Frustration Abounds

[Michele 1]

I had the bright idea over the summer to go back to school. I'm not happy with my life, my career is dead-ended, and so it's time for a change.

I reinstate myself over at the local community college. Plan out a heavy but great schedule. Register on-line for all my classes, and think "phew, that's done..."

But no. Their computer crashes, so all my classes are lost. I do everything I can to get the schedule reconfigured, but apparently lots of people had the stupid crash wipe out their stuff, and were re-registering at the same time. Now, all that I can get is about 1/3 of what I had at the times I want. The alternative is take the less desireable times for the necessary classes.

Well, fine, I'll suck it up, and take classes every evening for 5 months. And all day on Saturday. It's only for 5 months, I can do anything for 5 months. But it's going to suck leaving school at 11 pm...

Whatever. So I go in for my financial aid appointment. They hand me tons of paperwork, including the request for an explanation for why I left college in 1984. The answer is I was stupid and influenced by some not-so-upright citizens, I was 19, and I thought that playing was more important. The guy tells me "that's not going to fly. Re-submit it with a better reason..." so of course that's put me way behind on getting financial aid. And now they want me to see a counselor specifically to fill out some paperwork.

The same day, I run over to the counseling office for some informal information. I find out I don't have to take upper level math (oh thank you God!!!), my high school chemistry will count towards the pre-requisites needed, they'll accept CLEP scores, and my AP english counts towards fulfilling the english requirements in college. YAYAYAYAY! Great news!!! Bad news is that I have to take Bio 3 before I take Anatomy, and I can't take Physiology before I complete Anatomy.

I turned in the paperwork to financial aid last week. They have me schedule a sit down appointment with a counselor, and we set it for today. While there, I go ahead and ask if I can't take Bio 3 and Anatomy concurrent, rather than as a pre-requisite. No, I'm informed, they want it in that order for a reason. However, the counselor I'm talking to suggests that I look at other campuses in the city college system, because some of them allow Anatomy without a pre-req. Fine. So I research, locate, and submit an application to another campus, for the express reason of taking Anatomy concurrent.

Today, sitting with the counselor, he informs me that while I can indeed take Anatomy over at the other campus, and yes, there is no pre-requisites there and they will honor it over here, I have to take both English 101 as well as Chemistry. Add to the wonderful news that I have to take upper class maths, and I nearly slid off the chair. When I told him that the other person said I didn't, he informed me they were wrong. But I have the paper showing what I need, I say. Show me, says he. He reviews it, and agrees with himself; the other person is wrong, and he's not sure why I got the paper saying differently.

So now, my class load for the next year goes like this:
Biology 3 (4 units)
Math 115 (math for dummies...I'll fit in perfectly!) (5 units)
Political Science (3 units)
Anatomy (at the other campus) 4 units

Winter Intersession:
Chemistry (4 units)
Speech 101 (3 units...sigh...)

Spring '07
Microbiology (4 units)
Physiology (4 units)
Math 125 (5 units)
Psych 41 (3 units)
English 101 (on-line, 3 units)

Summer Session 1
Unknown (at least one math)(working towards completion of pre-req's)

Summer Session 2
Unknown (working towards completion of pre-req's)

All this so I can be ready to transfer to Cal State system in the Fall.

I *thought* it was a good idea...but everything is so confused, and so scattered, that I'm not sure I'm on the right track anymore. When two counselors give diametrically opposed information, and financial aid is needing all this paperwork, I'm thinking a career change to McDonald's would be an option.

Sigh. I'm frustrated oodles and tons. Just thought I'd vent. I wish they'd get their story straight, and get me the accurate info. I'd like to know - really, really know- what I'm doing. I don't mind doing the work (although the maths and chemistry will kick my patootie hard...), but I really mind not knowing what the heck I'm supposed to do. And if they're in the same system, why is there a pre-requisite for Anatomy at one campus but not at another? Same syllabus, same units, same everything....it's just silly. Silly, I tell ya.

