With budget cuts, unit caps and notoriously impacted majors, timely graduation, for many, seems impossible. However, the task is not impossible because where there is a will there is a way.
Boycotts, protests and petitions have been making their way around our campus, but in reality, students just need to reflect on their futures and organize their tasks accordingly.
I came in as a pre-business marketing major four years ago, soon enough business calculus happened, and I reevaluated my major and decided that communication studies was a better fit for me.
Changing my major was a debilitating task, because I lost a lot of units in the process, but it was the best decision I made.
I took a journalism course and decided I wanted to major in public relations as well. A semester later I declared journalism as my second major. I was also taking Russian for my GE requirements, and consequently filed for a minor in that department as well.
Two majors and a minor resulted in a full plate, with a part-time job on the side and an officer position in my sorority, I was certain my four-year plan had turned into a five or even six-year plan.
So I started formulating a plan to see advisors and make sure my courses were double or triple counting. I also took it upon myself to register for summer courses at local community colleges so I wouldn’t be responsible for the expenses of summer and winter tuition at our university.
Over the course of three summers, and only a few hundred dollars later, I was able to obtain nearly 21 units. Signing up for more units permit earlier registration for those of us struggling to obtain classes in our majors.
With earlier registration times I was able to pick from more classes then others, which put me ahead of the curve.
I took up to 19 units one semester, and as little as 12 in another semester, which averaged out to approximately 15 units per-semester, which is still possible even with the unit cap.
Four years later, I am graduating on time next month. A little dedication, organization and research go a long way, and I believe that every student here is capable of completing their bachelor’s degree on time. Of course, there are various factors for every individual, like jobs, family and internships, but it is not impossible.
There are so many resources at our disposal that we forget to utilize. The Advising Center is a wealth of information and contains multiple valuable resources and people that want to help. Also, planning your schedules ahead of time and having multiple class options is imperative for getting the classes you need.
Most of all utilize your networks, professors and faculty; they want you to graduate just as much as you do. Where there is a will there’s a way, so as our school motto states, “Graduation begins today.”
Irina Chirkina is a senior communication studies and journalism double major and a contributing writer for the Daily 49er.
