This is a Crock

I got some terrible news on Monday.  Not terrible as in someone’s going to die or anything, but terrible all the same. 

You see, I went to go visit my academic advisor Monday afternoon – the man who has advised me on which classes to take for the past year now.    Now, I don’t flatter myself that he actually knows and remembers me every time, because for all of the students in the School of Education (program for future teachers), there are only two advisors – one for elementary education majors, and one for secondary.  You have to schedule appointments at least a month in advance, and even then it’s likely that you’ll be waiting in the office for at least thirty minutes after your scheduled appointment.  It’s always a madhouse in that office.

I knew from my own advising sheet (which is kind of a checklist of classes) that I had about a year and a half left before I’d get my degree.  That had me set to graduate in the summer of 2011 (which, I might add, is a whole year later than the estimate the same adivsor gave me when I was transferring and trying to choose my major), and even though it still seemed like a long way away, I had a date, something to look forward to.  I went into the meeting expecting him to reiterate that I would, indeed, graduate in 2011 and let me know what order my last handful of classes should be (some are only offered in spring, some only in fall).

He started to look at my file, and looked worried.  “This isn’t good,” I thought.  And it wasn’t.  He drew up two possible paths I could take.  One involved taking 15 or more credit hours in the spring (which would be difficult, but not impossible), needing special permission from the dean of the education department to take two methods courses simultaneously, taking and passing the PRAXIS I exam before spring semester starts, and finishing and turning in a student teaching packet.  All of these things I would gladly do.  The second path had me finishing up the remaining English/Lit classes (of which there are 5) and one math class next semester, then completing all of the methods classes over the next four semesters, which would mean 2 semesters where there were only 2 classes I needed (because some are only offered in spring, some in fall).  It would also mean a whole other goddamned year of school.

I was shaken, but decided I was just going to suck it up, get the shit taken care of and get the hell out as fast as I could.  The first step was calling the dean to set up an appointment.  He wasn’t in his office, so I left a message, then called to schedule my PRAXIS exam.  I was on hold for close to 20 minutes, but got my appointment for the first of December, and would get my results three or four weeks before the start of the spring semester.  On the right track.  I didn’t hear from the dean, so went to his office three times yesterday, each time he wasn’t there.  He finally called me yesterday evening at about 5 and frankly, was a complete ass.  When I told him what my advisor had said and told me to ask, he treated me like an idiot because I didn’t know which methods class was what by the number.  Uh…ok.  Then, he told me he wouldn’t give me permission to take the two classes together because “it wasn’t done that way” and that I should have known that from my advising sheet.  Uh…what?  My ADVISOR told me to ask you these questions, you big jerk! 

So, with that, my hopes were dashed.  I won’t be graduating until 2012.  I will be in school a whole extra year because one man wouldn’t give one student an exception to take two classes together.  Can you believe that a whole year depended on TWO classes?  ARGGGGGGGGGGGH!

Fucking school.  I am so frustrated and defeated right now.  I came in to this university with over 70 credits already, and by the time I’m done, will have gone full-time for 3 and a half years.  I want it to be over, I want to be able to leave this place with my boys.  A whole other year, spinning my wheels.