And frustrating.

ARRRRRRRRRRGGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH! At least I can go to class with my car, and enjoy the commute.

Ciels-
Michele

~Do Angels keep the dreams we seek
While our hearts lie bleeding?~

[cocheese 0]

..and all this time i thought you were smart enough to avoid college at this juncture.

Vibes.

[chaoskitty 0]

Just what I wanted to hear as I sit here researching MBA programs...

[SkydiveStMarys 0]

You is going to be soooo smart when you finsih their with that schoolin stuff!!








Breath deep my little friend.
Bobbi

A miracle is not defined by an event. A miracle is defined by gratitude.

[Michele 1]

I am breathing...and thanks for the vibes, cheesy. Chaos, you're much farther along than I am...haven't you gotten used to all this? LOL.

The beaurocratic bullshit abounds. I just want a road map; take this here, that there, and this over there at this time...I'll go and do the coursework, but this planning takes it right out of me.

Blah. And it all has to get settled by next Monday, when school starts. As if that's going to happen.

Ciels-
Michele

~Do Angels keep the dreams we seek
While our hearts lie bleeding?~

[bozo 0]

frustration abounds.....sorta like when yer waiting for a phonecall and it never comes ?

bozo
Pain is fleeting. Glory lasts forever. Chicks dig scars.

[Lindsey 0]

That's the biggest part of the pain-in-the-ass part of school, imho. I just sucked it up and focused on what was more important to me.

Good luck, chica! Hang in there.

linz

--
A conservative is just a liberal who's been mugged. A liberal is just a conservative who's been to jail

[Nightingale 0]

Sounds like you're going through typical community college crap.

Ignore what they tell you about your schedule and what classes you need. Go down to the cal-state campus you want to apply to, and sit down with one of their academic advisors. Bring the course catalog from the community college with you, and figure out which classes you need to transfer. Get it in writing. Remember, you don't need an AA to transfer to a 4 year school. Most of the time it's a waste of time, because you'll have to take classes that you may not need for the BA (upper level math, probably), and once you have the BA, nobody cares about the AA anyway.

Regarding financial aid: Are you applying for loans or grants/scholarships? If you're applying for loans, your federal stafford loans are guaranteed. You don't have to give them a reason. You just have to be a student working towards a degree.

Also, you may want to inquire about transferring to cal-state for the spring semester rather than waiting til the fall. Sometimes it's easier to make a transfer at that point. Depends on the school.

[Michele 1]

Quote

frustration abounds.....sorta like when yer waiting for a phonecall and it never comes ?

Forgive me. Let me get dinner in my belly, and I'll call.

I'm sooooooooo sorry.

Ciels-
Michele

~Do Angels keep the dreams we seek
While our hearts lie bleeding?~

[bozo 0]

Quote

Quote

frustration abounds.....sorta like when yer waiting for a phonecall and it never comes ?

Forgive me. Let me get dinner in my belly, and I'll call.

I'm sooooooooo sorry.

Ciels-
Michele

nope bedtime in utah LOL

bozo
Pain is fleeting. Glory lasts forever. Chicks dig scars.

[Jaden 0]

You are highly intelligent, you always have the answers and you know exactly who you are. All we can do is improve our minds, our bodies, and our lives. It’s awesome that you’re back in school. Listen to your heart and do whatever you want to do. I have some knowledge in math and anatomy, if nothing else I could offer my opinion.

I’ve been frustrated lately too. You still have that damn sexy new car. When life gets to you, remember the good times and try not to focus too much on the bad. If anyone can do this…You can. I have faith in you.

[Michele 1]

Quote

nope bedtime in utah LOL

Tomorrow, then. So forgive me already!!

Ciels-
Michele

~Do Angels keep the dreams we seek
While our hearts lie bleeding?~

[Michele 1]

Jaden, thanks for that note. I will - and am - following my heart. It's just a very strange road towards it, you know? LOL!

