January 15th

The Rock @ UTK

Yo. 

I’m so glad tomorrow is Friday. 

I’d prefer it to be Saturday, but Friday is close enough. 

I’m almost done. One more class. 

First full week of classes has seriously kicked my butt. 

Actually, my head probably took most of the beating. 

A class every single day. 

One in the middle of the day, Monday, Wednesday, Friday… which means I don’t an uninterrupted lunch. 

One in the evenings on Tuesday and Thursday’s … to which I then have to come home and watch lectures on… 

And one online. 

I didn’t complete nine-hours last semester, and I”m wondering if I can *really* do it this semester as well. 

Already we’ve had three quizzes in the last week of classes. 

THREE. Two of them caught me unawares ... 

Why, I ask you!!?  Is this really necessary teachers? Because I'm not feeling it. 

The time is currently 8:39PM and I want to go to bed so badly right now. 

But I have a paper that I need to finish… a letter rather.. 

Oh, what am I taking? 

Math - College Algebra .. again … (I dropped it last semestor .. I was too far behind) 

Business and Technical Writing  … (This is a "flipped course" meaning we listen to lectures at home and do homework in class. I haven't decided how I feel about this arrangement just yet... ) 

Introduction to Nutrition … (Completely online... what more needs to be said here?) 

Honestly, I feel once I can get back on a good sleeping track, and can get everything and everyone in my life organized into their little compartments (ha!) I can handle whatever this semester throws at me. 

Until then, 

I’ll be over on the other screen… staring at my letter. 

Peace. 

I Can't Afford That: College

Would it be alright with you guys if I changed my blog title again? I stumbled across an article on Facebook listing 100 Eighteen Century novel titles, and came across on that fit my life to a T. (Tee? not sure. Whatever) 

“I can’t afford that, and other tales” 

This week I was officially accepted into the university of Tennessee as a transfer student, with a major in business exploratory track.

"We can't accept you to a perment degree seeking program just yet..."

 I feel as if they are being totally judgmental on my multiple past majors. 

With that acceptance came a $250 price tag on ‘securing my spot’ then another $50 to sign up for orientation. $300 right there and I don’t even have a class schedule. I’m beginning to recall why I never wanted to attend a University, not too mention I STILL NEED TO PURCHASE WHATEVER BOOKS I NEED AS WELL. 

But you don’t have to pay tuition Erin! Look on the bright side. 

Yaaas. But I still can’t afford these…"extras!"  

Speaking of employee perks, orientation for my division starts bright and early on Tuesday morning and is touted to last until at least 3 pm. As an employee this doesn't really work real well for me, as my department will  be extremely busy with the influx of students that a new semester brings.

So I emailed the orientation supervisor asking if there was really a need for me to get a tour of the campus since I’m an employee.

“Oh, orientation doesn't last *all* day, just until your advising appointment, which may be as late as 3PM.”

My reaction to that email

Not *all* day. Right, because that’s totally going to go over real well with my supervisor. 

I emailed her back, asking if I can just get an advising time, and come on my lunch break. 

I haven’t heard back just yet. 

Which brings me to another point, while there is a policy in regards to employees taking classes, which details out PART of the process of signing up for classes, there doesn't seem to be a real step-by-step procedure for things such as orientation and work. Never mind. I don't know why I'm surprised by this.

I spoke with no less than four different departments to answer the above questions, and two of the places I was directed to have yet to get back with me. [Update 8/18/14 - One department did get back with me, but just sent me back to the first place I talked too..] 

Why doesn't one person know all the answers? 

So… Fall 2014 could still not happen. 

Update: 8-18-14 So I used my lunch break to walk to the JRB Building, a 10 minute walk at best, but in heels it felt like forever. Once there, I stumbled into a waiting room loaded with students. 

The conversation is as follows:

Hi, I'm an employee here, and a new student, and I was wondering what your walk-in hours were for
today. (I asked it like that to see if I would have time to sit after work ..)

Oh we're not doing walk-ins past 10:00AM tomorrow. 

Hmm ... well, I'm an employee here, so I have to be at work during those hours (I work at the SH building...) and typically have to be there at 8:00AM, what time do you think I should come? 

"Well they start seeing students around 8:30AM, so if you want to get here early, there will probably be await..." 

OK. Time for another approach. So they told me I needed to attend orientation, but as an employee I can't really do that... what should I do? 

"Why don't you come early tomorrow and we'll talk to the director about that."

Great. Yeah. So I'll just stick with my original plan (Come in super early tomorrow for orientation, and try to talk my way out of staying.) 

Once I got back to the office, I made a last ditch attempt to talk to someone in the New Student Orientation office. 

"So I'm a staff member and a new employee, and am wondering if I need to attended orientation" 

Well most people don't sign up for orientation if they are a staff member... 

"I was told that the only time the business undergrad program did advising was during the orientation."

Oh, that's true.. 

Well that runs right through the middle of the work day for me, and I'm not sure my supervisor will allow me to leave ... 

Oh well just email our office, and we'll try to work something out for you.

O.M.G THANK YOU!!! 

So that happened, and I have yet to hear back. 

I am slightly stressed, but not much. 

I’m highly annoyed at the amount of money I (and my family loaned to me) spent. 

Its out of my hands now. 

Que sera sera

Update 8/19/14 - Got up at the .... really early, drove to campus, got checked in, found the supervisor, reminded her she'd talked to me, and boom... Oh just come back by 12:00.

SERIOUSLY. YOU COULDN'T HAVE EMAILED THAT TOO ME FOUR DAYS AGO?

I'm done. 

The dilemma

What do I want to do with my life.
I feel as if I field this question on an all too regular basis.

"So what are your plans for the future Erin? Where do you see this "thing" going?"

I realize that 24.8 years of age, I should have an idea of what I want to do with my life.
I should have at least a bachelors degree.

You don't know how embarrassing it is to realize that this a milestone people younger than me have reached two.years.ago.

MY YOUNGER SISTER HAS ALREADY GRADUATED COLLEGE. 

I shouldn't be embarrassed. I know this.
It's not like I've slacked off.

But people don't know that, and I don't have time to explain the ridiculous situations surrounding my college career each and every time I'm asked.

As I stated in a previous post, one of the perks of my job is nine credit hours free per semester. Something that will be a huge blessing, but I'm conflicted.

When I graduated high school, I really didn't think much about which school I was going to attend. There was a community college in town, and I was more than happy to attend classes there.

I was a shy kid, so the thought of moving away from my parents, family and friends completely terrified me. So the idea of going to a university never really occurred to me.

When I moved to Kn.oxville the options were endless.

There were so many colleges at my disposal, but PSTCC called my name with its offering of a Photography program, so I applied and was accepted there.

Despite financial aid problems, I have absolutely loved my time there.
I love their class selection.
I love their course schedules.
I love their openness when it comes to my guide dog puppies.

Now I'm faced with the affore mentioned dilemma.

During my time at PSTCC I have looked dismissively into classes at UTK, and have never been impressed with the offerings. So much fluff, not enough stuff. In. my. humble opinion. Too much money. Good-bye!

But now... it looks as if they are my only option. Sure, they offer a fee waiver to at least one class at another Board of Regions school ... but I really NEED To take as many classes as possible.

Don't get me wrong, the prestige of going to a university has its draw. A very STRONG draw. But its just that to me, a status symbol.

Argh!

Perhaps I'm just scared of the unknown.
I am prone to doing that.

Oh who am I kidding.
I'm absolultely terrified of the unknown.

What if I don't finish this degree either? Am I destined to be stuck as a recpetionist forever?