Sunshine, laughter, and sober dancing that looks too much like we've drank something we shouldn't have.

Too many games of Mafia to stave off homework as long as possible, protests demonstrating causes we pour our hearts into, and a warm breeze that reminds us exactly where we are.

Welcome to the University of California Los Angeles. A school where the world seems to come together and fall apart at the same time. A microcosm of people, cultures, and languages that seems to explode from the brightly colored brochures and flyers that litter Bruin Walk.

A campus where the music only gets louder, voices only grow stronger, and the walking never stops. A place in which dancing groups entrance audiences in the garages hidden around campus, passionate students sell baked goods down every walk way, and frat parties are the highlight of so many Thursday nights.

So what happens to this almost magical atmosphere that UCLA provides if less people are able to afford it? Simple. UCLA goes from being a possible reality to just that - a dream.

Let me break down. The UC Regents Board, a group of individuals who oversee the entirety of the UC schooling system including finances, have approved a proposal that will increase tuition, room and board by 2.6 percent per year.

While this may like a nominal number, the Daily Bruin, UCLA's school wide newspaper, recently published an article by Rupan Bharanidaran articulating the actual costs. This small 2.6 percent will actually cost students of the university "$11,502 in tuition, and $1,128 for the student services fee and other campus-specific fees."

I don't know about you, but to me, this is a lot of money. A lot of money that many individuals cannot afford nor pay. This approval in tuition hikes is a prophetic cue to just how many potential students, both domestic and abroad, are not going to be experience the incredible opportunities that not only the school but the city offers.

This not only applies to potential students, but current students as well. Currently, there are already students who are struggling to pay for meals and housing, let alone tuition. This increased financial pressure may cause some to be ineligible for continuing college life here at UCLA.

Hope is not yet lost, however. There are ways to get involved and prevent this tuition hike from continuing. The UCLA Undergrad Student Association or USAC is trying to reach out to students, encouraging them to tell their stories in an attempt to "humanize the hike", as USAC Student Advocate Emma Zawacki states. The plan to rebuke this tuition increase is to first vocalize and then organize.

So, if you wish to let the UC system know how this planned proposal will affect your education and the education of so many others, go to fundtheuc.org or call the representatives found there. There is a phone script available if you're like me, and have no idea what to say. Also, you can reach out to them through social media, letters, and getting involved with events on campus. (Check out this list on uclaevp.com/mtc/activist-toolkit for more information.)

College at UCLA is an experience that everyone deserves a chance at. Don't let the daunting task of tuition stop you from fighting for a dream. Remember, as Og Mandino said, "failure will never overtake me if my determination to succeed is strong enough."