Students are still upset about the news last week from the California State University Board of Trustees, where they voted 10-2 for an increase in student fees by 5 percent. The continued cuts in the California state budget have forced the CSU system to raise fees to try and compensate for the loss of funding. This increase will set fees and tuition for in-state undergrads at $4,230 per year and graduate students at $5,214 a year. In addition Teacher Credential student fees will also increase by 5 percent which puts tuition at $4,908 per year. Previous increases, combined with this 5 percent bump could cause even more students to shy away from a CSU and attend another California college, or go out of state.

Last year there was a 32 percent increase in tuition and fees, which was attributed to a reduction in students enrolled within the CSU system. This additional bump is likely to force some students away as they struggle to pay for food and housing. The situation is therefore complicating things in California as students need to to get an education and graduate so that they will have a better chance to get a decent job. The state economy is struggling, and one of the best ways to start to get out of an economic slump would be to get more qualified and educated people into the workforce. No matter how rough the economic conditions become, California cannot give up on a commitment to higher education so that it can continue to graduate thousands of individuals every year who can then contribute more to the economic recovery.

UC Berkeley police are in the news again, for searching a journalist’s camera after a December 11 protest on the college campus at Chancellor Robert Birgeneau’s home. The issue at hand was weather or not the search of the journalist David Morse’s camera was done properly in accordance with the law. Last week Alameda County Superior Judge Yolanda Northridge ruled that the search by UC Berkeley police was illegal, and ordered the California university to return all copies of the photographs to Morse. This ruling was well received by many journalist’s, as the judge upheld the state law which restricts the police from searching journalists’ unpublished work.

UC Berkeley has been home to various protests since the 1960’s, as college students and residents have stood up for issues which they feel passionate about. This demonstration at Chancellor Robert Birgeneau’s campus residence was focused on the cuts in funding for education which have forced fee increases, reduction in classes, and faculty furloughs. These issues have created situations where students are having to pay more, but be offered less options and fewer choices for classes. It is likely that there will be more protests around the state, as the California State University trustees voted last week to raise fees for students by 5 percent. This move was in response to state funding cuts and students are definitely upset, as the rough economic conditions in California have made it tough for them to pay their increasing expensive school bills.

Journalists and photographers for the press need to cover these events, and this ruling by Judge Northridge will keep them in the trenches reporting around California.

Many California college students just graduated and are now in the pursuit of a job that utilizes the degree they worked so hard to earn. Spending time to earn an associates, bachelors, or masters degree is all for the payoff of a better job that you enjoy. Ideally you want something close to a dream job, but if you do not hustle to land that job, then someone might beat you to it. The current job market is improving, but still very competitive as many qualified job candidates fight it out to land each job. Often times, college graduates in California will be up for a job against people with many years experience, so job searchers need to stay on the hunt non-stop until they secure a job. Until you land a job, your new job is working 40hrs a week trying to research, apply, and interview for jobs.

The first step in the job hunt is to make a plan so that you do not waste time, so get a spreadsheet together and figure out where to attack and apply for a job. List companies you want to contact and their contact information. Also find all of the job websites in your area, including craigslist.org, monster.com, and eBay classifieds. When searching, make sure you focus properly on what you want in terms of a job, if you search too broad then you will not get great results. Repeat the process each day, and check the same sites so you get into a groove and do not loose time with new techniques. When you get ready to apply, make sure you have variations in your resume and a cover letter. This will allow you to be prepared to apply for a wide variety of jobs in your niche. The last thing to consider is quantity versus quality, take time and apply to the best jobs first that you really want to land. This is much better than randomly applying to 100 jobs, many of which you might not even want.

Succeeding in college is a big commitment, as it will take many years for you to complete your degree, depending on if you are working towards an associates, bachelors, or masters degree. Focusing on the end goal of graduation is very important, but there are many things you can do along the way which will help you succeed. There are many facets of college and the classes you will take, all of which must be given proper attention throughout your years in school. While there are a number of ways to succeed in college, the best approach is to find a combination of techniques which work best for you. Below you will find a handful of ideas to help you succeed in college in California.

