Well classes started today. I can't say that I'm impressed. Or happy. It was just an exercise in showing just how disorganized and problematic this university is so far. For instance, my first professor of the day stresses the importance of buying a lab manual if enrolled in the lab (no shit you need a lab manual...PS: all of the other universities I've attended SUPPLIED the lab manual in the lab. Guess I'm spoiled because I have an education from private universities). Welp, go to the bookstore. Guess what?
THE DEPARTMENT NEVER EVEN ORDERED THE GODDAMN LAB MANUALS.
So hey, I've only spent about $10,000 in tuition, $1000 on getting here, $800 a month on rent, $250 on books because I couldn't be enrolled in courses sooner than six days before the start of the semester, howabouts we give you the lab manual for free? (Not to mention it's paperback book put together with a plastic spiral that they're going to charge me $50 for when I could make it myself for probably $10).
Oh yeah, don't forget the iclicker that was $50. It's only for quizzes which are extra credit and have no bearing on my grade whatsoever in the class. But I flunk the class if I don't have one registered and they're completely nonreturnable once opened. What. A. Deal.
Plus, they've still not given me my extra $7,000. I talked to some other graduate students and my advisor, and they all think that I should be able to get it and directed me towards some office worker lady (coincidentally the same one who thought the "typo" in my offer letter was no big deal), who is not in this week. Tried talking to the other office workers, and they all seem relatively convinced that I'll never see a dime of that money. Heard back from the financial aid office; they seem to think I'll go away if they email me back with useless information. I ask if I'm going to get the money as a refund, and they say "It's money to cover the TA job we didn't give you." Yep, that totally answers the question. Plus they wait till the absolute end of the day to reply, so now I'm once again going to have to wait and see if maybe they'll answer my email (that says the exact same thing, "How am I getting that money?", but in very plain, almost rude terms).
I'm really sick of being sent in all sorts of roundabout directions because nobody can communicate between departments or keep up their end of the deal. Plus, tomorrow I get to go in two to three hours before my class because I have to sieve playground sand. I never signed up nor was informed about this either (just like the stupid critters).
And to top everything all off, my fiance's early-out request got denied. I should've figured. We have a few options to deal with it, but I can only talk to him through email now, so it's frustrating. I guess we'll have to talk about how getting the early-out denied will affect our plan on what to do with this university.
I talked to another grad student who shares the office with me. Told her all the stuff (well except for the early-out denial...cause I found that out later). She said she hopes it gets better, but she knows I have to do whatever ends up being right for me and my fiance. It was indeed nice to have someone who actually was kind and nonjudgemental about it. In addition, she said implied this would be the year to see what happens, there's no deep commitments to the university yet (ie I don't have a TA job), so we'll roll with it. For now.
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