Aggravation Multiplied…

I have been horribly neglecting my blog. Not from laziness or desire, but out of need. The past week has just been one of complete frustration. I have been feebly attempting to get into Graduate school. The issue is not one of acceptance, as the department chair has informed me I am definitely accepted. The issue is one of bureaucracy. Back in March I began my graduate school application. I am applying to FSC, the same school I recently graduated from with my B.S. By May, all my items were submitted for my application, sans two recommendations. The professors that I had asked for recommendations assured me that they would be put in. By July I became concerned, as I needed formal acceptance to receive financial aid. I contacted the head of graduate admissions for the History department. She lit a fire under the professor’s asses, resulting in one of the two professors submitting a recommendation. The other professor did not. I then proceeded to ask a different professor, who wrote me a recommendation with two days. Finally, all items were submitted.

Unfortunately, I have dealt with nothing but crap since July. I contacted the registrar and told them what the best way was for me to register for graduate classes given the fact I was not formally accepted yet. They changed my status to non-matriculated so that I could register, which I did. I informed student accounts that I would not be able to pay for the classes, as my financial aid would cover them once I was accepted and it was awarded. They said they would make a note on my account that I was awaiting financial aid. In the meantime I contacted financial aid to ask about work study. I wanted to know if graduate students qualified. They replied they needed my student ID, etc… I sent them that information, and still have yet to receive a response. I did, however, receive a letter stating that I cannot receive financial aid because I am a non-matriculated student. I then sent them another email explaining my situation, and that I was just awaiting formal acceptance into my degree program. I then asked once again about work study. I have yet to get a reply.

I get home from running errands today, to find out that I have been withdrawn from my classes for failure to pay. I have reached a new level of frustration. I am about to tell FSC to go fuck itself. I do plan on writing a very strongly worded letter about the frustrations I went through to attend graduate school. I think it is utterly ridiculous that through no fault of my own, I am stuck dealing with this issue day after day.

I am thoroughly aggravated. I am not trying to be conceited, but in reality I could have gone to a ton of “better” schools with my academic accomplishments. I chose FSC because it is close (literally 2 minutes from my apartment) and I could continue working at my decently paying part-time job. I do not have the option at this point in my life to attend any more day classes. I have a 3.8 GPA, graduated Magna Cum Laude, am a President’s List award recipient, have been on the Dean’s List the entire time, and won the Roger F. Holmes History Excellence award. Why the fuck should I deal with any of this? I know I am going to be accepted, but because of the bureaucracy of not being formally accepted, I am stuck dealing with this bullshit.

Anyways, I will return to my (hopefully) more intellectual blogs soon. This one is solely about venting.