Overcrowded Classes at UC Berkeley Are Delaying My Graduation
By: Morsal Azimi
UC Berkeley has always been my dream school. I worked diligently to get here, and once I arrived, I worked even harder to pass my classes and earn my degree. However, despite my determination, one major barrier stands in the way of my on-time graduation: overcrowded classes at Berkeley.
As a senior student counting down my last few required courses, I’ve faced the frustrating reality that I can’t always enroll in the classes I need. Like many other UCs, Berkeley has a limited number of classrooms and course offerings for some of the most in-demand majors. With its phased registration process, the enrollment system often leaves students like me scrambling. By the time my enrollment slot opens, many essential classes are already full, and the waitlists fill up just as quickly.
Missing out on these required classes means delaying my graduation by an entire semester. The financial burden of this setback is enormous. Instead of finishing on time, I have to pay for another semester’s tuition, along with the cost of living in the Bay Area, one of the most expensive places in California. But it’s not just about enrollment. Even when I manage to secure a spot in a class, I often find myself standing for the entire lecture. The classrooms are so packed that there aren’t enough seats to accommodate all enrolled students. Imagine trying to focus, take notes, and engage with the professor while standing against the back wall or sitting on the floor. It’s exhausting, disheartening, and frankly, unacceptable for a world-renowned institution.
These challenges are symptoms of a larger problem, the chronic underfunding of the UC system. The root of this issue can be traced back to policies like Proposition 13, which has drastically limited property tax revenue, one of the key funding sources for public education in California. As a result, the state’s contribution to higher education has dwindled, forcing universities to increase tuition, cut resources, and admit more students than their infrastructure can handle.
The consequences of this funding crisis affect thousands of students like me, first-generation, hardworking, and striving for a better future. As conversations about Prop 13 reform continue, I can’t help but hope for a future where students don’t have to fight for a seat in their classrooms or pay an extra semester’s worth of tuition because their university simply couldn’t accommodate them. Higher education should be accessible, well-funded, and structured to support student success, not hinder it.