall, I’m singing the Student Loan Blues while staring at my empty bank account.

Ugh. Student loans.

If you graduated last spring and have student loans, you probably feel the same way I do right now considering our loan repayment grace period is over: in over your head! Although I knew this reality was coming, I guess I never thought it would hit me this hard and scare me this much. And I’ll be the first to say, I’m scared that these loans I had to take out to go to college will ruin the rest of my life.

Maybe I’m exaggerating a bit much, but right now, they certainly feel like they are taking hold of my entire life. In order to make payments so I’m in good standing with the lenders, I had to dish out the cash this month to get my payment record off to a good start. And boy, has it hurt. Christmas presents? Yeah … no one I know will be getting one from me. Not even the homemade variety. Will I be getting to see my boyfriend anytime soon? Nope, I don’t have the cash to pay for a plane ticket (ugh, another lovely benefit of being in a long-distance relationship). I can’t help but wonder “Will I ever have money again?”

Now, I probably sound like a Debbie downer, but it’s easy to feel downtrodden and stressed when it seems like you have a whole life ahead of you … centered around owing someone a ton of money. However, I do keep telling myself that one day my college degree will pay off … so maybe it wasn’t a terrible thing after all? Maybe?

This is where I keep my fingers crossed.

See, I couldn’t have gone to college without student loans. It wouldn’t have been possible for me – regardless of what school I attended or what I studied. And while I went to college to try and better myself, I feel like these loans are setting me back. How can I get ahead with this constantly looming over my head? And how am I supposed to embrace law school – with even MORE loans – when I have yet to pay off these ones?

Everyone has their own stance on student loans. Some people want pity and make websites where people can donate money to them. Some people work three jobs. Others default and don’t care about the consequences. Some live with their parents until they are 35. While I went to college not to become a statistic, I can’t help but worry about what the future may hold in the adult world of credit scores, repayments, and financial responsibility. Will I be living here with my dad forever? Will I be one of those people who has debt collectors knocking down her door?

But none of that really matters because what’s done is done. I took out the loans and now, unfortunately, I have to pay them back. Every month. For a long while. It sure sucks, but I’m sure I’ll figure it out like every post-grad with loans before me and the many more that are in the same boat as me now.

At least, that’s what I’m telling myself as the statements begin to pour in….

So Santa, if you’re reading, you could cut me a check for Christmas and pay all the loans back. You know, if you feel generous. I promise I’ve been a very good girl this year. This could make up for all those years I wanted a puppy and never got one. Think of it as a Christmas miracle!

Let me put it out there: whoever said money couldn’t buy happiness was a moron. Aside from being a super dad-like statement, it’s completely false. While I’ve always suspected a little extra cash brings on the smiles, a study out of the Wharton School now also suggests my inklings are spot-on.

As if we needed a study to tell us this, it looks like the truth might actually be we’re simply happier people when the bills are covered, the loans are paid, and there’s a little extra play money lying around for those just-because purchases. As a college student or a recent grad, you probably feel the financial strain more than most groups within society. Rent, school, transportation, random incidentals…chances are you’re paying for one or more of these hefty items on your own with minimal life savings to your name.

And that’s all before you factor in the cost of shopping, vacations, and going out…if you can even afford to do those things. So what are we left with? A lot of debt, a lot of stress, a lot of mail we don’t want to open, and NOT a lot of affordable ways to de-stress.

Don’t try and tell me that the free yoga classes offered at the university’s gym are a wonderful stress-reliever. I don’t want to know about it. As far as I’m concerned nothing makes me smile faster than a cold umbrella drink in my hand, a fancy new pair of shoes on my feet, and knowing that there’s an exotic beach somewhere not too far away.

Tough love: sometimes it takes a million bucks to feel like a million bucks.

…Now if only the economy would improve so I can get a job and finally understand what it is to be truly, blissfully, happy.

Holiday season is by far my favorite time of the year. It’s a season of excessive desserts, eggnog, sample sales, boots and of course, lots and lots of gifts.

What’s not to love?!

No matter which holiday you celebrate, gift giving is a staple of the holiday season. But there is some major pressure when picking out a gift for that special someone. And in this not-so-fabulous economy, a lot of people don’t have the resources to buy the perfect gift anymore.

Well, like I always say, if you can’t buy it make it. (Okay, so I don’t usually say that on day-to-day basis, but you get my point.)

Homemade gifts can be some of the most cherished and beloved gifts. There’s nothing better than seeing someone’s face light up as they unwrap and enjoy a gift you made especially for them. But not all homemade gifts are created equal. Frankly, some just plain blow. Hard. Re-gifted presents and macaroni necklaces won’t cut it anymore, so I’ve rounded up a list of the best homemade gifts that don’t suck.

Any type of baked good. Except fruitcake. That junk is gross.
Seriously though, don’t give someone a fruit-cake. That’s like slapping someone in the face or saying “You are so unimportant to me that I baked you this unappetizing and incredibly inedible looking cake.” Need some ideas? Check these out.

Scrapbooks & Calendars
Pull out your markers, construction paper, and pick your best photos to craft the perfect photobook or calendar featuring you and your favorite friends. Or if you’re not feeling like Martha, head to Shutterfly to craft an online photobook or calendar yourself. It’s easy, fun, and shows someone that you put time and thought into their gift.

