The Very First Lesson I Learned as a Transfer Student

... And word of advice to anyone who is planning to transfer to ANY university.

- ASK TO BE ASSIGN TO AN ADVISER THAT IS VERY FAMILIAR WITH YOUR DEGREE REQUIREMENTS -

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There were two scenarios that almost made me make a scene today.

Scenario #1:

I was scheduled to be registered today at around 3:45p. I arrived at the location 5 minutes early. I sign up and I wait.

and I wait.

and I wait.

"The adviser will be right with you," says the receptionist girl.

So, I wait.

and I wait

and I wait some more.

"I'm sorry, she'll be right with you," says the receptionist girl again.

I smile and say, "OK".

I wait some more.

I look at the clock. It's 4:00pm. I tell myself that "patience is a virtue".

I wait some more.

Then at 4:15p, I hear the receptionist girl call somebody. Another advisor probably.

"There's a student here waiting for (ADVISOR'S NAME), she's scheduled at 3:45pm, she's been waiting for half and hour already... blah blah blah.. " she informs the party in the other line. Then, she hangs up.

"I'm sorry about your wait, we'll try to get another advisor for you," she says.

I fake a smile. Then, I ask,

"Is she with another student?"

She replied politely,

"Yes."

So I tried to understand and waited some more and thought to myself that this wait better be worthwhile.

4:20 pm strikes. Finally, the advisor comes out, asking giddily, "you think I've forgotten about you?"

I just smiled at her.

Then, she explains that the reason why it took her so long to take me in is because she had a problem in dealing with the requirements of the student before me.

I tried my best to understand.

Scenario #2: Frustrations that almost made me make a scene in the advisor's office

Frustration #1:

It took her 15 minutes to figure out and tell me if I satisfy the Biology courses required for the premed track and the Biochem track. Within that time frame, she kept looking back and forth at my transcript and the UW website to see if I satisfy the Bio courses. I think she did that 5 times.

Frustration #2:

When I ask her a question on whether or not I it is ok to take the Physical Chemistry class first instead of the Biochemistry class (since the Biochem class schedule conflicts with the Physics class schedule), she said: "Let me look at the site." What frustrated me about that is: ISN'T SHE SUPPOSE TO KNOW THE ANSWER TO THAT QUESTION RIGHT OFF THE BAT SINCE SHE'S AN ADVISER??

Frustration #3:

As I was so anxious to get out of her office due to the fact that I was on the brink on making a scene, she told me, "I suggest that you talk to a department adviser about your classes and talk to the admissions about getting all the courses transferred from SCC evaluated."

The realization that frustrated me: I GOT ASSIGNED TO AN ADVISER THAT IS NOT FAMILIAR WITH THE BIOCHEMISTRY DEGREE REQUIREMENTS.

Frustration #4:

She gets a portion of the amount I paid for the orientation session for her lack of knowledge in advising a Biochemistry major and her incapability of giving me at least OK answers.

GRRRR!!!!

I waited half and hour for her to finish solving the problem with a student, which I now realize that she also DID NOT know how to handle that student's problem, which was probably the reason it took her so long to dismiss that student.

AND

I wasted another half an hour or so just looking at her while she figures out my stuff and asking her questions that she didn't know the answer to.

HAAAA.... *breathe in ... *breathe out...

Thank God for my trusty Pilot Fine Point pen. While waiting for her to figure my stuff out, I channeled all my frustrations (on her and on whoever assigned me to her) to that pen that I almost broke it in half.

And thank God also for Curly, he's the one that made me smile whole heartedly despite all the frustrations that I endured today.

And, ATE, if you're reading this, THANKS FOR BEING MY "SHOCK ABSORBER", sorry for bothering you during work. I just had to let my frustrations out and I needed someone for that to happen. It's funny of how I thought of you first though. WEHEHEHEHE.