Playstation, Gamecube, Game Cards, and a soccer table are some of the most played games by students at the PCC student union.
With the stress of finals this whole week, the student union at PCC has created a space where students can take a break while studying to play some video games.
Some students are combating their unease by visiting the student union where they are able to play a variety of video games or utilize the lounge to hang out with friends or take time to themselves.
Jose Reyes is an engineering major and student of LBCC and uses his free time to play videos games at the game room in the student union. Reyes said he is in the process of transferring to Cal State Long Beach.
“I love being here. I have met so many friends in the game room. Every time I’m going to take a test, I come here first, I play for a few minutes and then I go to take my test,” Reyes said.
Rodrigo Gonzalez also shared his thoughts about his experience in the game room.
“I can consider myself addicted to video games. I come here everyday. I don’t care what others say, I love to play video games. I have my own console at home but I also play here. I don’t think I’m wasting my time because I’m passing all my classes,” Gonzalez explained.
LBCC students at the Pacific Coast campus spending their break in the game room before they return to class. Photo by Brandon Galo.
Gonzalez said that he is concerned about the students that fail their courses because of the amount of time they spend in the Game Room playing Super Smash Bros or Yu-Gi-oh cards.
“I have seen friends in the room for almost 5 hours. I don’t ask them how they are in their classes because I don’t want them to get mad. I think it’s beneficial to play cards or games for a little bit but when you play for hours you might neglect your responsibilities,” Gonzalez said.
The student union allows students to use the available facilities that the PCC offers. They are also allowed to bring their own games to play as well.
LBCC student Michael Cruz expressed his point of view about the game room.
“I know that a lot of people think we are weird because we spend hours playing games but it is part of life. We are not bad people, we just love games,” Cruz said.
“My dad recently gave me the new Mortal Kombat video game. I’m so happy. I’m pretty sure many people are against this room but it is a way to escape from stress and finals. I prefer being here than smoking marijuana outside.”
Student support staff have acknowledged that some students do spend a lot of time in the student union.
Students like Brian Alamina believe the game room is convenient for students and their schedules.
“I think it is awesome because you’re able to play with your friends. Also, you met new people. All my friends in school are from this place, they like me how I am. To be honest I’m so grateful because PCC has this amazing student union,” Alamina said.
Brian Alamina playing one of his favorite video games, in the game room at the Student Union at PCC. Photo by Brandon Galo.
With the game room, students now have the convenience to wait there during their breaks before they return to class which also helps students interact easier with staff.
The PCC Student Union and game room are available for any and all students who are looking for a place to unwind during finals.
A small collection of short films that had a strong emphasis on mental health issues were shown at a movie night event hosted by Art with Impact.
Seth Pickens who works with Art With Impact hosted the event to bring the Mental Health Movies forum to colleges nationwide. Small discussions with the audience where held along with a panel at the end.
“I’m just a small part of the team but [Art With Impact] is a nationwide non profit organization who put this workshop together in colleges all over the country. For me personally, it’s been a wonderful journey. Just to share the movies to get the conversation up around art and to be with the students on the campus today has been a great process,” Pickens said.
Three short films were shown that focused on different aspects of mental health, such as eating disorders, sexual harassment and childhood trauma.
The first film played was “A to Z” by Fenny Wang and Karishma Antia. “A to Z” is a stop motion film where the protagonist saw hurtful words strung together while eating alphabet soup.
The second film was “Touch Me, Don’t Touch Me” by Lucie Rachel where two men portrayed the raw emotions of sexual harassment through interpretive dance.
The final film was titled “Little Elizabeth” by Elizabeth Ayiku, and gave a representation of acknowledgement and moving on from a traumatic past due to sexual harassment.
With the different types of mental health issues highlighted in each film, attendees discussed and spoke about each theme portrayed through each film.
“It’s critical that we get this word out to the college students about lowering stigma around mental health because college students are old enough to have these difficult conversations. But still young enough to learn, and grow and change. It’s vital that we get stigma reduced on campuses,” Pickens said.
A panel of people who assisted those with mental health issues gathered after the viewing and discussion of each film.
