a wasted trip...as usual

Well well well...a new year is here and the same shit is happening.

I have been emailing my college for a while now (since my commute is a 3 hour round trip, I don't have time to just drop in and talk to people) I got a loan for my tuition and books and I wanted to know I can get the money to purchase my books for this semester. I was told through email that such information cannot be divulged via email or phone and that I had to come in and see a financial aid advisor in person.

So, I take a day off from work, I travel on the train to school and I wait on line at the financial aid office. I was asked if I had a referral from the one stop desk. WHAT?!?!?!? I have to stand on a line that wraps around the corridors of the main lobby for them to say "You need to see someone at the FA office" and then they give me a little piece of paper ALLOWING me to go to the FA office? How the hell does THAT make any sense?????

I explain that I had been emailed from the FA office and I was told to come in and speak to an advisor. They let me stay on line.

Next stop is the 'reception area' where one student at a time is allowed to walk up to the desk, sign in and state their issue. The lady at the desk then tells you what FA person you have to see. You are then buzzed in at the FA office and allowed to wait there for eternity until someone calls your name....it makes me remember the old days at the DMV, only you don't have a number, just your name.

I figure out who the woman is that I have to see, and I wait as other people are called, and other advisers come by and take people in. Then suddenly I see MY advisor and 2 others getting their coats on to go to lunch. Now I understand everyone gets a lunch break, no biggie, but when you have a hoard of students waiting to see you, you don't ALL go at once, leaving ONE person behind...WTF!?!?!!?!!?!

The girl next to me was pissed. I was waiting about an hour at this point and she had been there way before I was. She got up and expressed her concern to the receptionist who then referred her to a new adviser. That same adviser then took me into her office.....so why couldn't I have seen her? Have TWO advisers working on the same subject..wouldn't that have made the line go down faster?

But anyway.....after looking at my file, she tells me that I can get a book voucher now, but I can't use it until Friday. WHAT? I tell her that I guess I will just go in on Monday during the first day of class. She was against that and told me that it would be much too busy on Monday and that I should go on Friday. And I explain to her "Well seeing that I missed a day of work to come here today, I don't think I should miss yet another day of work, I'll just deal with the crowds on Monday"
After she reviewed it all she then stated "Ok, so just bring in your validated bursars receipt and your school ID to the book store and you can get your books"
No official paperwork or anything, just her telling me to go to the bookstore....

Now I was too excited to get out of the office and I failed to realise this while I was sitting in front of her...

They couldn't tell me ANY of this information over the phone or by email due to privacy issues, yet I spoke to FOUR different people and not one of them asked for ID!?!?!?:!?!?!!?!?!?!?!!?!!?!?!?!! And if I was able to speak to someone without having to come in, then maybe I would have been able to go get my books on Friday!

I just keep telling myself..."only 2 more years, only 2 more years"