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School Suck..... (long read)

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  • School Suck..... (long read)

    Not really positive on where this goes, but since it isn't related to my work, I felt like "Sightings" is the most logical.

    I absolutely hate my current job....quality control but the job changed significantly after we were bought by another company. So, my only option to get a job in the field I love with the pay I am worth, is to get that piece of paper. So, I applied to the local community college in early December with the plan to do my 2 years there, get the Associates Degree and then transfer to the local university through their transfer program to get the Bachelor's. The community college is really just a money saver for me as there are several of their students sitting in the same classes with the Uni kids just at a much reduced tuition rate.

    The first suck....I used the request more info button to try and get some information about their programs and requirements. I got a reply within about 24 hours with name and contact info. So, I emailed the contact.....no response. So, seeing that there were deadlines looming, I went ahead and applied and also found out how to access Parchment and request my hs and previous college transcripts. HS transcript kept showing as on hold but my college one was sent. Talked to an enrollment specialist umpteen times and he insisted that they had my HS but still needed my college one. I scheduled my placement exams knowing full well that my math was horrible. I actually did do very well considering I've been out of school for 26 years. Reading and language was scored at college level while I needed a remedial math class. The success coach I spoke to about my exam scores stated that day that I needed to wait for my acceptance letter and then sign up for the orientation and class registration. She also stated that the HS transcript was not needed and the college transcript was received the day Parchment showed it sent. How in the hell did the enrollment specialist get that completely bass ackwards?!?!?!?!? Enrollment specialist keeps in touch with me and insists that I sign up for orientation NOW!!!!!!!! and not worry about the letter. So, to get him off my back, I did. Great!

    So, orientation was yesterday. They normally do 60 persons per session....they had 130! We met with an "ambassador" until time to start which really only meant that we had a current student, who may or may not know what he/she is talking about, lead us on a tour to different areas of campus. Now, I'm nursing a pretty severe hip injury and walking can some days be extremely difficult. I had no idea this would happen, never spelled out in the program details. So I brought up the rear most of the morning. Two of the classrooms we visited required that we log into the school system and work around in the self service area. Only not a single computer had been booted up. So now, not only are we having the issue of computer lag due to new users signing in, but before we can even do that, we have to wait for the boot up. Really?!?!? Wasn't there ANY plans made in advance for this event? Is this their first rodeo?

    We finally get ushered off to another room where we fill out a form with our name, ID #, and plan of study and wait to meet with someone (note: NOT an advisor) to register for classes. I finally get there, and knowing I have 3 restrictions (after work hours, needing face to face classtime, and start slow with only 2-3 classes max. Out of the 50 million classes and their offerings, only about 6 are outside of my work hours. The instructor I was placed with chose 2, a computer course and an accounting course. Each one meets 1 night a week for 3 hours. Very doable for someone like me that hasn't seen a real classroom for years.

    After I get home, I found the sheet of instructions on testing out of the computer course ($600 tuition vs $50 test fee) so I logged in to drop that course and replace it with another. Only....I can't. I can request to drop the one and it just has to be approved by an advisor. Except we don't have advisors assigned for 2-4 weeks. I also can find a class that fits my schedule, fits my program and is a prerequisite for several other classes I need for my program. Except, I don't have permission to add a course through my self service. Whatever, I'll just call in the morning.

    Which brings us to today. I get to work, do my job first and call the school at 8 am. I get told that I can't add a course that an advisor has to do that. But, we don't have advisors yet..... So, I ask for further help, someone, anyone. Told to email this department so I do. Only to be told to call admis assistant for my program department. Only she doesn't answer. I try her multiple times along with the other admin with no answer/response out of either chick. I finally made up my mind that surely to goodness someone would help me if I showed up in person. So I called back to get office hours and make sure of which office I needed. This gal doesn't know why I need to come to the office. No amount of explaining got through to her. She finally got another lady on the phone who finally told me that students are not allowed to sign up for classes on their own (yet the option is there on our self service sight, just won't complete the process) and that we are not allowed that ever....only an advisor or admin assistant can do it. Again, we don't have assigned advisors yet and the admin still won't answer her phone or return my call. I gave up at that point.

    Finally, close to the end of my shift, a professor called me to let me know my other class was being cancelled due to not enough students signed up. Fair enough except that the only options left for this class is either online or during the day. I'm not against online classes, I just don't want to do that for my first class back in. I need that structure and routine and face to face time with the instructor.

    At this point, I told her to just remove me from that class altogether, not enroll me in any other class which by this point in the day left me with ZERO classes.

    The urgency to all this? CLASSES START MONDAY!!!!!

    So, here I am, enrolled in a community college with no classes. I'm thinking I dodged a bullet since I've paid no tuition/fees yet. I talked it over with the hubby and rather than try and deal with this bullcrap each semester, I'll just enroll at the local university instead since that was where I would finish my degree anyway.

  • #2
    I agree, you dodged a bullet here. These folks are sufficiently dysfunctional as to be "not fit for purpose".

    Comment


    • #3
      Good lord, so much fail there, it's scary

      I am SO glad that universities over here (including community/vocational colleges)must have a clear admissions process in place and failure to have one in place can get you shut down.

      Comment


      • #4
        Wait, they don't assign an advisor until 2-4 weeks after classes start? I just cannot grok that reasoning.

        Our local community college has advisors assigned to specific degree programs, when you apply to the program, it auto-assigns one of the available advisors to you and you know your advisors name by the time you're done signing up.

        Sorry you got stuck with a craptastic system.

        Comment


        • #5
          Quoth Gerrinson View Post
          Wait, they don't assign an advisor until 2-4 weeks after classes start? I just cannot grok that reasoning.

          Our local community college has advisors assigned to specific degree programs, when you apply to the program, it auto-assigns one of the available advisors to you and you know your advisors name by the time you're done signing up.

          Sorry you got stuck with a craptastic system.
          Yes, they do have advisors for each department and even admin assistants to take some of the work load. But, no, they don't assign one until later. So classes started yesterday and still no response. I bit the bullet today and emailed the chick. I decided I would at least have proof I had tried to contact her. I asked for instructions to officially withdraw and her response was, "sorry, been out sick last week and yesterday." They preached professionalism in orientation and all I could think was, "REALLY!?!?!?!" She didn't even have a backup for one of the most critical times of the semester.

          It's all good, though. I had an old application/admission on file with the University. I contacted them via email on how to re-activate and get signed up for the placement exams. I've already had a response and been referred to their adult learner department (adult learners have some extra benefits/help due to jobs, families, etc). I'll be getting an appointment soon and everything will be set to start in the summer session. I have 41 credits transferred from my initial attempt at college right out of high school. I'm considering going ahead and getting my associates so I'll have that initial degree and then finish up to get my bachelor's and master's. Just having that piece of paper will open up more doors for me.

          Comment


          • #6
            Quoth Luna Baby View Post
            . I decided I would at least have proof I had tried to contact her. I asked for instructions to officially withdraw and her response was, "sorry, been out sick last week and yesterday." They preached professionalism in orientation and all I could think was, "REALLY!?!?!?!" She didn't even have a backup for one of the most critical times of the semester.

            That could also be a systematic failure.

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