President of the Active Minds club Kristofr Clement was one of the panelists. Clement attended a similar event last semester as an audience member and returned as a panelist for this semester.
“I really like the films. I felt like they gave me different introspective of different struggles that I haven’t gone through which is like, well for me personally, for the movies that were mentioned, like childhood trauma, sexual assault, the eating disorder. I feel like I can sympathize with all the themes to a degree but it makes me aware of how intense people feel in these issues,” Clement said.
At the panel, Clement shared his personal story about his self awareness, coming out and how difficult it was for him to fully accept his sexuality and own persona. Because of his upbringing around Mormon culture, he was only introduced to conservative thinking and beliefs.
“I just hope [the audience] takes away at least take away some understanding of how they are not alone or to be more sensitive or synthetic to the people who may have struggles. I think to expand their minds upon what falls under mental illness because some people it feel like mental health has been thrown around like ‘Oh that’s a separate entity. I don’t have a mental illness or I don’t need a mental wellness,’ Well, in reality, everyone deals with it. It’s a daily thing, it’s essential to being human,” said Clement.
Clement said he believes that feeling stressed or having anxiety toward compulsive behavior is not something to be ashamed of and that there is help out there.
“I would advise people who are seeking out therapies to know to listen to themselves and know what they’re looking for within therapy and what goals they have coming out of it,” Clement said.
“A good resource is the students because if the students know outside resources here in Long Beach or anything local, I feel like that’s a good resource. Students themselves might know more than others about other particular about mental health,” said Maria Rodriguez, the Student Ambassador for Health.
The California Basic Educational Skills Test, also known as CBEST, is an exam that tests basic reading, writing and math skills of aspiring educators who plan to have a career in teaching.
The Future Teachers Club presented seminars at the LAC library on what to expect for each portion of the CBEST exam.
Club adviser and assistant professor of reading Melanie Levy talked about the most effective ways to prepare for each part of the exam.
The exam is split into reading, writing and math sections and consists of 50 multiple choice questions for math and reading, while the written portion requires two short essays.
Because the time limit for the exam is four hours, Levy broke down how time should be spent on each section to avoid running out of time, especially for the writing section.
The first essay analyzes a given situation while the second essay instructs the exam taker to write about a specific personal experience. Both parts require a bit of brainstorming, outlining and writing, which can become time consuming.
“I don’t have a very nice name for it, but I call it a brain-dump. Just imagine a dump truck or a trash track, and that’s where I dump all my ideas onto the page,” Levy said.
Vice President of the club and aspiring history teacher Cristian Cardenas explained how his method may be a bit juvenile but very effective.
“I like bubble graphs, it may be a bit archaic or childish, but I feel like it’s worked for me from kindergarten all the way up until two weeks ago,” Cardenas said.
Because the reading portion of the CBEST exam is made up of 50 multiple choice questions, Levy encouraged the group to read the questions thoroughly before reading the prompt passage.
Future Teachers Club literature. Future Teachers Club CBEST prep meeting on Nov. 20th, 2019. Photo by Talia Coeshott.
“The test administrators aren’t counting on you to understand the passage thoroughly, but just enough to answer the question,” Levy said.
The second meeting doubled as the future teachers club’s end of the semester meeting. With finals around the corner, members thought it best to not ask members to meet any later in the semester, Cardenas said.
In the second meeting, they spoke about the achievements of this semester as a club and their goals for next semester.
Club adviser and Teacher Appreciation Coordinator Megan Kaplinsky talked about wanting more than just club members to attend a spring round table event for Latin X and men of color in education. They would also like STEM students of any gender and ethnic background to attend so they can recruit those who many consider teaching as a possible career path.
“We want more than just our club coming, we want all of our education students from the STEM fields coming too because we want them to consider teaching in the back of their heads,” Kaplinsky said.
The Future Teachers club will meet in the same L-165 room in the library next semester every Thursday from 11:15 a.m. to 12:15 p.m..
Students and community members experienced a stargazing night and explored the wonders of space activity at the Planetarium nights event.
The planetarium consists of a thirty-five foot diameter hemispherical dome, which helps students visualize the planets, constellations and other astronomical matter.
