June 2008 – Sam Was Here

Yankee Go Home

Well, my nineteenth birthday has come and gone, I am now an adult, as well as a registered second year (though technically first year until I earn 3 credits) UBC student. Here are my classes:

First Semester:
Creative Writing
Anthropology: Culture, Health, and Illness
Art History: Art and the Visual Environment in the Modern and Post-Modern Periods
English: Poetry
English: Prose Fiction

Second Semester:
Introduction to Cognitive Systems
Introduction to Physical Geography: Climate and Vegetation
Introduction to Physical Geography: Water and Landscapes
Philosophy: Contemporary Moral Issues
English: Literature in the United States

Yep, I got my second year english problems sorted out thanks to the awesome Judy Brown, who made me realize that it wasn’t anything to freak out about, and that UBC is on my side. This is a very nice thing to know. I am more excited for my first semester than my second, though Max and I are taking everything but my lit class the same second semester. We are hoping this will make attendance easier to accomplish, since both of us will have to go to the same class.

On Monday we leave Toronto for Washington DC, we are taking the train there to see my mother, and, on our return trip, we are stopping over in New York City! I am so excited. Seriously.

Anyway, onto packing!

Buh. Registration Issues.

So this time last year I was working my ass off to get into UBC. Going into my independent study teacher everyday and taking test after test, just to get where I am today, and where I am, right now, is not a happy place.

My registration date for next year is this coming Friday, which happens to be my 19th birthday, so Max and I were sitting around, making our Work Lists together. We were having a decent time, I was getting a bit caught up on what classes to choose, but I was excited to be finally specializing in my courses a little bit. Until I hit this roadblock: I think I am still considered a first year student. Yep, seeing as I only registered for 24 credits last year, the SSC still thinks I am a first year, and thus I am unable to take second year english or psychology, though I have all the requirements beyond a “second year standing”. This drives me completely mad.

First of all, no where I could find does it say that we are required to take 30 credits a year. It says 120 to graduate, and if you want to do that in 4 years, than you need to do 30 per year. In fact, the only limit I found listed on the Arts website was a MAXIMUM of 30 per year. Last year I interpreted this as, “well, I don’t want to push myself too hard and take the maximum, so I’ll go for 24 credits instead” and I did well. But that leaves me lost now.

I sent an email about the issue to the woman in charge of second year courses before I discovered my “first year” standing, but now I regret that. I am not sure if anyone can help me with this.

On top of that, Max is now bound by the 30 credit limit, which will make it harder for him to catch up as he finished last year with 15 credits in total. We’re both stuck.

Anyone know how to help?