Spring is a busy time of year for college students

To cut down on Brenda Ramirez's distractions, her sister changed the password to Ramirez's MySpace account so she couldn't access it, and her boyfriend took away her television.

In her junior year as a psychology major at the University of California at Merced, Ramirez was hitting a wall. It's taken family and support of friends to keep her motivated.

"This has been the hardest semester of my college career," she said. "My junior year got hard out of nowhere. ... I stopped caring, lost my motivation, I was watching too much TV. I was overwhelmed with work -- I stopped caring when you should be caring the most."

Without MySpace and TV, Ramirez, 21, spends most of her free time in the library.

"I am keeping my eye on the prize," she said.

Although classes are overwhelming at times and money is in short supply, Ramirez said she knows the value of a college education.

For college students, spring means studying for finals, looking for summer work or internships, and finding a place to live for the fall.

Hoping to become a physician assistant, Ramirez will intern as an autopsy assistant in the Fresno County coroner's office over the summer while taking a few classes at Merced College. She also plans to work 30 hours a week at her job as an assistant to real estate agents, picking up more hours than during the school year.

Spring also is a time when some students are nearing the last few dollars of their financial aid.

UC Merced's Devonte Ruff has spent his, relying on part-time work on campus and help from his dad.

"I'm living on a hope and a prayer and my dad," the biology junior said.

Ruff has taken out $8,000 in student loans; he hopes his job helps get him through the year. He's a member of Bobcat Callers, students who try to convince those admitted to UC Merced to attend the school. They also help with open house and other activities promoting the school throughout the spring and summer.

To the disappointment of his family, Ruff, 20, won't be going home to Oakland this summer. He's looking for an internship but also plans to take classes at UC Merced and work as a tour guide.

"I didn't want to waste my time and go home," he said. "I'll get financial aid, so I might as well (stay over the summer). I'm being productive, I'm being constructive."

Spring semester has been Blanca Blanco's first experience at a university. She transferred from Modesto Junior College to California State University, Stanislaus, to study sociology. The transition has been smooth. She said finding parking is easier than at MJC, and Stanislaus State is much more beautiful with its trees, lakes and ducks.

Blanco, 21, saved enough money while working at MJC that she doesn't have to work for the rest of the school year. She's using the free time to focus on school and her religion as a Jehovah's Witness. She's also flown to New York for church functions and to visit her boyfriend, dipping into her savings to cover the cost. She plans to travel to New York again and work over the summer. During next school year, Blanco said, she would like to get a job as a school secretary in Turlock or Ceres.

Naomi Adams left Stanislaus State for Fresno State. Finishing up her first year, she said she's happy she transferred to the university's speech pathology program. Adams won't look for an internship until she's in graduate school but said she'll try to find a job working with children over the summer and take a few classes to lessen the course load in her senior year.

Adams, 20, works on campus. A dying 1996 Volvo is causing her to budget more conservatively. She's shopping for a used car and hopes to find one for less than $7,000.

"My parents are going to front me the money, then I'm going to pay them back," she said. "I just need something used to get me the rest of the way through college."

Adams hasn't taken out loans but will have to do so this fall because of budget cuts to state and federal grants.

MJC nursing student Jesse Diaz is waiting to hear whether he'll have a summer internship at Memorial Medical Center. He was among 100 applicants for 20 spots. If he's not selected, Diaz will take a course, read ahead for his fall classes and find a part-time retail job.

The full-time student and single dad of two children, ages 7 and 8, is spending his college years on the margin financially.

"My children want to do sports in the summer, but my fundage is lacking," Diaz, 38, said about his depleted bank account. "I'm just trying to stay afloat with everything."

Bee staff writer Michelle Hatfield can be reached at mhatfield@modbee.com or 578-2339.