The astronomy departments main purpose is to reach out to extend its accessibility to the community and for students to learn more about the world above with a variety of movies the department staff has ready for audience members to watch.
“The shows are preceded by a talk geared to audiences of all age groups. It gives adults a chance to experience what an astronomy class is like and also spark curiosity in the minds of young children,” assistant professor for mathematics and astronomy Jorge Ramirez said.
This semester, the astronomy department has demonstrated four shows in the planetarium, all in the D Building with free admission.
The planetarium nights show seemed to be a success with the demonstrations. Majority of the audience members were students and the rest consisted of community members.
“It was a great immersive experience that not only had amazing images, but was also very informative of the history of astronomy. Being able to see images of earth and the universe in a planetarium room setting was captivating,” LBCC student Alondra Ramirez said.
The event gave an in depth visual scene where students and the community could comprehend the mysteries of space with ease.
The department put on at least two back to back shows to accommodate those who speak English or Spanish. For the Friday night show, it started at 6:15 p.m. and was demonstrated in Spanish and then demonstrated again at 7 p.m. in English.
While the staff plans to expand the planetarium nights for a much diverse language setting, professor of Astronomy and Physics Loredana Vetere explained more about the expansion.
“I acquire the movies also in other languages such as Italian, French, and German so that even other departments like the language department can enjoy them,” Vetere explained.
The Planetarium Nights program event was supported by the astronomy department and many of the astronomy professors would like to expand their programs and bring in new ideas for this type of curriculum.
Faculty and staff from both LAC and PCC mingled over refreshments, a photo booth and musical performances by LBCC’s students held by Long Beach City College’s Superintendent President Reagan Romali.
The annual event signified Romali’s appreciation for the hard work of the faculty and staff throughout the year.
“We started it three years ago as a way to say thank you to the faculty and staff and administrators for working so hard all year. We started it my first year here and it just raised the spirits as a way to say thank you,” Romali said.
Romali originally hosted a cookie exchange where faculty and staff brought cookies for everyone to swap and bring home while socializing.
“In the past, we did the cookie exchange, but we decided to just tone it down a little bit and do a holiday open house,” explained Executive Assistant to Human Resources, Susan Salazar.
Colleagues socialize over sweet treats and entertainment performed by LBCC students. Photo by Talia Coeshott.
Faculty reported and favored the open house over the cookie exchange for its relaxed appeal.
“This is the first year we’ve done this,” said Human Resources Specialist Gloria Wilson.
LBCC’s Jazz Combo, Brass Quintet and Carolers performed holiday favorites and standards throughout the event.
A booth was placed by the entrance of the lobby for faculty and staff to drop off packaged goods that would be donated to the Viking Vault for students of LBCC.
Associate Director of Communications Stacey Toda shared her positive feedback on the holiday open house.
“It’s good to see everyone outside of the meeting rooms, conference rooms,” Toda said.
The event took place in LBCC’s Liberal Arts Campus T Building lobby on December 3 from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m..
Richard Dick Gaylord plans to take students and staff concerns from Long Beach City College to heart and make a difference in the college’s community by running for a seat on the board of trustees.
As a well-experienced chairman for other associations, Gaylord worked in the personnel commission at LBCC and was a board member of the St. Mary Medical Center.
He has great respect for students and is now campaigning for the seat of Doug Otto in the Board of Trustees at LBCC, who is departing his time here at the college.
Otto has been a trustee for 15 years and decided to take his leave and continue on to work for the Long Beach Unified School District.
“It’s a disappointment that I’ve made this decision, but I think there are more issues in the K-12 system than higher education,” Otto said.
Vivian Malaalu, the board trustee president said, “I support him if that’s what he wants to do, but I will not be making any endorsement until the filing period closes.”
Gaylord comes in with his focus on students, fiscal responsibility, staff morale, and telling the LBCC story.
Richard wants to motivate students to stay in school and finish their education in order to move on and work in their careers.
Gaylord’s plans to prioritize staff morale, “Make sure the faculty are happy but even more critical is the need to retain them, make certain they are paid fairly, have good benefits, and work in a productive environment,” Gaylord said.
