26.07.2006, 9:08 pm
I had summer orientation on Monday and Tuesday. It was both awesome and awful.
The sessions are designed so that each major has its own little workshops and group meetings. I know that I'm not the only double major transfer at UVA, so why the fuck was no one else freaking out about this? I could only register for a session as CLAS or EDUC, not both. I could only attend an information session for CLAS, they didn't even offer one for EDUC. The schedule building was all for CLAS, nothing for EDUC. There wasn't even an assigned advisor for EDUC students. What the fuck is that? Then when I went to the Bryant Hall lab to register, the grad student was like "you're going to have to go to Garrett Hall for your Curry courses." Then someone else said to do it there. Then someone said I was supposed to be registering somewhere totally different. Then they said there was an error in the orientation schedule. Then they got on the BIG PHONE AND CALLED FOR HELP.
I was supposed to meet with my psych advisor somewhere between 9-11 a.m. on Tuesday, so of course I got there at 8:30. Dr. Freeman came in and saw me sitting there and probably thought I was a complete moron. BUT he met with me early and signed my major declaration form, and thus I was endowed with the powers of REGISTRATION! I got all of the courses I wanted, which I was completely shocked about because they were all full when last I checked. Also awesome: Dr. Freeman said that he would try and help me however possible to get me the psych classes I wanted, so that my two majors wouldn't conflict. BA/MT students get zero room to adjust their courses, so it's very awesome to have someone in my other major who understands my situation and is willing/able to help.
I got Animal Behavior, Intro to Child Psych w/ discussion, Teaching Tech, Selected Topics, (in education, with an internship) Reading Development, and Childhood Development. They kept drilling into our brains NOT TO OVERLOAD on the first semester because our GPA will drop .5-1 point. I thought I would take their advice, and accordingly only registered for 6 courses. Well...to my parents, that's being lazy and being a slacker. Sure I'm at UVA. Sure I'm a double major. Sure I'm dedicated, committed, goal-orientated and responsible. Sure I turned my entire life around and made something of myself. 17 CREDITS IS JUST NOT ENOUGH
My mom actually said to me: "What, you couldn't do at least 18?" Ok, wtf? Then she tells me SHE once did 21 in college. Firstly, an art major, and secondly...not at UVA. Seriously, can it ever possibly be good enough? EVER?
Anyway, my parents made me feel guilty enough that I'm going to sign up for an anthropology course. 7 courses...20 credit hours. I know it could be a terrible idea, and I really don't want to make my first semester miserable but I can't get over it now. I can't get over the panic and stress over the possibility that I am "taking it easy." There are expectations now. High expectations. UVA didn't ask me to attend, I asked UVA. Deans Popavich and Roberts didn't drop by my house one day and try to sell me on their BA/MT program. No one talked me into it. Any reservations I may have had should be squashed by now, because now it's time to perform.
I just...UGH. Reading hundreds and hundreds of pages a week, writing paper after paper, going to class with hundreds of students, doing an internship...this should be interesting.
Also: the people in the ed school have been undeniably cool thus far. Dr. Freeman says that psych is the #1 major at the university, which does not surprise me. Isn't it that way EVERYWHERE? Anyway, outside of my specialty it seems as though the campus is infested with socially inept fuckers. The general populace surely knew I was "new" because of my blaringly hot orange orientation folder, NAMETAG, and assuredly obvious state of confusion. However, you would not believe how fucking rude some of them were. And humorless. Well, maybe you would. You read my journal.
When I was trying to find Bryant on foot, I ended up following arrows that took me down a weird back street to what apparently was the rear of the building. I got to a dead end and was like...wtf where is this bitch. I saw some dude walking toward me, I guess on his way to class, so I said:, "Excuse me, but I'm looking for...oh" then I saw that a truck had been blocking the sign. I said, "I was about to ask you where Bryant was, but now I see the gargantuan sign right in front of my face." The guy gives me a look like I just screamed a racial epithet at him and then took a shit on the sidewalk, then said something like "ugghhk" and kept walking. Okay dickhead, thanks for absofuckinglutely nothing. Similar things happened at numerous points throughout orientation, and I basically just sent the offenders very silent death threats and mental middle fingers and rolled on. However, I felt very badly for any nervous, impressionable new students who might cross paths with these assburglers.
Also! I attempted to chat online with a Dell customer service person who clearly didn't speak English and I kind of wished would die. Outsourcing besides, I don't really care too much where the person lives...so long as the company I paid $4000 to would actually bother to hire someone who can hold a fucking conversation. I kept asking my question again and again various ways, she wasn't getting it, so I then typed it out in essay form. Basically. Her response was "no." I said, "Wow, how very loquacious. Thanks. :) She said, "you are welcome." I am pretty sure it was a bot.
I ALSO had a run-in at the movie theater with a very unprofessional and otherwise idiotic manager. She moved my showing from the largest theater to the smallest, moments before it started, then when I went to complain told me it didn't matter because the movie sucked anyway. WHAT THE FUCK? So I complained to her superior and got some free tickets...which I will not be using at that location. Ever.
I have more things about which I would be bitching, but alas...my keyboard is broken and the keys keep flying around. I am going to go color-coordinate my collection of chapsticks.
