GTCC fails when it comes to summer registration.
by Liv | Published on Mon May 17, 2010 7:23 pm | Greensboro
So as many of you know, it's been a consideration of mine for sometime to go back to school. I finally made the decision to go when I got back from Europe. I realized it wouldn't be easy, I knew there would be math and biology, even a P.E. in there, which at age 33 seems a bit of a challenge. But I was ready for it. Spent 3 weeks studying for the ACT entrance exam, ordered transcripts, applied for financial aid, even bought some school supplies, and all seemed right on cue for me to register today except for one problem: there was no classes open. WTF?
Don't get me wrong. Every person employed at GTCC has been brilliantly nice, but there was absolutely no indication that when they told me to come register today I would have any issue finding classes. I'm not talking about a normal class filled issue, I'm talking not one single class was available. Not P.E., not Biology, not Psychology, Not World Civ II, Not Math, Not French (which they don't even offer during the summer). Unless I wanted to be a underwater blow torch operator there was nothing open. What's worse is it didn't have to be this way.
If you're not a first time student you can register online. In fact there was availability last night when I checked. They've given me the password and all that for the online system but they purposely disable it for new students so they can't register until you take what is called a "SOAR" orientation meeting.(Which as I'll explain later isn't actually available in the summer) Now I get that there are some stupid people out there who might not figure out online registration without some instruction, but shouldn't that be our choice? This one single decision changed my life for the summer- turning a situation in which I could have gone to school into one in which I now can't until fall.
When I showed up today for registration, I was told, by very nice people of the fine-arts department that there were no classes available. This was at 9:30am, 1 hour before when I was supposed to show up. I was trying to get a head start on all of it. I then asked all the usual questions, like what about add/drops, or getting the SOAR marker on the computer removed so I could try to register if something came available later in the day? They were empathetic, but they didn't seem to know, and they advised me that "the people to ask" weren't there today. Me working the system, didn't work very well, but I did try. I tried harder than I imagine most people do. Really there was nothing I could do- and that's my point. College is supposed to make you feel tall, not small. Today I felt defeated. I did everything right, on time, exactly how I was supposed to, and you're telling me it's normal not to be able to register for one single class I needed?
I was angry that it had went on this long. I've turned down other opportunities. I've turned down things including the end of year celebrations for my childrens' school in order for myself to go to school. There was no indication anything would be a problem. Worse yet I had almost $3000 in financial aid which could have paid a professor, and gave someone else a job if the classes were there. Don't get me going on the whole, I'm a American with $3g's who can't even go to college because America is so bloody backwards rant.... Let's just say, if you wonder why America is in the crap it's in... well here ya go!
While all the employees were wonderfully nice, I must tell you that your system is broken. Registration should be first come first serve, but new students should be given that opportunity from the online system as well with or without SOAR. Especially since you don't offer SOAR during the summer and our only opportunity to register was in person today. Furthermore, if you anticipate class loads, and our inability to register, tell us before hand... oh, say last week when I met with an adviser. The one who gave me a pass and "advised" me to show up at 10:30 AM this morning.
So in the end I was in tears as I walked back to the car (in the rain) frustrated. I'm dealing with it better now, but it's tough to make a u-turn in life when you thought you knew where you were going. Now it's 2 months of doing it over. More financial aid, more tests, a SOAR orientation (which they still don't know the dates of according to GTCC's website) and lots of waiting.
I think I'm going to polish up a C.V. and send it to a couple of employers in Belgium and try my luck. Meanwhile I'll continue my French here at home and hope that maybe there's some deeper meaning in this, and perhaps something better will come up. My hopes is GTCC might read what I write, and truly re-examine their policies and procedures.