“I think being involved in the community, telling high school students what the college has to offer, getting donors to give scholarships to help the college those are things that start immediately and are ongoing as a board of trustee member, things you do from day one,” Gaylord said.
Before election day comes, Gaylord is preparing to talk to a lot of people, such as students, administrators, and voters.
Election day will take place on Nov. 3, 2020, voters can vote in person or by mail. Gaylord wishes to represent LBCC students and staff.
The new PCC cafeteria gives students comfort and variety of meals, but some students may look for a better selection off campus.
Angelica Ibarra, a cashier at the PCC cafeteria, believes the cafeteria has been improving its meals over time.
“I personally don’t think the cafeteria doesn’t have bad meals. I think students prefer going out to be with their friends. They go outside because it is relatively close for them. We try to give students the best service so they can feel good every time they come to class,” Ibarra said.
Andrew Luna is a student who has been attending the PCC for the past two years.
“I don’t think the food is bad. They cook really good. I think they just need to add more items to the menu,” Luna said.
“I love the Mexican food they make. Honestly I think because the school is small, they provide a small menu.”
Stephanie Herrera is another student who always comes for her coffee at the PCC cafeteria. Herrera demands for meals that will attract students and make them stay on campus.
“I am honestly disappointed with the menu. When they built the new cafeteria I thought they would add more things to the menu,” Herrera said.
Milton Nunez is another student displeased with the cafeteria menu. He commutes between both campuses, taking three classes at PCC and one at LAC.
“My best days are Mondays and Thursdays because I go to the LAC. They have a better menu. I wish the PCC cafeteria would have the same menu as the LAC,” Nuñez said.
“It took time to finish the cafeteria. We want to give students the best accommodations they deserve.”
“Students just want good food that’s all. Students need to be motivated after class. If they see a simple menu they will go the nearest Subway,” Nuñez said.
In this episode of Mindful Vikings, we visit The Salt Lounge in Downtown Long Beach. Reporter Abrielle Lopez interviews Wes Loveholder, the owner of The Salt Lounge healing and wellness space. Topics like mental health in men, balancing the mind, body and spirit, vulnerability, divine feminine and masculine aspects of a person, and more are unpacked.
This is a special episode of Mindful Vikings. From the environment we are in, the topics discussed and the concepts that are shared from a licensed healing practitioner (Wes), we were very fortunate to have been invited to The Salt Lounge.
We hope you enjoy the content in this episode of Mindful Vikings! Please share, like and subscribe to Viking News channel if you feel called to.
As time has passed, I find the urge to procreate has lessened and the legacy I want to leave in this world resides in the type of person I will be, the kind of work I create and the community that I build around me. When I do make the decision to have children, though I may give birth to a child of my own, I plan to go through the process of adoption.
Growing up, I would always think of names for my future children and even decide how many I would have and at what age I would have them; by 22, because I wanted to be a little older than when my parents had me but still be young enough that I’d be a “young mom.”
Flash forward to my mid-twenties, where my goals look a lot different and the children I currently have are the ones I coach or hand back to my friends once it’s time for their nap.
There is so much that goes into having a kid, especially as a woman, that the bulk of the responsibilities always seem to fall on us.
I grew up as an only child, but after nannying for about five years, I realized what it took to truly take care of children.
In early November, Long Beach City College hosted A Different Kind of Love, an orientation and workshop dedicated to aspiring foster parents. Current foster students can receive resources through LBCC’s NextUp and Guardian Scholars programs.
With that in mind, I’ve thought about the things I need to be a successful and happy parent.
A community is needed to raise a child, not just a mother or father, but an entire network of people to hold the family unit accountable and provide the child with love, care and resources. I’d like to make sure I have cultivated a network of support before I bring a child into my life.
It’s important that I have enough in the bank for their many expenses but also a savings or a game plan in place for their braces, first car and college tuition in the possible future.
The study of epigenetic teaches us that when you have a biological child, we imprint roughly seven years of generational trauma onto them. If you have not done the work to heal the trauma of not only yourself, but your parents, you can pass this trauma onto your children that they will carry with them throughout their lives.
I’m not focused on having a child any time soon because I know that there are layers of unfinished business from my childhood that still needs to be dug up and healed so I don’t pass on unresolved issues to my future children.