No Sewing Skills Necessary Fleece Blanket
This blanket is a no-crafting-skills-needed fleece blanket, perfect for keeping someone warm throughout the holidays. Pick fleece fabrics in fun colors or prints unique to the very lucky recipient of the gift! And if you’re feeling extra generous, throw in a copy of their favorite movie, a box of hot cocoa and some popcorn for the ultimate winter night activity.

Christmas Cookie Mix in a Jar
I mean… it’s cookies in a jar. Where could you go wrong with this adorable idea? All you need is a mason jar and the ingredients for baking cookies. Fairly simple. You can make them in bulk and wrap the mason jars in pretty festive holiday ribbons!

Camel Cape for your Fashionista Friend
My favorite DIY queen, Erica Domesek of P.S. – I Made This…., gives you step by step instructions and pictures for this perfectly trendy (and warm!) camel cape. This will be the perfect gift for your fashionable friends.

Family Recipe Book
If you’re known for you superb cooking skills (or how hot you look in an apron), this could be the perfect gift to give your hungry friends. Put together a list of your best concoctions and give the gift of Betty Crocker.

Chocolate covered spoons for Java Junkies and Chocoholics
These delectable dessert treats are perfect for your coffee junkie and chocoholic friends.

What You’ll Need: Some plastic spoons, ribbon, sprinkles, and melting chocolate.
What You’ll Do: Melt the chocolate, and dip the plastic spoons in the chocolate. Add sprinkles or java chips! Let the chocolate spoons cool and harden on wax paper in the freezer. Wrap spoons in cellophane paper and wrap with a bow. Festive and delicious!

For even more DIY gift ideas, click here and here.

Come back all week long for even more holiday gift inspiration!

Say you had a million dollars.  That would be pretty cool, right?  You’d probably go shopping more than once a month.  Maybe bankroll your friends at the bar.  Pay off those student loans.  Get yourself set up in a cushy lifestyle, right?

Okay, now say you had $100 million.  You’d still do all of the above, but with the leftover change I hope you’d go all-out Oprah on some people in need.  Genocide refugees, abandoned animals, sad kids with distended bellies and flies on their faces…take your pick.  It’s really not that hard when you look at everything that’s going on in the world.

Or so I thought until one Mr. Henry Kravis proved me wrong.  The dude’s loaded.  Forget millions, his net worth is in the billions range.  And while he did recently make a significant donation, it wasn’t to the type of organization you’d expect.  Thanks to Kravis’ generosity, 100 million of his hard-earned dollars will be going to Columbia University’s Business School.  Because Ivy League universities need 450,000 feet added to their buildings and this guy really needs his name on a library or something.  Riiiight.

I’m sure the school would have gladly accepted a donation of a far lesser sum and maybe even still put his name in big stone-engraved letters somewhere.  The rest of that cool $100 mill could have fed families, bought vaccinations, or sent young girls to school.  Hell, he could have even done something as frivolous as sending a thousand sick kids to a baseball game and it would have been a better call.

But lest we sound like we’re hating on the privileged, I’d like to give a nod to Bill Gates.  He’s financially set for ten lifetimes and, acknowledging such, has set up an extremely successful foundation that’s primary purpose is finding worthy causes to which Gates, and fellow supporters, can donate.

So while there are quite literally people starving to death in the streets, at least this guy can pee on some proverbial trees, leaving his mark on his alma mater.  “Henry Kravis was here…and he was kinda a tool.”

We’re throwing the discussion out to you. Where would you donate your hypothetical millions?

One of the big buzz topics surrounding colleges in the last couple of years has been an administrative push to get everyone to graduate “on time” – as in, the four year model. Florida’s university system thinks they might have found the answer – as a number of other colleges have – in “block tuition”. Block tuition is basically just a flat rate system where every student pays a set price for a year or semester, regardless of how many credit hours they take. I can see some serious advantages to this program – that might be completely outweighed by the disadvantages.

On the one hand, anybody taking a heavy course load essentially gets a couple of free classes since most block tuition systems are set up around 15 credit hours. Anyone who’s already taking 18 credits, then, is getting a break on her education. Also, somebody who might want to graduate earlier could possibly get a lot of their credits packed into a year without having to pay extra – awesome! The system obviously works because it’s become a norm for private universities along with some big names like the University of Texas at Austin and UCLA.

The downside, though, is that anyone who doesn’t – or can’t – take the set number of credit hours is totally getting screwed. It’s one thing for people who just won’t get off their ass and sign up for an extra class, but it’s a different deal for someone who, say, has to have a job, or has other family commitments and just can’t fit that many hours into their schedule. Is it fair that they should have to pay extra for classes they aren’t taking? And isn’t this essentially a way to have a tuition hike without saying they’re charging more for tuition?

And what about those second semester seniors with only 8 credits left to graduate who take class two days a week and savor their final moments of college for the rest of the time? Has anyone thought about them!?

What do you think? Is block tuition a great idea? Or is flat rate just a way to rip off students? Does your school already have block tuition – what’s it like? Duke it out, ladies!