Gah!

[atolnon]

I am pretty frustrated at this point. Basically, I'm checking out the applications process for grad school, and my test location is SIUE. I'm an alumni. I thought it'd be easier, and maybe it is, but if that's true, it's amazingly frustrating. More so because I'm not there anymore. Most of the instructions read like "Apply in person." or "Pick up the document at the Burser's Office." and I'm like, "Fuck you, I can't just stroll down there." Chiefly, it looks like the guidelines assume I'm an undergrad. I've found precious little recommendation for someone who wants to go back after a few years. God forbid I'm one of the people that have been out of school for a decade trying to come back. Even writer_lynn, who I recognize as possessing a good head on her shoulders asked me if I had remained in contact with my professors, to which I asked "Was I supposed to?"

It's a pain. And I can't just go back to my old school because I'm not a resident of the state. It'd cost ten thousand dollars a year to attend as an out of state student. Really? 10k? That's what I have left on my undergrad studies. Jeeze. It's significantly less if I live in Illinois for 6 months, but that's not really exciting. I wanted to just kind of jump back in, but maybe it's not a bad idea to work in the area at the help desk office down there. I'd probably save a decent amount of money.

Well, it could be worth it. Ah, well. I'm going to work this out.

Comments

[drbuzzkill.livejournal.com]

I am consistently amazed at the prevalence of things I was supposed to know about college. Every time I speak to an academic advisor here I get absolutely the most bug-eyed looks from these people, like I'm some sort of idiot that I didn't know.

To provide a perspective, even a slanted one, six more months of waiting after you've waited this long certainly won't kill you. Well, probably won't. Sometimes there's no accounting for the results of boredom.

[drbuzzkill.livejournal.com]

Which is to say, those six months are something you should only consider if you've set your heart on SIUE.

Sometimes I get a little wrapped up in my narrative and forget to come to a point.

[atolnon.livejournal.com]

Well, 6 months of waiting won't kill me. I put things off until a bad time. That is to say, I hadn't been clear and ready to make adjustments and prepare until now. So, if I have to wait, then that's life.

The bonus of waiting is that I'll be very prepared. Since I'm serious about the whole deal, then it's probably best to wait and prepare even if I could rush and get in for Spring. Besides doing things faster, I can't think of a single thing that'd benefit from that approach.

It doesn't have to be SIUE. I don't even have to move, really. It's cheaper in the short run to try school here, but if something goes wrong, it's better for me to be back in Illinois.

[writer-lynn.livejournal.com]

During that six months, you can recontact professors that you liked and strike up a reconnection so that when you are ready to do your applications they might be willing to help.

[atolnon.livejournal.com]

That's good advice that I'm quite apt to take.