According to Children’s Rights, an organization committed to protecting children in the system, there are over 400,000 kids in America’s foster care system. Some of which spend almost five or more years waiting for a family to go home to. With this happening on our own soil, it should be commonplace to create a family by fostering or eventually adopting a child of any age.
Yes, adopting or fostering a child costs money, but there are options available to you to finance the adoption as well as stipends received to help you care for the child for medical bills or school supplies.
Of course, it is always about intention. I don’t intend on having children, it’s just not in my plans.
I want to build a life based off of the passions that fuel me and if I’m in a place where I can bring children into that. I want to make sure I’m extending that goodwill to children who are waiting for their forever home.
Imagine a world where it was just as normal to say ‘When are you adopting kids?’ as it is to ask ‘When are you having a baby?’, changing that rhetoric would open up the doors to the 400,000 plus kids who deserve the chance to be a part of a family or the reason for one.
Community colleges have always been a crucial part for Americans interested in continuing or restarting an education.
This year’s figures from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) show that there are approximately 8.7 million students in the United States enrolled in community colleges.
Over several decades, the cost of earning a college diploma has increased dramatically and Long Beach City College was not immune. According to the College Board’s 2018 Trends in College Pricing Report, prices at public two-year institutions are more than twice as high in 2019 as they were in 1989.
The Viking News broke down the cost of Long Beach City College and neighboring community colleges.
What does LBCC cost now?
Depending on whether you live at home or not, or if you are a California resident or not, these figures vary.
According to LBCC, the total cost of attending as a California resident is $15,072.
These costs include tuition and fees, books and supplies, transportation, housing and food, and personal expenses.
Full price for students living at home detailed in chart below.
Graphic by Abel Reyes
Going to college is now the second-largest expense an individual is likely to make in their lifetime, right after purchasing a home. According to the College Board, tuition and fees for in-state public colleges was $10,230. And that’s not including room and board or other expenses.
Between 2009-10 and 2019-20, average tuition and fee prices rose by $670 at public two-year colleges, according to College Board.
However, for those currently living away from home, or planning on moving, cost in housing and personal expenses do rise substantially.
To see the full price for students living away from home, check the chart below.
Graphic by Abel Reyes
Now with the Long Beach Promise, Long Beach Unified School District students are eligible for two-year free tuition at Long Beach City College.
Along with that, added resources from LBCC and LBUSD can potentially lower some of the cost.
Available resources
Of the 24,704 LBCC students, 16,289 (66%) students receive some type of grant or scholarship. The average amount of aid given to students is $3,247.
Of these students, 8,484, or 34% receive Pell Grants, and 517 students or 2% receive a federal student loan.
75% of LBCC freshmen are reported to be receiving some sort of financial assistance.
Long Beach City College curated a program for first time college students named the Viking Advantage.
To be eligible for the Viking Advantage, students must be enrolled in 12 units or more per semester, apply to FAFSA or CA Dream Act, and be a California resident.
Benefits of the Viking Advantage:
First year tuition free at LBCC
Priority registration for Fall and Spring semester
Participation in a free two-week summer bridge program
Enrollment in a first year college success course
Assistance during your second year at LBCC that will be focused on career development and mentoring
Receive a $500 LBCC Book Voucher ($250 Fall & $250 Spring)
Free bus pass
The Viking Advantage is exclusive to Long Beach City College and not other colleges.
The Long Beach Promise however, is a partnership with Long Beach Unified School District Schools. To be eligible, students must immediately enroll at LBCC after graduating from their LBUSD school.
List of eligible LBUSD schools:
Avalon
Beach
Browning
Cabrillo
California Academy of Mathematics & Science (CAMS)
Educational Partnership High School (EPHS)
Jordan
Lakewood
Long Beach Adult School
McBride
Millikan
Poly Academy of Achievers & Leaders (PAAL)
Poly
Reid
Renaissance
Sato Academy of Mathematics & Science
Wilson
As of the beginning of the fall semester of this year, those eligible for the Long Beach Promise are now eligible to fall under the new Long Beach Promise 2.0.
