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08/16/2004: "World Class my Ass"

For a while, Wayne State University was advertising itself as a "world class university". My attendance at WSU (formerly known as the "Tartars" but I suppose enough people asked why the mascot was a sauce that they changed it to the "Warriors") did not mark the start of my college carrier. I'd already gotten to experience the joys of a private Catholic college in the south and a large, old university in Ireland.

Despite the stupidity that existed at "Crapola", absolutely nothing could have even compared to the stupidity at Wayne State.

If my department didn't have some of the best teachers, I wouldn't have even bothered. And now 4 classes away from my degree, I'm still halfway wondering why.

Because it was imperative that I knew how much funding I could get BEFORE I signed up for a fall class (which are so badly scheduled, the ones I need to take for my degree are all at the same time at night, on the same day) I submitted all of the proper forms in early March.

Today, they finally have told me what I will get. It took them almost 5 months to tell me I'd get two crappy loans, and a $1000 scholarship. Take in mind "priority registration" ended in mid-July and if I register in the next registration period in another week or two, they get to charge me another $100.

Even though I selected "part time" status on all of the financial aid forms (with a one car family, a 19 month old, and the pathetic Detroit "public transportation", it wouldn't be possible to go full time even if I thought I could handle it) the financial aid apparently is for a full time student. Because the financial aid department apparently hires those who have a single brain cell, I'm not even sure if it would be possible to find out how much of that aid I'd actually get for taking a single course.

I'd found a WSU students Livejournal group a few weeks ago seeing if anyone else was having trouble with the financial aid department. Apparently, the stupidity doesn't end there. Those who were planning on living in the dorms were being told they'd get their room assignments/roomate information in mid-late August.

Those "world class university" ads need to keep running. Maybe if they run them enough, enough employees will believe it to actually try to act like the school is more than some 3rd rate waste of money.