Tuesday, November 1, 2005 Comments (4)
Frustrated with Department at School
I don't understand what is going on. I go to Dalton State, and it is unfortunate that I really enjoy my program and that UTC has removed the degree I'm shooting for from the list of degrees that they offer. I feel like I'm shopping at a store I really like but all the people who work there suck.
Don't get me wrong. I really, really, really like Dalton State. For the most part, I have had excellent experiences - experiences that probably aren't so common at a large school. To be honest, this is the first time that I've had a really negative experience and perhaps that is why it is so discouraging for me. Allow me to explain:
At the beginning of October, Dalton State decided to make a switch to year-round registration. I thought that this would be a step in the right direction. Allowing students to register all year long, and have control of their classes in such a way seemed like a good thing. Unfortunately, for me, it hasn't been very successful.
The premise is, a student goes to see their advisor and their advisor removes a hold from their account so that they can register for the upcoming semesters. This seems to have worked great in other departments, except for mine. A meeting was held last week so that people can answer questions to the general staff of the department. This is fine, but it was a mandatory meeting, and unfortunately, the scheduling probihited me from attending a class. At this point, I sincerely thought that we would be able to register that day. I was wrong. Students in our department who attended the meeting still have to make an appointment to meet with their advisor. To have both is redudant and a big waste of time, especially those of us who cherish time as a valuable commodity.
Keep in mind that our department is basically the only department left that has not registered. For a college student, this is bad news because it means that classes will be full, and hard to get into. So, my advisor stuck a sign on our door for us to sign-up for an appointment. All well and good, except, all the times she is available, I'm not. I e-mailed her a month ago (twice) asking general questions about registration and they weren't returned. I hestitantly e-mailed her again concerning this schedule conflict and have yet to receive a reply.
At the meeting, it was brought up that we are basically the last department to register, yet the concerns fell on deaf ears. We were told our only choice was to take less classes or do online courses through IDL, rather than taking upper level courses with no prerequisties. I thought that colleges liked money. Am I wrong? What is the point of attending Dalton State if I'm going to be told that I must take IDL classes to finish out my degree? Shouldn't our department be looking out for our best interest? In delaying registration, isn't that exactly what the department is not doing?
The kicker is, it is my understanding (and I will admit that I could be wrong) that we will not be able to register like the rest of the students on campus. Our advisors will register us, and then we will be forced to return to them each subsequent semester to register. So, no year-round registration for us, and it appears no more online registration, either.
Don't get me wrong, I love the fact that students are being forced to see their advisors. There are many students who are misinformed through fault of their own. On the other hand, some people do have genuine questions to ask their advisor, and it is important for students to have this time available to them. But there are some of us who are perfectly capable of handling things on our own. It is a mere waste of time in our busy lives for us to make special trips and miss important classes to be coddled. Dalton State prides itself for being a commuter college, and a college for people who have families and jobs. Why are the people who have families and jobs being punished even though they are equipped, knowledgable, and informed?
Comments
who needs college when you can be a merchant: http://home.comcast.net/~jakealtman/JB.jpg
LOL WTF. Where did you find that? I wish I would have kept old school stuff like that.
"GARAAAGE SALE!"
you inspired me to get an ipod so i got one of the new video ipods. 3 days and 300 dollars later, i'm bored with it. send me some mp3s. kthxbye.
3m0 ti3m
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