With the new Long Beach Promise 2.0, LBCC students also receive:
Priority registration for the Fall and Spring semesters
Transfer admissions pathways to specific majors at Cal State Long Beach:
With these programs in place, substantial tuition costs and fees may be alleviated for students.
Along with the programs in place that can resolve a lot of tuition cost issues, LBCC has adopted in using Open Education Resources (OER).
OER are teaching, learning, and research resources that some professors use at LBCC. This includes Zero Textbook Cost, Textbook Free, and Low Textbook Cost courses.
With a Zero Textbook Cost course, students will not have to pay for a traditional textbook. A Textbook Free course has never had a traditional textbook or student materials. And a Low Textbook Cost course uses textbooks and materials under $40.
Along with the Long Beach Promise programs, these particular courses can possibly reduce another layer of costs.
LBCC has also begun giving out free Long Beach Transit bus passes this semester. It is still unconfirmed whether the “Strong Beach” pilot program will be returning for Spring 2020.
The “Strong Beach” pilot program started in fall 2019 and it was made to hopefully relieve a barrier of transportation by providing free bus passes to students.
Students who are in the College Promise, disabled, disproportionately impacted, in EOPS, foster youth, or a veteran are eligible for a bus pass.
Based on the amount of resources that LBCC offers it is very probable that most students may end up paying less than the estimated amount.
Compared to other colleges
Looking at California community colleges in general, LBCC’s in-state tuition cost of $1,182 is less than the state average of $1,636, a price that has risen 9% in four years.
In comparison with neighboring community colleges, Long Beach City College falls directly in the middle, between Cerritos College and Cypress College.
The same type of expenses are applied to Cerritos and Cypress, and prices vary depending on your California residency, same as LBCC.
According to Cerritos College, the annual cost of attending as a California resident is $14,802.
To see the full price for students living at home, check the chart below.
Graphic by Abel Reyes
For Cypress College, the annual cost of attending as a California resident is $16,035.
To see the full price for students living at home, check the chart below.
Graphic by Abel Reyes
Both Cerritos and Cypress are not drastically cheaper or more costly than LBCC, however when it comes down to resources, all colleges differ.
The Long Beach Promise or Promise 2.0 does not include Cerritos College or Cypress College.
Cypress has the Anaheim Union Educational Pledge Program, where students can get their first-year of tuition free and priority registration for Fall and Spring semesters.
Cerritos College has a similar program to the Long Beach Promise: the Cerritos Complete Promise Program.
The Complete Promise Program is only available to students from ABC Unified School District (USD), Bellflower USD, Downey USD, Lynwood, Norwalk-La Mirada USD, and Paramount USD.
With the Complete Program, students who attend Cerritos College will receive two years of free tuition and two years of priority registration.
Both Cerritos and Cypress have Open Education Resources (OER), which means expenses on textbook can be reduced.
Cypress College offers a discounted Orange County bus pass for $46. A student must be enrolled in nine credits to be eligible.
Cerritos College does not offer a free or discounted bus passes.
Why has the cost of college risen?
Several factors must be examined in order to answer the question of why the cost of a degree has risen to the point of unaffordability.
Historically, public colleges and universities have received a substantial amount of public funding, an amount that has decreased over the years. The Center of Budget and Policy reported that the overall state funding for public two- and -four-year colleges in 2017 was $9 billion than in 2008. And a result of the 2008 recession, unemployment rates and a decrease in housing values led to less income and sales tax revenue for states, the main monetary source for funding education.
Georgetown University’s Center on Education and the Workforce indicated that there were 20 million college students in 2014, versus 2.4 million in 1949.
Damon Skinner, Welding and Metal Fabrication Assistant Professor at LBCC discussed the deregulation of companies that give students loans, and the increase of for-profit colleges as contributing factors towards both increased enrollment and in turn, the increased debt crisis.
“Allowing people to borrow what they can never pay back is never a good idea,” said Skinner. “For-profit colleges are a business. They’re rewarded by selling school.”
The total amount of grant aid supporting post-secondary students increased by 81% (after adjusting for inflation) between 1998-99 and 2008-09 and by another 56% between 2008-09 and 2018-19, reaching a total of $135.6 billion, according to research by College Board.