Kris, thanks for the advice. I'll make it a point to run out to the Uni I am thinking about, and checking into their programs. I still think that upper level maths are in my future...I'm just not that lucky. So I'd better be good, you know?

Thanks for the encouragement, everyone. Tomorrow, I have to go to the other campus, drop some paperwork off for financial aid, go to the bookstore at both places, and if I have any time left, try to remember to call Bozo...

Someone remind me to call him, all right?

Ciels-
Michele

~Do Angels keep the dreams we seek
While our hearts lie bleeding?~

[AggieDave 6]

Welcome back to college, most of the administration has their heads planted down south and don't give a crap about the students. Period. Its even worst at larger schools.

--"When I die, may I be surrounded by scattered chrome and burning gasoline."

[ACMESkydiver 0]

Quote

Sounds like you're going through typical community college crap.

Ignore what they tell you about your schedule and what classes you need. Go down to the cal-state campus you want to apply to, and sit down with one of their academic advisors. Bring the course catalog from the community college with you, and figure out which classes you need to transfer. Get it in writing. Remember, you don't need an AA to transfer to a 4 year school. Most of the time it's a waste of time, because you'll have to take classes that you may not need for the BA (upper level math, probably), and once you have the BA, nobody cares about the AA anyway.

Regarding financial aid: Are you applying for loans or grants/scholarships? If you're applying for loans, your federal stafford loans are guaranteed. You don't have to give them a reason. You just have to be a student working towards a degree.

Also, you may want to inquire about transferring to cal-state for the spring semester rather than waiting til the fall. Sometimes it's easier to make a transfer at that point. Depends on the school.

This is good stuff, Michele. I've had many a community college student buddy call me and lament the 'non-transferable crap' they took at GRCC that UW wouldn't take, but GRCC told them they HAD to take...yadda yadda yadda.

Get the word straight from your GOAL school, not the poopie counselors at the intermediate step school.
And good luck!

~Jaye
Do not believe that possibly you can escape the reward of your action.

[Michele 1]

Thanks, Jaye.

I just finished researching textbook costs. For the 4 classes (and two labs) that I am taking this semester, the cost is somewhere near $600. That's 2/3 of my rent!

This whole running back and forth to Financial Aid (going there in a little bit this morning, too...) and getting all that done, and then finding out it will be probably 6-8 weeks before I get any financial help means that I get to scrimp and live on Ramen noodles...oh well.

So I'm back to the main campus, and then over the hill to the other campus to make sure I'm admitted and registered properly, then register for Anatomy. I was going to buy the Anatomy text today, but...it's $160 plus a lab book. So I have to wait until I start class next week to get the book. I wanted to get a headstart on things, but it doesn't look like that will happen.

Meh. It could be worse, I guess...I'll muddle through as best I can, and then get to the coursework and get good grades.

To Kris and Jaye - I will look at what the transfer school needs, and see what I can find out. I called this morning, but no appointments are being made until October (their students come first, understandably). So I won't know anything there for about 6 weeks, either. Such is life, I suppose...

Ciels-
Michele

~Do Angels keep the dreams we seek
While our hearts lie bleeding?~

[AggieDave 6]

Quote

So I have to wait until I start class next week to get the book. I wanted to get a headstart on things, but it doesn't look like that will happen.

You want to wait anyways, since many times the prof had to register for a book grouping. You may find out you don't need all of the books, just a single or a couple books out of the grouping. Then you can go get only those on the internet and save a LOT of money. Nevermind you may end up with the wrong book.

--"When I die, may I be surrounded by scattered chrome and burning gasoline."

[wildblue 7]

Quote

I just finished researching textbook costs. For the 4 classes (and two labs) that I am taking this semester, the cost is somewhere near $600. That's 2/3 of my rent!

Buy used, and not from the college bookstore.
Check http://www.half.com and http://www.bigwords.com/ -- you can sell them back when you're done.

