Rounding off the perfect day...
Mar. 2nd, 2006 01:38 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
drcuriosityJust as I was leaving to hunt down my College of Science advisor (my department is now in the College of Engineering, but I was in Science when I first enrolled in this course), my back tyre gave way, flattening within moments, so I now need that replaced, too. Gah. Still, given the urgency of my problems, said advisor able to see me pretty much straight away, rather than waiting for the appointment I had scheduled with her for March 17th. Crises precipitate change, I guess. And indeed she was helpful: firstly, she gave me food and coffee, restoring some much-needed blood sugar. Secondly, she wrote down a list of stuff that I need to get done in order to sort out the mess that is my paperwork, both academically and her best thoughts on what to do with StudyLink.
The bicycle delay meant that I didn't get to see StudyLink staff in person in time though, since they close at 4:30pm each day. However, I was able to talk to someone in their call centre after only a 20-minute wait. Wonder of wonders, I came across someone who actually seemed to know what she was on about. Unfortunately, if I want to get any income from this week I have to reapply for my allowance by Friday (now tomorrow). Which means getting my appropriate paperwork sorted out within the next 24 hours.
So. I've got an appointment with my GP at 10am to get a medical certificate printed out - the one I submitted with my academic extension application form apparently got lost between me giving it to them and them putting my paperwork in the file. I know, I know, I should have just got it photocopied, but I didn't expect they'd lose it. More fool me.
Appointment with my supervisor at 10:30am, to grab my Head of Department and write letters supporting my application for a retrospective medical suspension because apparently the academic extension I was told to apply for isn't good enough to cover my fees, and without fees being covered StudyLink won't give me an allowance. And if I don't re-apply for a Student Allowance by the end of the week, they can't give me any money for this week and I lose a couple of hundred quid. (Deja vu from this time last year, when I also tried to apply earlier but they didn't get back to me.)
I'll also be trying to track down the person somewhere in Registry who's responsible for confirming enrolment to StudyLink, to apprise her of the situation and see if I can get myself provisionally accepted enough that I can keep doing things like paying rent. Then it's over to the College of Science offices again to see if I can get my application fast-tracked, and submitting the appropriate paperwork to StudyLink (which I can at least do online; I've just written and saved the application on their site, after mailing copies to two of my email accounts, so it should simply be a case of logging on and pushing a button when it's all ready to go).
I guess I won't be joining any clubs on Clubs Day (today). I may note some down, so I can track them down and join them later in the year when I actually have an income sorted.
Tonight on my way home, my side cramped up a bit so I found some shelter from the rain and sat down to rest for a while, holding my side. A car full of Middle Eastern guys stopped and asked if I was alright, or needed any help. I didn't, but it was nice that they stopped, and I thanked them and wished them a good night.
Last week, I talked to a middle aged Maori woman doing a preparatory course prior to starting her first year courses. Faye's from up north - a former Black Power gang member who never had much of an education the first time around, and she's currently a long way away from her whanau, from the Tainui iwi. She's turned her life around: she's sitting down with a dictionary every day and learning the words they're using when they're teaching her about basic maths, physics, chemistry and the like. She plans on eventually getting a PhD in Forensic Science, for herself and to be an example to her grandchildren that they can be more than what they are today - even though most of her family thinks she's a fool to try, and that universities aren't for people like them, let alone women her age.
My problems are many, but ultimately manageable.
The bicycle delay meant that I didn't get to see StudyLink staff in person in time though, since they close at 4:30pm each day. However, I was able to talk to someone in their call centre after only a 20-minute wait. Wonder of wonders, I came across someone who actually seemed to know what she was on about. Unfortunately, if I want to get any income from this week I have to reapply for my allowance by Friday (now tomorrow). Which means getting my appropriate paperwork sorted out within the next 24 hours.
So. I've got an appointment with my GP at 10am to get a medical certificate printed out - the one I submitted with my academic extension application form apparently got lost between me giving it to them and them putting my paperwork in the file. I know, I know, I should have just got it photocopied, but I didn't expect they'd lose it. More fool me.
Appointment with my supervisor at 10:30am, to grab my Head of Department and write letters supporting my application for a retrospective medical suspension because apparently the academic extension I was told to apply for isn't good enough to cover my fees, and without fees being covered StudyLink won't give me an allowance. And if I don't re-apply for a Student Allowance by the end of the week, they can't give me any money for this week and I lose a couple of hundred quid. (Deja vu from this time last year, when I also tried to apply earlier but they didn't get back to me.)
I'll also be trying to track down the person somewhere in Registry who's responsible for confirming enrolment to StudyLink, to apprise her of the situation and see if I can get myself provisionally accepted enough that I can keep doing things like paying rent. Then it's over to the College of Science offices again to see if I can get my application fast-tracked, and submitting the appropriate paperwork to StudyLink (which I can at least do online; I've just written and saved the application on their site, after mailing copies to two of my email accounts, so it should simply be a case of logging on and pushing a button when it's all ready to go).
I guess I won't be joining any clubs on Clubs Day (today). I may note some down, so I can track them down and join them later in the year when I actually have an income sorted.
Tonight on my way home, my side cramped up a bit so I found some shelter from the rain and sat down to rest for a while, holding my side. A car full of Middle Eastern guys stopped and asked if I was alright, or needed any help. I didn't, but it was nice that they stopped, and I thanked them and wished them a good night.
Last week, I talked to a middle aged Maori woman doing a preparatory course prior to starting her first year courses. Faye's from up north - a former Black Power gang member who never had much of an education the first time around, and she's currently a long way away from her whanau, from the Tainui iwi. She's turned her life around: she's sitting down with a dictionary every day and learning the words they're using when they're teaching her about basic maths, physics, chemistry and the like. She plans on eventually getting a PhD in Forensic Science, for herself and to be an example to her grandchildren that they can be more than what they are today - even though most of her family thinks she's a fool to try, and that universities aren't for people like them, let alone women her age.
My problems are many, but ultimately manageable.
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no subject
Date: 2006-03-01 01:08 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-03-01 01:34 pm (UTC)On another note, I saw a film called Garden State today. Written by and starring Zach Braff from Scrubs. One of the characters reminded me of you (though I can't say why, because it's a spoiler). It's certainly worth a watch if you get the chance.
no subject
Date: 2006-03-01 06:36 pm (UTC)