Is it possible?
Sara Blasetti, LBCC Counseling Faculty, says yes.
“As a counselor, one of my specialties is helping students successfully navigate school and life. One of the main conversations I have with students is how to have a good balance of both. I always discuss financial aid with students and encourage them to apply. I personally recommend to try to wait to take out loans once the student transfers to a four year institution.”
Breaking down the time commitment that academic success requires, students should factor in two hours of homework a week per unit they are in, Blasetti says. For example, a student taking 12 units should expect roughly 24 hours of homework per week.
For a student taking 12 units, they should estimate at least 24 hours of homework a week. This, plus actual class time can be 36 hours a week, which almost equals a full time job. Add on another full-time job, and “the question then becomes, is this realistic? For most students, the answer is no,” said Blasetti.
She recommends first-semester students use the following information when planning their courses:
If you are working:
40 hours per week. Take 6 units
30 hours per week. Take 9 units
20 hours per week. Take 12 units
Less than 20. Take 15 units
“If they get really good grades and find that it is not too challenging, add more units the next semester,” Blasetti said.
For many students, especially for those not living with their families, the only plausible solution to fund school is to work throughout. The U.S. Department of Education reported that 78% of undergraduate students work, and 25% of full-time students (a student enrolled in 12 or more credits a semester) are also working full-time, generally at least 32 hours a week. Of all undergraduate students, 40% work at least 30 hours a week.
For students employed throughout college and/or afterwards, addressing minimum wage in comparison to the cost of education is crucial.
Pew Research Center reported that since 2013, the average worker’s wages grow between 2% and 3% per year, compared to 7%, 8%, or 9% in the 1980s and early 1980s.
With a cost of a college education steadily rising, and a minimum wage that has more or less remained stagnant, how are students supposed to combat this?
Is it worth it?
As the prices of a college education has steadily risen over the years, the value of a degree is called into question.
Lee Douglas, now Dean of Language Arts and Communication, was a former professor of the LEARN 11 course, a course that teaches students learning strategies, time management, etc… To ultimately prepare or help students in their academic career.
“Education is more than getting a degree,” Douglas said. “Personal growth and learning more about yourself are huge factors while in college.”
Finding mentorship at the college level is another path towards success for students, Douglas mentioned.
Having a role model, not just for future career choices, but for decision making for fiscal and academic choices, can help a student’s success dramatically.
Skinner offered his perspective, disputing the popular claim that a four-year-degree is integral to success.
“I encourage all students to complete a two-year degree,” Skinner said. “I always encourage the degree, then get a job, then finish the degree.” He acknowledged this may not be as applicable to those in more academic majors.
A LBCC alumni, Skinner paid for his schooling as he went, and went on to acquire an apprenticeship program where he did not accrue any debt. He was then able to enter the workforce, without obtaining a bachelor’s.
Students struggling with finances are able to explore options such as entering a trade that perhaps requires only an associate’s and an apprenticeship, allowing students to also enter the workforce quicker.
“There are absolutely other viable educational options for students besides obtaining a 4-year degree. In fact, many of these educational options pay very well. Our society thrives on diversity, this is true for careers/jobs as well. Our society would collapse if we didn’t have skilled contractors, skilled welders, skilled electricians, vocational nurses or computer technicians, none of which require a four year degree,” Blasetti said.
Georgetown University’s Center on Education and the Workforce reported that, 35% of available job openings will require at least a bachelor’s degree, 30% of the job openings will require some college or an associate’s degree and 36% of the job openings will not require education beyond high school.
“High schools are selling four-year degrees as a golden pathway to all opportunities,” he said, sharing his observations over the years. When comparing his high school experience towards the one he has witnessed through his children, earning a four-year-degree is far more emphasized in today’s classrooms.
Contributing to this shift, “High schools are taking their vocational classes out,” said Skinner.
For an increasing amount of bachelor degree recipients, there is a decreasing amount of jobs available. Amid the rising pressure to attend college and the increased accessibility towards achieving a degree has created a consequence of increased competition for jobs, leaving more blue-collar positions left unfilled.
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