Well, it's that time of year again. The birds are out, the bee's are buzzing, and all the college Freshmen are rushing to schedule a conference with their advisers. That's right! Its time for early registration! Yay... Lucky for me I managed to knock that off my "Here's What To Sweat About Now" list a few weeks ago, so I've already signed up for Fall classes. Problem was, when I went in to talk to my adviser, she told me as of the Fall, I would be behind a semester to graduate on time and three-credit hours short of being statused as a Sophomore. The whole "one semester behind" issue was nothing, considering I knew going into this whole college adventure, there was no way in hell I was going to be able to graduate in four years! I know some people can, but let me be clear when I say there is no way in hell I was going to be able to graduate in four years, what with my procrastination record and the fact I have a part-time job I have to maintain in order to pay for some bills cough cough student loans cough cough. But what really irked me was the whole "not a Sophomore yet" thing. 

Chalk it up to my stupid ego or what not, but for some reason, still being considered a Freshman pissed me off. Really pissed me off. There are a few perks that come with being a Sophomore, like not having to mandatory sign up for a more expensive meal plan, being able to register for classes a little bit early, and having certain classes available to you that you don't as a Freshman, that I have just been looking forward to. 

So, I went ahead and registered to take one summer class along with the sixteen credit hours I will be taking in the Fall (kill me now). After all, my lease for this dorm doesn't expire until July, so might as well keep myself busy! 

That was a few weeks ago. This week they just opened up the ability to go on ahead and sign up early for loans through Financial Aid for the upcoming semesters. So, being the eager-beaver I am, I went online to go accept some award offers. The problem was, I could for Fall, but I could not for the life of me figure out where to sign up for Summer. So, I did the only thing I knew how to do: call for help. 

Our Financial Aid office at this school can sometimes be a bit tricky, I guess it's just Financial Aid everywhere, but typically they are good about communicating to a certain extent. Not this time! I called up there earlier this week trying to get a straight answer as to where to sign up for loans for the summer. The first lady I talked to must not have been listening at all, because she gave me this hour long BS about how I would still have to pay money even with my scholarship blah blah blah. I freaking already understood that lady, that's why I'm calling you!

So I waited a few days for my desire to punch Financial Aid in the face to subside and called back today. This lady was a lot more competent. She at least knew what I was trying to ask. After about a twenty minute phone conversation, which was the quickest I have ever been handled with Financial Aid, I was told nicely that there was no place to sign up for student loans for the summer semester. The money I get returned to me in the Fall and Spring of this year was to be put aside if I wanted to take a summer class. If I were to have gone into this semester believing I was able to sign up for loans at the beginning, I would have had to pay about $1,000. 

That may be nothing to some of you, but I am literally the walking definition of broke college student. I came into this school with absolutely nothing in my college fund due to some unforeseen financial problems with my parents when I was younger and nothing in my savings account. It's by the grace of God that I have a job to supply me with just enough money to pay for bills and put about five dollars back every month. So when I say I'm broke, I mean I am lint-filled-pocket broke. I would have been in some deep shit had I not had the foresight to call FA. 

So excuse my French when I say what the fuck. The one thing that bugs me most about this whole thing is that not once, not once, had I been told through my various meetings with anyone in authority positions in the staff, orientation at the beginning of my year, or phone calls with FA in the past asking about Summer was I told that Summer was to be payed "out of pocket". NOT ONE TIME. what the fuck. I guess no summer classes for me...

You know, my school doesn't suck all the time. Most the time I love going here! The professors are all so nice, the campus is beautiful, there's always something going on, the people attending are all so nice and pretty. But when it comes to FA and money, we suck ass. We suck major ass...