…and later that same day…
Scar Limud/Tuition Office: Can I help you?
Me: Yeah, I was told to come here to start the process of registration.
Him: Can I see your letter? Why did you come here first?
Me: I was told to come here first by my program coordinator.
Him: We’re not the first step?
Me: Are you the last step?
Him: No, we’re somewhere in the middle.
Me: Oh, and I need to register for last semester, too.
Him: Why? You didn’t register at all for last semester?
Me: No, I only just got my letter of acceptance this week. I attended all my classes but I was never registered. I kept going to toar shayni to ask about the board’s letter of acceptance, but they kept saying they’d send it next week, and never did. When I finally barged through the office, demanding that someone help me, they asked me for my student ID number, and naturally, they couldn’t pull me up on the computer, because I was not registered.
Him: :::rolls his eyes:::
Me: Let’s not even mention how my books for a certain class only came ¾ into the semester. So I was told this was the first step, and obviously that’s wrong. Can you tell me what is ‘square one’?
Him: No, but you can go to Zahava in the Dean’s office. She will have to write you a letter of exemption and then you can come back here. She will explain everything to you.
Me: Ok, thanks for your help.
(later)
Me to Zahava: Hi, I was sent here by scar limud, he says you have to write a letter of exemption in order for me to be able to register.
Zahava: I do not want to do this.
Me: more nonsense
Her: more nonsense, interspersed with personal calls and chatting with others in the office.
Me: I have to get back to class, so…
Her: Shalom!
Me: No, but I want to resolve this before I go, are you going to write the letter?
Her: I have to talk to scar limud first and look into it.
Me: But you don’t even have my name.
Her: :::casually hands me a scrap paper and a pen:::
(later)
Me to program head: I just don’t feel like I have an advocate. Everywhere I go they send me to someone else.
Him: Welcome to Israel.
Me: :::grumble, grumble, grumble:::
- Wish Jew Were Here - 5/9/2006
- For your viewing pleasure - 5/9/2006
- Reflecting on Yom Ha Shoah - 4/27/2006
I don’t know whether I should laugh or cry. You’ve had a hard day today.
awwww… your two posts took me back to my experience at rothberg, and then i got really stressed out, cause that’s what israel did to me. total stress. pain. lots of pain.
Here’s a tip: Forward the URL for this post to the PR dept. at Bar Ilan. Chances are 5 to 1 that whoever’s in charge of Zahava will call you with apologies and offers to help you, in a jiffy.
These kind of screwed up systems simply beg to be abused. So, don’t fight it, but use it to your own advantage, and you’ll start appreciating it.