Yay!
While there were headaches dealing with getting classes situated for this semester, I am in!
I had only signed up for the 4 hour Anatomy & Physiology I class because I know it's going to be difficult and labor-intensive. Even Sis, the genius (literally, her IQ is 168), had to retake that class because she failed the first time. However, in order to get my Pell Grant financial aid, I have to be enrolled in at least 6 hours. I didn't know this. I just happened to call the financial aid office yesterday afternoon to just double-check that everything was copacetic. The first girl hung up on me once, causing me to have to call back and wait another 30 minutes on hold before getting her again. She seemed flaky, so when I got home from the clinic I called again. This woman told me that, no, there was no financial aid available because I wasn't taking enough hours. So I had to scramble to figure out what to take. Since I got an F in English last semester, I decided to take it again--this time in class, because trying to participate in an online class is a pain in the ass--adding an extra 3 hours to my schedule. I called back and told the guy that answered that I had updated my schedule and I needed them to re-award that Pell Grant. He said he'd send the request as priority, but that he couldn't promise that the money would be there before the payment deadline at 2pm this afternoon.
So I got up at 8 this morning to go up to campus and talk to financial aid in person. I know that God intervened in this one because there were only 2 people in line in front of me. The girl that I dealt with was fantastic. Totally knowledgeable, competent, and all-around fantastic. She was also wearing a Gryffindor Quidditch T-shirt, so I knew she was cool. We talked Potter while she re-awarded my financial aid and made sure that my classes would be paid for today. Whew. I can now rest a little easier knowing that my classes are paid, and I'll be getting a decent chunk of change as the remainder of the grant. Most of that will go directly to a savings account. Some of that will buy me some more clothes--I need jeans that fit (Walmart and Target are not the best places to find that, so I'm headed to the Lane Bryant outlet just a mile down the road), and a few more shirts. Yay!
I'm now going to be up at school from 3:30 to 9pm Tuesdays and Thursdays. And Thursdays are actually going to be incredibly long because I'm going to have to switch seeing Monica from Friday at 11 to Thursday mornings so that I can have a car (the only day that Sis doesn't have class is Thursday). I'm nervous about how much work this is going to be, but hopeful that I can make it through.
Speaking of Sis, she got into nursing school! So she's now going to be taking 16 hours and at school from 8-Noon four days a week. I'm so thrilled for her. She's wanted to get into nursing school for a good while and she worked really hard to get all of her things sorted out to get in. I'm worried about how much work this is going to be for her, and how her body is going to react to all of the activity and stress, but I've already told her that I'm here for her to help where I can.
And more school news: Mom is now going to be a full-time professor at the nursing school where she's currently an adjunct professor!!!! This means that she can go from the full-time nursing at the psych hospital to just PRN (a medical term that basically means "as needed") which is only 4 shifts a month. Which will be fantastic for her. She loves teaching so much, but she will also be able to keep doing the direct patient care that she enjoys. I am so proud of her, too. Her nursing job will never go anywhere. The charge nurse will never retire, and the nurse manager isn't going to leave, either. And anyway, any promotion would just mean that mom would be doing administration which she hates with a passion. But at the nursing school, she is now guaranteed a promotion every year until she reaches full professorship after about 3 years. And at that point, they will pay her to get her doctorate. At the psych hospital, the fact that mom has a master's degree in nursing doesn't count for anything. At the nursing school, it matters a great deal. It's really fantastic.
Now I need to get my shit together by Monday. I need to clean my room, finish my knitting projects, and make sure that I have all that I need supply-wise. My syllabi should be available online Monday, so I can prep for class. Excellent.
On a totally different note: GO TEXANS!! Kick Brady's ass!!
I had only signed up for the 4 hour Anatomy & Physiology I class because I know it's going to be difficult and labor-intensive. Even Sis, the genius (literally, her IQ is 168), had to retake that class because she failed the first time. However, in order to get my Pell Grant financial aid, I have to be enrolled in at least 6 hours. I didn't know this. I just happened to call the financial aid office yesterday afternoon to just double-check that everything was copacetic. The first girl hung up on me once, causing me to have to call back and wait another 30 minutes on hold before getting her again. She seemed flaky, so when I got home from the clinic I called again. This woman told me that, no, there was no financial aid available because I wasn't taking enough hours. So I had to scramble to figure out what to take. Since I got an F in English last semester, I decided to take it again--this time in class, because trying to participate in an online class is a pain in the ass--adding an extra 3 hours to my schedule. I called back and told the guy that answered that I had updated my schedule and I needed them to re-award that Pell Grant. He said he'd send the request as priority, but that he couldn't promise that the money would be there before the payment deadline at 2pm this afternoon.
So I got up at 8 this morning to go up to campus and talk to financial aid in person. I know that God intervened in this one because there were only 2 people in line in front of me. The girl that I dealt with was fantastic. Totally knowledgeable, competent, and all-around fantastic. She was also wearing a Gryffindor Quidditch T-shirt, so I knew she was cool. We talked Potter while she re-awarded my financial aid and made sure that my classes would be paid for today. Whew. I can now rest a little easier knowing that my classes are paid, and I'll be getting a decent chunk of change as the remainder of the grant. Most of that will go directly to a savings account. Some of that will buy me some more clothes--I need jeans that fit (Walmart and Target are not the best places to find that, so I'm headed to the Lane Bryant outlet just a mile down the road), and a few more shirts. Yay!
I'm now going to be up at school from 3:30 to 9pm Tuesdays and Thursdays. And Thursdays are actually going to be incredibly long because I'm going to have to switch seeing Monica from Friday at 11 to Thursday mornings so that I can have a car (the only day that Sis doesn't have class is Thursday). I'm nervous about how much work this is going to be, but hopeful that I can make it through.
Speaking of Sis, she got into nursing school! So she's now going to be taking 16 hours and at school from 8-Noon four days a week. I'm so thrilled for her. She's wanted to get into nursing school for a good while and she worked really hard to get all of her things sorted out to get in. I'm worried about how much work this is going to be for her, and how her body is going to react to all of the activity and stress, but I've already told her that I'm here for her to help where I can.
And more school news: Mom is now going to be a full-time professor at the nursing school where she's currently an adjunct professor!!!! This means that she can go from the full-time nursing at the psych hospital to just PRN (a medical term that basically means "as needed") which is only 4 shifts a month. Which will be fantastic for her. She loves teaching so much, but she will also be able to keep doing the direct patient care that she enjoys. I am so proud of her, too. Her nursing job will never go anywhere. The charge nurse will never retire, and the nurse manager isn't going to leave, either. And anyway, any promotion would just mean that mom would be doing administration which she hates with a passion. But at the nursing school, she is now guaranteed a promotion every year until she reaches full professorship after about 3 years. And at that point, they will pay her to get her doctorate. At the psych hospital, the fact that mom has a master's degree in nursing doesn't count for anything. At the nursing school, it matters a great deal. It's really fantastic.
Now I need to get my shit together by Monday. I need to clean my room, finish my knitting projects, and make sure that I have all that I need supply-wise. My syllabi should be available online Monday, so I can prep for class. Excellent.
On a totally different note: GO TEXANS!! Kick Brady's ass!!