Crazy Talk

When I didn't get the job a week ago I decided to do something different. No, not take off to Italy to paint for six months different. More like get another degree different. I applied to Ryerson for their Public Administration and Governance program which pretty much cements me in Government FOR-EV-ER and also helps me get a better job a.k.a open up the door to other possibilities.

Except, the reason they need you to work with a guidance counselor to apply to university is because it's hard. Seriously. This was crazy. I had to go through this big long application process. Then on the Ryerson web site it said I had to fill out a supplementary application. Then it said I had to register with OUAC (Ontario University Application Centre) which I had just done.

Once I had all my questions answered I was told that I could register online beginning July 14. So for the last week I have tried to figure out how my distance education course load would be. Four courses per semester or not. If I wanted the certificate in one year it would have to be that way. Then today I discovered that they offer summer intersession. Meaning I could get all eight by next June without killing myself in the process.

So I spent about an hour trying to register online. Which you think would be easy. Nuh-uh. First I had to find the registration page, then I had to find the courses, then I had to choose them in my cart. And of course, because so many other people were registering, I would get an error message about three out of the four times I tried. Then, I would have to go back to the original page and try to find the courses AGAIN. Once I had my three courses, I tried to go and checkout. Which took me to another screen. That screen asked for my student ID number. Had to go through my emails and hunt that down. That took a while since that required going into a separate page and logging into another page at the university and registering there. Finally, I had it all...tried to check out...and nothing.

After I gave up for an hour I went back in. Success. I was able to get the courses through to my profile which then said....I didn't have the security access for that. I would have to add that in my folder on my online profile. Except, there was no way to do this or SEARCH FOR IT.

I had to keep going back in and adding the courses to my cart again and again and again some more. I swear I'm the only one registered in the course seeing as how many times I registered. Finally, a light went on. I read the FINE PRINT at the side of the screen that you don't see unless you go into the help section that said "If you have not registered for any courses prior to April 1, 2008, you are not able to register for courses online, you must do so in person or by mail."

I mean seriously. Could they not have put this RIGHT ON THE FRONT OF THE CONTINUING EDUCATION PAGE IN LARGE RED PRINT FOR THOSE OF US WHO DON'T KNOW WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON? Added to that, if I knew that was the case, I would have filled out the online form LAST WEEK and mailed it so that they got it today.

I just hope that I get in the courses.