Davis High Blogger: If the CSU Freezes Enrollment...

Note: Jose Arzaluz is a junior at Davis High. This is his first blog post for Davis Patch. Share your thoughts below this story...

Going to college after high school has been my definite plan since the beginning of sophomore year. That's why I'm taking A.V.I.D., which is a class focused on college readiness.  

I have loved being around people who were motivated to reach for something more after high school, even though I don't know where I want to go to college for sure.

When I read about the freeze on CSU enrollment a couple of weeks ago, it caught my attention. This is the first I have heard about colleges freezing enrollment. This fact, along with tuition costs increasing, makes me worry about my ability to go to college and how difficult it may be for the generations to come.

Before moving on, here's a bit about the CSU system freeze from the LA Times: 

In fall 2012, none of the campuses will make early admissions decisions, and all applicants — including prospective freshmen — will be warned that admittance is contingent on the outcome of the tax measure. Enrollment at individual campuses for fall 2013 will depend on funding and will probably be more restrictive.

Of course there is always financial aid, grants, and scholarships. There is opportunity; I just don’t know if it will be available for everybody (especially is enrollment is completely frozen). The way it’s going, higher education will become a real battle for most and only those who want to go really bad will make it.

Being a teenager at , I get the feel that most conversations are not about whether you’ll go to college. It’s more about where you’re going.

Community college itself is viewed as an embarrassing thing whether it’s to save money and transfer after two years or because you need a fresh start after high school. It's all about UCs, state colleges, and private college. How many you get into and how prestigious they are is what counts.

I’m only speaking of the feel I get at Davis High. I don't know about everywhere else, but I get the feel that things are similar for teenagers all over. For very obvious reasons: the statistics prove that a college education means a higher income. The better the degree, the better the chance of getting a high paying job.

I went to Consumnes Oaks last year in Elk Grove. At that school, students’ desire to go to college might not have been as prominent as in Davis, but it was still visible. I would be in the library with a friend reading and doing some homework at lunch and we would discuss where we wanted to go. We also discussed how we were doing in our current classes and what we had to do to get into college.

The teenagers of today and tomorrow get the feeling that college is the way to go. Does it make sense to challenge that chance and allow the CSU to freeze enrollment? 

Young and bright minds want to attain the tools necessary to make there own path in this world. It doesn't make much sense to deny them that. I hope others agree.

To read more about the possible freeze, . Also, here's what about it. 

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