And keep moving - it gets better/easier.

it's like incest - you're substituting convenience for quality

[skybytch 273]

Michele -

Check out Fastweb - great site for finding scholarships to apply for.

Don't buy new textbooks if you can find used. For used, be sure to check out Half.com before buying from the school bookstore; every book I've looked for has been available there (in multiple copies) for less. For some classes you may be able to get away with not buying the book; check the school library for copies (copy machines are wonderful things).

Don't let this frustration get to you. It'll all be worth it after classes start.

[popsjumper 2]

Oooooo...your Spring 07 schedule is going to be a killer.
Let us know where to send cards and flowers.

Thought about spreading it out into the summer session?

I always tried to arrange things so one hard class was balanced by an easy one (Calculus/Basketweaving) or a class requiring lots of writing balanced against one that was a lot of reading (English Composition/PolySci or History).

My reality and yours are quite different.
I think we're all Bozos on this bus.
Falcon5232, SCS8170, SCSA353, POPS9398, DS239

[Nightingale 0]

OMG. 6-8 weeks for financial aid?? I applied for my loans last week, and they're already in my account.

[Michele 1]

Quote

Oooooo...your Spring 07 schedule is going to be a killer.
Let us know where to send cards and flowers.

No kidding. Actually, I'm far more concerned about the Winter Intersession (chemistry in 5 weeks...) than I am about the Spring...but that's 'cause it comes first. Come Spring, I'm gonna be a whole lot grayer, I think.

Quote

Thought about spreading it out into the summer session?

Yes, and I might. I've got a tentative "deadline" (self imposed...I'm old!!) to get the underclass work done ASAP, and that's the way things are falling right now. I'm trying to keep Summer sessions for stupid stuff like PE, and the upper level english they want me to take.

Quote

I always tried to arrange things so one hard class was balanced by an easy one (Calculus/Basketweaving) or a class requiring lots of writing balanced against one that was a lot of reading (English Composition/PolySci or History).

I tried to do that, too. For me, this semester, PoliSci balances the rest of the classes. Winter Intersession is balanced with Speech (why, oh why!!! are they making me take that? It's the dumbest class I know of!), and English is balancing out the Spring semester (english is easy for me).

'Kay, so I'm not so good at balancing. But I did make the effort.

Besides, if I think that far ahead, I'll get overwhelmed, and lay in bed instead of going to school. This whole "growing up" stuff is hard! No wonder I didn't do it for so long.

Ciels-
Michele

~Do Angels keep the dreams we seek
While our hearts lie bleeding?~

[Michele 1]

Quote

OMG. 6-8 weeks for financial aid?? I applied for my loans last week, and they're already in my account.

Really?

The guy who's handling my files (that I have to get more paperwork to in a few minutes...) told me that all the grants have likely been given out, and that it will take 6-8 weeks once the paperwork is complete to recieve any loans. He did tell me that one of them was "guaranteed" but couldn't tell me the amount. I've done some research, and found some info, but I don't know the formula they use to determine amount, so I have no idea how much I'll be borrowing...only that it's gonna be a while before I see any of it. So I am stocking up on cat food for my herd and Ramen noodles for me.

Lisa, I'm registered over at Fastweb, and have been submitting applications for scholarships several times a week (I figure you have to have a plan; my plan is three new scholarship applications per week). I haven't heard from anyone, so dunno if I'm going about it the right way, but I *am* trying. Maybe I'll get something soon...

Sigh. All this stuff is just overcomplicated. There's about 100 things I can fix to make it more streamlined, but since I don't run the school system, I can't do anything but march along with all the other ants towards the honey pot.

I gotta go march off to the financial aid office...there should be about 100 people sitting there along with me. I guess I'll take a book.

Ciels-
Michele

~Do Angels keep the dreams we seek
While our hearts lie bleeding?~

[Nightingale 0]

Just curious... have you thought about applying directly to the cal-state school for spring, rather than going through all this mess at the community college?

