I have a lot of fun experience with nonsensical bureaucracy and every time I've called they've been very very nice, so I'm still considering this to be an amusing cultural introduction rather than a full-blown annoyance.
Here is the full timeline of events (I have dates because e-mail archives do fun things like remember dates):
March 18th: I receive the letter letting me know that I've been accepted to law school. Luckily, it's the one I applied to. Everything is going great.
March 24th: I attend the admitted students open house/weekend. Very impressive. Love it. Everything is going great.
March 25th: I put in a deposit for the housing lottery to hopefully secure a spot in the on-campus apartment building which seems very nice and has a serious location advantage. I can find housing elsewhere, but it would be nice. I am told by e-mail that the lottery drawing "will be held at the beginning of May" (emphasis mine) and I also note that "the Office of Residence Life must receive your signed occupancy agreement by June 15th," so I figure I'll have everything squared away a few weeks before then.
May 16th: I write a blog entry in which I convince myself that my memory has lost all credibility because I was CERTAIN that I would know by May 15th for some reason. Looking back I realize that I probably came up with that date because all the days occurring BEFORE May 15th could be reasonably considered "the beginning" of May. Logical reasoning. Good for me. I double-check the housing website and see that the lottery deposit date was moved to May 13th, so I decide they've just slightly delayed the drawing and I will know soon enough.
May 26th: Just for fun while I'm at home I give the Office of Residence Life a call. The guy on the line was extremely pleasant. He told me that the lottery had been held and that letters informing people of their housing had been sent out. I should receive it by the next day, May 27th. I asked if they would e-mail out the information as well. He said they would not as it was official confidential something something something and needed to be mailed. Great. So I'll know on the 27th.
May 27th: I drive back from Burlington, arriving at 1AM. There is no letter. Also, Monday is Memorial Day so there will be no letter til Tuesday. That's okay.
May 31st (Today): The mail comes but there is no letter. That's okay, the nice guy I talked with told me to call back if I didn't get a letter by Friday. I call back. This time I'm talking with a very nice woman. She seems entirely unsurprised that I did not get a letter. She says that she is going to transfer me to the woman in charge who will then just e-mail me my results from the housing lottery. I resist mumbling something about confidentiality. I am transfered. The phone rings. It goes to voicemail. I leave a message. Keeping my fingers crossed for a response.... ever.
Predicted future:
June 1st-14th: Nothing happens.
June 15th: I receive a call from a very nice person at Res Life asking why I have not yet submitted my signed occupancy agreement. I groan in frustration. They are not surprised by this. They transfer me to the person in charge. The person in charge is on vacation. I leave a message...
August 20th: I move in to the library. I bring a tent and a sleeping bag. I pay no rent. Life is wonderful. They try to evict me but are unable to contact the proper person in charge of the library. He or she is out of the office. They leave a message. I live there for three years until I've completed my studies.
At least you have a plan.
ReplyDeleteYup, that sounds about right for GTU.
ReplyDeleteDrinks on Thursday?
See, at least you have ...
ReplyDeleteI just noticed that's the same thing Abigail already wrote.
No wonder you just stick to telling one of us things and expect the other to find out.
I recognize and love you both as distinct people. That said, pretending as though you have some sort of automatic joint brain update system has worked out pretty well. Except for the time that I thought it was both of your birthdays on the same day.
ReplyDelete