A fine tradition of stupidity...
As yet another school year begins, I remember the things that really annoyed me last year that I had mercifully been able to forget for the summer.
1. UBC Efficiency. Today I went to Brock Hall and stood in line for... oh... say forty five minutes give or take to get my tuition deferred. I am one of the dissidents who did not apply for my student loan in June, opting instead to apply on July 9 (at least that's when deferral lady told me I applied). Anyway, I lined up with three zillion other dissidents under a sign that said, among other things, Tuition Deferrals. There was a guy working the line letting students ask him questions. Student: "Can we get tuition deferrals here?" Deferral guy: "Yes." Okay good. Further confirmation of the markings on the sign. So I wait... and wait... and wait... and finally I get my turn. I go and sit down with deferral lady who says, "Can I help you?" "Yes," I said, "I need a tuition deferral." "Okay," she says, "what is the reason for the deferral?" "I don't have my student loan money yet," I said. Okay this is the good part. Deferral lady says, and I remember these words exactly, "Okay, we don't actually DO deferrals for that anymore." "But this is the tuition deferral line," I said. I mean, it was. She's like "yeah I know, lot's of people want them but the powers that be decided that we wouldn't do it this year." Okay, I KNOW I should have applied in June, but seriously. Why can't they send an email about the policy change or put a sign up saying something like "No Tuition Deferrals for Late Student Loan Applicants" (like July 9th is even late...). Or, at the very least, instuct deferral guy to tell the people in line... and I KNOW that a lot of them were there for the same reason I was... that they don't do deferrals for that anymore. It would be simple and it would probably get a lot of people out of line.
2. UBC Planning. Candida's, never a particulary well-stocked, healthy choice eatery, is closed for renovations. Renovations are, in themselves, good things. Apparently there will be more choice and I won't have to trudge over to the SUB to find something not loaded with fat and other evil ingredients. But my question is: Why not renovate it during the summer? No... they wait til class starts and THEN close the law school cafeteria for renovations. Now we have to go to the SUB to find a microwave... apparently there's also one somewhere in the mysterious depths of the Buchannan building but who knows where it could be. Here's hoping that Candida's and its *friendly* proprietor will be back up and running in the near future. Too bad they didn't stick the microwaves in the interaction area for the time being.
3. UBC Wireless. I know, I know, some schools don't even have wireless so I shouldn't complain. But seriously, if we're going to have it I expect it and I want it to work. On this particular rant it might be unfair to target UBC alone. I strongly suspect that the makers of my wireless card... who may or may not be affiliated with Toshiba, turned out a bad one when my computer's turn came. I spent a long time today trying to get online. I tried during charter. Nothing. I tried during negotiation. Nothing. I went to the library. Nothing. I went to the interaction area. Twice. Nothing and nothing. Finally I went to the computer lab, resigned to log in with my student account and use their connection. I put my laptop on the table beside me, hit restart, and started using the computer lab computer. Out of the corner of my eye I saw my computer come back up so I clicked on Firefox... and it worked. Interesting. I think I've got it figured out though. You have to really make the computer think that you're done playing around and you're going to find another solution. When it realizes that you are doing it another way and that it no longer holds the power to induce mind numbing vision blurring rage and frustration over you then it loses interest and gives you access. That's my scientific explanation.
In other technology news, my IPod's working crappily. Somehow I'd expect that from something coming from Future Shop (will I ever learn?) but I didn't really expect it from Apple. Sigh... good thing I bought the extended warranty.
1. UBC Efficiency. Today I went to Brock Hall and stood in line for... oh... say forty five minutes give or take to get my tuition deferred. I am one of the dissidents who did not apply for my student loan in June, opting instead to apply on July 9 (at least that's when deferral lady told me I applied). Anyway, I lined up with three zillion other dissidents under a sign that said, among other things, Tuition Deferrals. There was a guy working the line letting students ask him questions. Student: "Can we get tuition deferrals here?" Deferral guy: "Yes." Okay good. Further confirmation of the markings on the sign. So I wait... and wait... and wait... and finally I get my turn. I go and sit down with deferral lady who says, "Can I help you?" "Yes," I said, "I need a tuition deferral." "Okay," she says, "what is the reason for the deferral?" "I don't have my student loan money yet," I said. Okay this is the good part. Deferral lady says, and I remember these words exactly, "Okay, we don't actually DO deferrals for that anymore." "But this is the tuition deferral line," I said. I mean, it was. She's like "yeah I know, lot's of people want them but the powers that be decided that we wouldn't do it this year." Okay, I KNOW I should have applied in June, but seriously. Why can't they send an email about the policy change or put a sign up saying something like "No Tuition Deferrals for Late Student Loan Applicants" (like July 9th is even late...). Or, at the very least, instuct deferral guy to tell the people in line... and I KNOW that a lot of them were there for the same reason I was... that they don't do deferrals for that anymore. It would be simple and it would probably get a lot of people out of line.
2. UBC Planning. Candida's, never a particulary well-stocked, healthy choice eatery, is closed for renovations. Renovations are, in themselves, good things. Apparently there will be more choice and I won't have to trudge over to the SUB to find something not loaded with fat and other evil ingredients. But my question is: Why not renovate it during the summer? No... they wait til class starts and THEN close the law school cafeteria for renovations. Now we have to go to the SUB to find a microwave... apparently there's also one somewhere in the mysterious depths of the Buchannan building but who knows where it could be. Here's hoping that Candida's and its *friendly* proprietor will be back up and running in the near future. Too bad they didn't stick the microwaves in the interaction area for the time being.
3. UBC Wireless. I know, I know, some schools don't even have wireless so I shouldn't complain. But seriously, if we're going to have it I expect it and I want it to work. On this particular rant it might be unfair to target UBC alone. I strongly suspect that the makers of my wireless card... who may or may not be affiliated with Toshiba, turned out a bad one when my computer's turn came. I spent a long time today trying to get online. I tried during charter. Nothing. I tried during negotiation. Nothing. I went to the library. Nothing. I went to the interaction area. Twice. Nothing and nothing. Finally I went to the computer lab, resigned to log in with my student account and use their connection. I put my laptop on the table beside me, hit restart, and started using the computer lab computer. Out of the corner of my eye I saw my computer come back up so I clicked on Firefox... and it worked. Interesting. I think I've got it figured out though. You have to really make the computer think that you're done playing around and you're going to find another solution. When it realizes that you are doing it another way and that it no longer holds the power to induce mind numbing vision blurring rage and frustration over you then it loses interest and gives you access. That's my scientific explanation.
In other technology news, my IPod's working crappily. Somehow I'd expect that from something coming from Future Shop (will I ever learn?) but I didn't really expect it from Apple. Sigh... good thing I bought the extended warranty.
posted by Darren at
3:43 PM
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