Getting classes that meet your requirements to graduate should not be something to fight tooth and nail for. It should not be an issue whatsoever.

I attempted to apply for as many classes as possible that meet my requirements this fall quarter, which caused hours of unnecessary stress. Out of more than fifteen classes I either can or need to take, with the exceptions of the student media, only two were available this quarter. I had to pass on taking one of them due to a scheduling conflict with another required course.

How am I supposed to graduate on time when there are issues like this? I have had issues with being unable to find required classes in the past which I brushed off as organization issues during the pandemic, however, only a few classes are available out of a long list after a year of potential planning time means something is really wrong.

Issues after a year of this situation are unacceptable. A whole year could have been used to plan what classes can be offered so all students, especially communication majors like me, can graduate on time.

There is already a great deal of stress for those about to graduate, myself included. We have to worry about our current job if we have one – I personally have two jobs because I also have bills to pay! We need to make sure our family is doing well throughout the pandemic, as well as take care of ourselves physically and mentally.

We have to figure out an internship if we haven’t already, check if our financial aid is going smoothly at the beginning of each quarter and figure out how to even begin dealing with student loans. We also have to keep up in classes while also trying to enjoy our college experience, because CWU is supposed to be our “home away from home.”

After all of that, we still need to make a plan for a career once we graduate and try to make connections to achieve that goal. I’m sure there are more responsibilities than what I have mentioned. Some students have children, siblings or parents to take care of. Some have these families and need to work long hours before and after class to pay more bills than the typical Netflix, Hulu and Disney+ subscriptions.

Making sure my university even offers my required classes to graduate on time should not be something I need to have on my plate, nor should it be a concern anybody else has. It has taken a great toll on my mental health and has me up at night wondering if I will even be able to graduate when I deserve to.

I’m doing everything right to succeed and graduate – I should not be held back because of the same people dictating whether I am successful or not.

So, to the communications department and CWU in general, please get it together. I would like to graduate on time, and in order to do that, you need to provide the resources that you yourself have deemed essential. I can’t complete the requirements if the requirements are not even available.