1. Take Action – The bottom line is you have to make it happen, and cannot be a procrastinotor. Choose your major early on and set goals frequently to keep achieving toward your graduation. If you do not start on this path early, it may prevent you from graduating on time so you can get the job you desire.
2. Be Prepared for Classes and Take Notes – This means you need to start with the syallabus and make sure you understand everything that is required of you for the class. On top of that, you need to make sure you stay on schedule with your assignments and reading, so that you are prepared for each class. Make sure you get to class on time and focus the entire time so that you do not miss any critical information. Do your best to take notes of relevant information, but you can also try and add a recorder of some type to your note taking, as this will capture all of the class. Lastly it is good to make a friend in class, just in case something happens and you need to miss a class.
3. Good Study Habits – Make sure you study in a nice and quiet place, and stay in the rhythm of studying so you stay on track for the term. Also have the right tools with you, like pencils, pens, calculator, and a highlighter. Also take periodic breaks when studying to give your brain a rest and mix up the long study session.
4. Tests – You will have lots of tests throughout college so get into the habit of studying ahead of time, and not waiting until the last minute the night before the test. Also remember to get proper sleep that night, as it will help you arrive early to class so you can focus on the test. Make sure you take your time and read the instructions, as a simple mistake can mess up the whole test. Answer all questions, and review the entire test before you hand it in to be graded.
5. Utilize College Resources – Libraries, tutors, and doctors are just a few of the resources you can use at college to help you succeed. No matter what you need help with at college, there is usually a free resource on campus to help you out or point you in the right direction.
6. Papers – Along with tests, papers will be your other best friend in college and very common in almost any class. So it is best to start on papers early so that you do not get behind, as you can often have more than one paper due on the same day. Before you get started, layout your research and get an outline going to make it easy to write.  However you should make sure all research is accurate, as everything you read on the Internet is not always true.

Staying healthy in college can be tough, as life is busy and many students end up eating any fast food they can get their hands on. In addition to eating poorly, many college students just do not focus on being healthy as they have so many other competing priorities occupying their schedule, for which they’re not accustomed. College in California can mean a lot of sitting, as you sit in class and sit to study, which takes up a lot of your time. Therefore it is easier for people to get out of shape, as they do not get much movement and exercise. There are so many unhealthy things to do in college in California that it is good to know the healthy things to do. Below is a list of 5 tips to help you stay healthy while attending a California college.

1. Eat Well - This means you need to eat enough sensible health food each day to keep your body fueled to study and succeed in college. Breakfast and water are key as they will give you a great start to the day and the ability to stay hydrated throughout. Find smart food choices, and avoid junk food. If you do not stay focused, you are likely to gain the freshman fifteen when you start college. This is the rumor (although often true) that you will gain fifteen pounds during your freshman year of college from all of the bad eating and drinking.
2. Avoid Binge Drinking – College is supposed to be fun and educational, so there is nothing wrong with drinking a little. However drinking too much can aid to gaining weight, and also impair your ability to learn in class if you’re hungover.
3. Buy a Bicycle or Use The One You Have – Many California college campuses are so large that you need to walk or bicycle to get around. Take that one step further and bicycle more often to stay healthy. You can ride for fun or around the city to do your errands. It is a great way to stay active and get some sun outside.
4. Regular Doctor Visits – Many students begin college in California and stop going to the doctor since they do not live with their parents anymore. Attend the doctor as scheduled, or visit the campus doctor to ensure that your health is well.
5. Learn to Relax and Reduce Stress – The best advice to stay healthy is too relax and not stress about college. If you are stressed, then you need to find things outside of drinking and eating to relax. Do your best to get good grades, but do not stress if you get one B instead of your normal straight A’s.

Life as a California college student can be hectic, as you have to attend a lot of classes, study, spend time with friends, and possibly work a job. Therefore you have to be efficient with your time and make sure you devote enough attention to school work so you can graduate. Studying in college is much different than high school as the classes and tests are more intense, so students need to produce more effort to learn all of the new information. Overall you still want to have a good balance, so that you have time to enjoy college life while getting good grades. Below are some helpful study tips that should allow you to be more effective.

1. Limit distractions – The best way to accomplish this is to find a quiet place to study like the library, because it does not have things like TV, music, video games, and friends to distract you. If possible turn off your cell phone for a bit, no texting either as it will prevent you from the task at hand. Just sit down and focus, stay on one task and work on that project so that you can soak up all of the information you need.
2. Reward yourself – Graduating from college is a long term goal, which many people celebrate as it is such a big accomplishment. If you are just starting college, you have a long way to go so you should give yourself little rewards along the way to keep up the motivation. An example might be blocking out 6 hours on Saturday to study, then you can go out with your friends for the night.
3. Use study aids - Flashcards, slides, rewriting notes, and trying some mnemonic techniques, are just some examples of study aids. Anything you can use to aid in studying is a great way to improve your retention of the subject matter. Try different approaches and figure out which works best for you. Some students prefer to get a classmate to partner with so they can quiz each other about the subject.
4. Sleep – This is important to do daily for a certain amount of hours, but also important to do before tests. Do not go out late and party before a test, then only get 3 hours sleep. Your brain needs sleep to properly store and remember all of the details from your studying. If you deprive your brain of sleep, then it will be tougher to focus when studying or taking tests.
5. Scheduling – Just as you would make a budget with money, you should make a budget with time. Block out time for studying, work, classes, and friends. Make sure everything has a slot so that you can get all of the things accomplished you need to each week.