The guaranteed loan is a stafford loan, and that guy was a moron if he couldn't tell you how much it would be.

Freshman: $6625 ($2625 of that is subsidized)
Sophomore: $7500 ($3500 subsidized)
Junior/Senior: $10,500 ($5500 subsidized)
Graduate: $18,500 ($8500 subsidized)

You can find all the info here: http://studentaid.ed.gov/students/publications/student_guide/2004_2005/english/types-stafford.htm Have you filled out the FAFSA form yet? If not, you need to do that online at www.fafsa.ed.gov.

I've been navigating the financial aid systems for about ten years now. =)

[Michele 1]

I just hope no-one dies before all this is settled and over...

After checking both on line and via telephone with the school to verify that the single class I need is open (anatomy), yesterday I run over the hill to the other campus, in traffic, to sign the admissions form I submitted on line. Standing in line for over an hour is yucky, but whatever. After standing in line and scribbling my name in one single place, I get sent over to the registration line. That's also at least an hour long, and there's no vending machines with water in them available. So I stand there, parched, stressed, and hot...

I finally make it to the front of the line, ask to be registered for the class, and am informed that it is closed. Has been closed since, oh, July. I feel sweat start to form on my brow. My eyes are crossing, and my stress level just jumped high enough to induce a stroke.

July.

So I inform them that their website has *all* anatomy classes open. That whatever class that is still open I'll take, and rearrange my schedule to accomodate it. I'm calmly informed that they've *all* been closed since July. Sweat is pouring off me now, and I can feel my pulse jiving to it's own beat. I wonder if I'll explode right there at the counter, or be able to forestall it until I'm in my car.

I ask them to go onto their own website and verify that it says they're still open. The nice lady does, and agrees with me: according to the website, all the classes are still open. When I ask why, the nice lady tells me that she doesn't know, as all the classes are closed. She shows me her screen, and sure enough, all classes are in red - indicating they're full.

I ask to speak with a supervisor, figuring that there must be a hitch in the webbie's git-along. Explaining the problem to him, he nods understandingly. He really does understand...he's sympathetic and nice. Then he tells me "well, there are 32 seats in all. We close the class when it gets to 27, so we can save some seats for those who need it." So I explain to him I'm one of those who need it, and he says "you don't fit the criteria." "What criteria?" I ask...and he says "that's confidential."

I nearly pass out. My eyes are crossing. I am having a really hard time talking without saying things like "you mf'ing bastard" and "I'll destroy your landscaping, all the expensive plants first," or "I'll bring beer to class and not share!" Instead, I ask him what he thinks is the best solution to my situation. He kindly says "not too many options available for you," and explains my only recourse is to go to the class, be there on the first day, and hope that someone drops out, doesn't show, or decides the coursework will be too hard.

I look at him, hair standing on end. "So you mean, go and beg?" "Well, beg and hope" he chuckles. My hair is crawling. My toes are curling. I am lifting on the balls of my feet, a sure sign I'm ready to fight.

I thank him through tightly pressed lips (Mama taught me politeness). I am sure I'm snarling, and I can only hope the lips curling back off my teeth will be mistaken for a smile. He cheerfully says "you're welcome, and good luck."

I flee. At least I can drive with my top down. Getting back on the road was a relief, even though it was now bumper to bumper traffic. My radio is blaring, and Phil Collins' "Can you feel it coming in the air tonight" is playing. Terribly appropos.

So, next Tuesday will find me begging. I figure if I bring a six-pack of beer, and offer to take him for a ride in my car, I might have a chance of getting in. If I don't get this class, it will mean another semester, and about $12,000 (school costs plus living expenses for 6 months). And yes, I've looked all over for this class elsewhere, and no joy. At least their websites show it closed. WLAC's webbie still shows them open...waiting for those students who fit the mysterious criteria.

God in Heaven above...I sure hope I make it through. And that everyone lives.

Ciels-
Michele

~Do Angels keep the dreams we seek
While our hearts lie bleeding?~