You may all gasp: An update
t's here. For those of you who didn't already know, my department is closing in, oh, 6 days now; We were notified this would occur a few months back. I was told about a month ago my training would start until the 12th. Now, come this past Thursday (1st), I'm told I start a week early, this Monday, at 8. This is a problem.
Some of you already have seen my rant on this county's excuse for a bus system. If you hadn't, by the words I just used a moment ago, you can correctly assume the buses here simply suck: They don't run on Sundays or holidays, they have shorter hours on Saturdays, they don't run often enough, and the hours during the week aren't long enough to begin with, and they have a very limited service area compared to the size of the county; not to mention that the nearest bus stop is 5 miles from me, it takes 3 buses to get to work, and I can never get in a full 7.5 hrs if I have to bus all the way back home. The preceding limits my guaranteed availability to: 9:15-4:50 M-F, 10:15-3:50 Saturday.
How does this make training tomorrow a problem? The training schedule options between this & next week are, respectively, 8-4 & 4-Midnight. My project manager is a good guy, but all he could do with the training coordinator is get the trainer not to mark me off for missing over an hour of class (rather than the 10-20 min I would from just how long it takes to get from the bus & how late it is in its run). Thankfully, on some days, I can get a ride to the 3rd bus to get there an hour earlier, but this is in no way guaranteed. Furthermore I liked the program I had been working on and do not look forward to this one.
I will, however, trudge on; but only for now. I am hoping, just hoping, I can get everything together and get into school for the Winter session. There's a catch to this though: The only real college "local" and on the bus route, doesn't impress me, and the bus route limitations will still make this an extreme pain if not impossibility; not to mention they don't have any courses that would do me any good except maybe for getting credits for the basics.
There are 5 locals that I think I may consider, though:
Orlando - 2 major campuses and other technical colleges on a multi-county bus system that actually runs often enough that I could likely do any classes so long as I can keep awake for the bus trip & do work on the bus; I've also been living in Florida long enough to get state-resident discounts and am not too far from Slith.
Columbus (O.) - OSU, DeVry, and possibly other options, presumably decent bus system; near my mother (whom I get along with fine), though she probably doesn't have room for me, but has gotten me in talks with the local DeVry via email.
Clarion (Penn.) - Near several good friends, one willing to help me for at least a little bit with lodging. Questionable on transportation, though; however, Clarion U has some decent programs and one of those friends attends & talks well enough of it. Program offerings online are satisfactory; with a little help from a coordinator, should be able to get the right one figured out. (I enjoy too many different aspects of various computer technologies, applications, systems, etc)
Madison (Wisc.) - Near another friend who would help me with lodging (with an asterisk about availability of that lodging); Fine metro & suburban public transportation system; decent offerings for schooling like Clarion. But, only the 1 friend whom I know, and again no guarantee for lodging.
Suburbs of Los Angeles - Near my father, whom I don't get along with quite as well. Higher taxes, though more likely to get money from my paternal grandparents (they're a tad stingy and possessive; they said they'd help if I go to school out there, but... my bro is still in Cali and hasn't gotten any assistance from them). Metro is a bit of a convoluted mess, but I do have a variety of schooling options. Tarot wasn't too positive, though, for going this far west, though; although I have guaranteed lodging, the negatives may make it too uncomfortable, especially if I don't get the family backing suggested.
I need to decide fast, but oy, the choices. I'm thinking it is going to end up a tossup between Orlando, Columbus, and Clarion, though (sorry, J.), but I need to get this done soon. I'm probably already out of luck for a good chunk of the various FAFSA-associated monies, submitting for the Winter rather the Summer session.
Just an update for all. Yay or not; just, Oy.
- t'sChillin
Some of you already have seen my rant on this county's excuse for a bus system. If you hadn't, by the words I just used a moment ago, you can correctly assume the buses here simply suck: They don't run on Sundays or holidays, they have shorter hours on Saturdays, they don't run often enough, and the hours during the week aren't long enough to begin with, and they have a very limited service area compared to the size of the county; not to mention that the nearest bus stop is 5 miles from me, it takes 3 buses to get to work, and I can never get in a full 7.5 hrs if I have to bus all the way back home. The preceding limits my guaranteed availability to: 9:15-4:50 M-F, 10:15-3:50 Saturday.
How does this make training tomorrow a problem? The training schedule options between this & next week are, respectively, 8-4 & 4-Midnight. My project manager is a good guy, but all he could do with the training coordinator is get the trainer not to mark me off for missing over an hour of class (rather than the 10-20 min I would from just how long it takes to get from the bus & how late it is in its run). Thankfully, on some days, I can get a ride to the 3rd bus to get there an hour earlier, but this is in no way guaranteed. Furthermore I liked the program I had been working on and do not look forward to this one.
I will, however, trudge on; but only for now. I am hoping, just hoping, I can get everything together and get into school for the Winter session. There's a catch to this though: The only real college "local" and on the bus route, doesn't impress me, and the bus route limitations will still make this an extreme pain if not impossibility; not to mention they don't have any courses that would do me any good except maybe for getting credits for the basics.
There are 5 locals that I think I may consider, though:
Orlando - 2 major campuses and other technical colleges on a multi-county bus system that actually runs often enough that I could likely do any classes so long as I can keep awake for the bus trip & do work on the bus; I've also been living in Florida long enough to get state-resident discounts and am not too far from Slith.
Columbus (O.) - OSU, DeVry, and possibly other options, presumably decent bus system; near my mother (whom I get along with fine), though she probably doesn't have room for me, but has gotten me in talks with the local DeVry via email.
Clarion (Penn.) - Near several good friends, one willing to help me for at least a little bit with lodging. Questionable on transportation, though; however, Clarion U has some decent programs and one of those friends attends & talks well enough of it. Program offerings online are satisfactory; with a little help from a coordinator, should be able to get the right one figured out. (I enjoy too many different aspects of various computer technologies, applications, systems, etc)
Madison (Wisc.) - Near another friend who would help me with lodging (with an asterisk about availability of that lodging); Fine metro & suburban public transportation system; decent offerings for schooling like Clarion. But, only the 1 friend whom I know, and again no guarantee for lodging.
Suburbs of Los Angeles - Near my father, whom I don't get along with quite as well. Higher taxes, though more likely to get money from my paternal grandparents (they're a tad stingy and possessive; they said they'd help if I go to school out there, but... my bro is still in Cali and hasn't gotten any assistance from them). Metro is a bit of a convoluted mess, but I do have a variety of schooling options. Tarot wasn't too positive, though, for going this far west, though; although I have guaranteed lodging, the negatives may make it too uncomfortable, especially if I don't get the family backing suggested.
I need to decide fast, but oy, the choices. I'm thinking it is going to end up a tossup between Orlando, Columbus, and Clarion, though (sorry, J.), but I need to get this done soon. I'm probably already out of luck for a good chunk of the various FAFSA-associated monies, submitting for the Winter rather the Summer session.
Just an update for all. Yay or not; just, Oy.
- t'sChillin