A recent report released by the University of California San Diego Extension discussed 14 careers which are hot this year for college graduates. This study does not go in depth as to what all the jobs pay and the number of jobs available for college graduates, but does give you a sense of what careers are hot right now for those graduating college. Across the 14 careers the main themes which dominate are technology, health, and science. However there are a few careers which stand out as abtut unique for this type of report on hot careers. One of the careers on the list that is now gaining popularity is Feature Writing for the Web, due to the increase in people reading news online. Access to news is so easy now thanks to mobile devices like the iPhone and iPad, in addition to computers and broadband Internet. Therefore people are consuming all types of news on a daily basis, with topics ranging from serious local and national news to niche news on social media or gadgets. As more traditional news companies move more of their content and efforts online, journalists will continue to be in demand.

There were also a few education related jobs on the list, which is great as teaching and education are popular subjects for California college students to study. The teaching of adult learners and teaching of English as a second language were two hot careers which made the list. Another related career on the list was Spanish/English translation and interpretation, which is very important in California and the southwest area of the US where the Hispanic culture is most dominate. Below is the complete list of careers from the UCSD Extension report of the 14 Hot Careers for College Graduates.

1) Health Information Technology

2) Clinical Trials Design and Management for Oncology

3) Data Mining

4) Embedded Engineering

5) Feature Writing for the Web

6) Geriatric Health Care

7) Mobile Media

Occupational Health and Safety

9) Spanish/English Translation and Interpretation

10) Sustainable Business Practices and the Greening of all Jobs

11) Teaching Adult Learners

12) Teaching English as a Foreign Language

13) Marine Biodiversity and Conservation

14) Health Law

Most California college students had no idea that Lil Romeo, the son of famous rap mogul Master P, had been on the University of Southern California basketball team for his freshman and sophomore years of college. Lil Romeo became well known at age 12 when his father Master P signed him to his record company, No Limits Records. Lil Romeo, aka Percy Miller, later went on to play guard for the basketball team at Beverly Hills High School. While on the USC basketball team for two seasons, Miller only played in a total of nine games in two seasons, for a total of 19 minutes. During his 19 minute college basketball career he only scored five points, while also racking up three rebounds and an assist. Now Miller’s basketball career at USC is over as he got dropped off the team due to infractions from the prior year.

Not only is Miller leaving the USC basketball team, he is also leaving college all together to go back on tour this summer and promote his new album. He also said that he got a new acting opportunity for a big block buster movie. So Miller will be back in the spotlight as Lil Romeo, and it is unclear if he will ever return to the California college basketball scene. USC should be just fine without Miller on the team, as his impact was insignificant over his two years. So get ready to see more of Lil Romeo back in the music scene, and cheer on the USC basketball team for the next season.

Nancy Salas was a former student of University of California, Los Angeles, but her family did not know she had dropped out of college in September 2008. Salas’s trouble began when she ran out of scholarship money and did not have good enough grades to obtain additional funds. Her plan was to return to UCLA the next semester, but she never got back in school and took up a job as a babysitter near campus and hung out in the area. Almost everyone she knew thought she was still attending UCLA, but when her graduation approached Salas panicked as her parents planned to throw a big celebration party in her honor. Instead of coming clean to her family about dropping out of UCLA, Salas faked her own kidnapping to avoid telling her family that she had not been attending UCLA for almost 2 years.

Salas turned up in Merced, California, last Thursday claiming to have been kidnapped by someone with a knife, which caused a frantic search in the area. Expenses from the incident were over $10,000 for the city of Merced, all because Salas hid this secret from her family. The very unfortunate part is that no criminal charges will be made by the Glendale police department near UCLA, so the taxpayers are the ones that now have to pay this bill, in a time when California is already in debt. There is still a possibility that Salas could face charges in Merced for filing a false police report, and Glendale is looking at other ways to recoup the money lost from this incident.

The University of California at Berkeley has been known for protesting and standing up for what they believe in since the 1960’s, and this trend continues as a 10-day hunger strike on the campus just ended recently. Most of the people in the hunger strike were UC Berkeley students, and they have been camping outside the administration building on campus since May 3. This particular protest at UC Berkeley was in response to the new immigration law in Arizona, which gives police the right to question people which they believe are in the country illegally. These protesters have a number of demands, one of which was UC Berkeley publicly denounce the law. This happened last Friday, and may have been the tipping point leading to protesters stopping their protest.

UC Berkeley protesters’ other demands were not met right away, but a meeting was agreed upon with Chancellor Robert Birgenau. Other demands on the list were declaring the UC Berkeley campus a sanctuary for undocumented people, having administrators drop charges against students who were disciplined in campus wide demonstrations last fall, and suspending the student code of conduct and committing to nonviolence during student protests. As it stands now, protesters will have to work out things with Birgenau when they meet with him to discuss the issues which they were protesting. Protesters still feel like it was a win, as they drew a lot of attention to Arizona’s passage of SB 1070 and HB 2281 as an unjust law.