Surviving Community College

Well college in general I am sure. You could apply these lessons to either. I learned some lessons today.

1. Always get the name of the person you are speaking to. So in case they tell you some wrong information you know who to have nailed to a cross.
2. Ask a million questions. I always feel bad bothering people. I need to stop that.
3. Don't let anyone slam a door in your face. You may have a financial aid person telling you they can't help you. That doesn't mean game over! Of course the government/school doesn't want to give you money. If you are working hard and taking school seriously, however, then by all means that money is yours...get some!
4. There are 20 different angles to a situation. Nothing is ever so cut and dry as it may seem off the bat. Like this fabulous country we live in, school, is just as complicated as the US government. There are loop holes everywhere!

I got up at 7am for a 9:30am appointment with a loan officer at my college today (I anticipated the possible hour that it would take to find parking). I  maintained a positive outlook (as I have tried through the past 3 weeks of school) the whole morning. I was sure that she was going to give me some great news! No such luck (see #3). She told me that there were 200+ students waiting to have loans approved before me. You see, they submitted their applications earlier in the semester. How was I supposed to know I wasn't going to get my loan check (see #2)?! She said it would take 3-4 weeks for her to get to my application. Throughout the day I thought about all the things people and myself have been saying about this situation (see #4), that I had to be enrolled in 6 units at SCC for them to release my check, how I hated the ARC campus a mere 3 weeks in. It dawned on me! I could try (try being the operative word here) and sweet talk a political science (3 units) and french teacher (3/4 units) at SCC to get in their class (classes are all closed but its not like I am starting from square one). So I jammed down to SCC ran it by the financial aid people there, they assured me after I asked them several times that my plan would work( see #2). They would issue me a new unofficial check once I was in 6 units. So I ran around got professors names, emails, and office hours. I plan on spending tomorrow sweet talking professors. Maybe I will try offering my first born to get into their class? It is sad, I really like my ARC professors and classes. I just can't stand the parking set up, campus and the fact that I need money to go to school and ARC is not so willing to give it. Next semester I am factoring in a PT job!