Thursday, August 19, 2010

Calling in the Troops!

I need help. I am struggling with what seems like a thousand life changing decisions in one week and I am in full panic mode. I have boiled the information down and here the big dilemma I have come up with where I need opinions and words from the wise.

Do I continue with school and finish the ESA certification program? (school counseling)

The reason I am considering NOT doing this is the following:

The person who run this program, also my advisor, is the most difficult person to get a hold of. He doesn't return emails, he doesn't return phone calls, and he certainly is not at his office when you would think he needs to be. With all of this in mind, he only wants to communicate through email which is infuriating, because a lot needs to be said that I feel an email cannot do justice. Additionally, each time I am frustrated about his communication, I call my old program director at home (he gives all of his students his home phone because he says "Anything that has to do with your educational future is an emergency that I am fully invested in. Therefore, my home phone is extended to you because I pledge to be there, always." That was literally on my welcome letter to that program. I love him. I call my old department head because the programs have since blended and he can "help" but not really get things moving in the direction I need.

Anyway, I asked him what to do, and he suggested that I go straight to the Dean and work from there. So, I called her assistant and was met with a lot of resistance, but an appointment was made. Later that afternoon, the appointment was cancelled and I was directed to contact my advisor (man who does nothing). I told her that I haven't heard from him since May and that getting ahold of him should be a full-time job. She assured me he would get back to me and finally, he did. Sadly, nothing was really resolved and he has yet to respond to my response.

The main reason for getting ahold of him was to discuss my next 2 semesters. I had 4 classes left to take and wanted to plan out when I would be taking them. One of the classes, Intro to Guidance and Counseling, I thought I could waive, but he informed me that "it is too informative to miss out on." Really? Is it more informative then say, the MASTERS IN COUNSELING I ALREADY HAVE?????? I presented to him, in one of the many unanswered emails, suggestions for this class like independent study, working off of the syllabus regarding information that might be new to me, coming to each class, but not paying for it, lots of choices....

Either way, he said no to all of them. Here is where it get tricky. I have used up all of my MA financial aid that is allotted. Therefore, I go back to undergraduate status to receive fin. aid and they will only give me $5,000 for the year. That means, that I will be taking 6 classes to complete this training and paying for it out of pocket, minus the $5,000. My running total will be approximately $14,000 up front to the school. Not shockingly, I don't have $14,000 that I am willing to just give to school. Hence, I was begging the department head to just not charge me for the class, but I will still go. Nope, he still denied me.

Dave and I have come up with a plan to pay for most of it including him taking more money from his school and me using some of my savings, but with this added class, I am getting nervous. There are 2 classes that I can potentially waive in the spring, but I still have yet to hear back from my advisor on whether that will happen or not. I want to meet with him so I can get a guarantee that I can waive those classes, because then I can afford to pay out of pocket. If I don't get that guarantee, I don't think I can afford this program....actually, I know I can't.

Alas, I am at my wits end. I don't know how to move forward. If I don't do the program, I have to start paying off my loans in December, but I don't have a job yet, so I am really apprehensive about getting prepared to start my payments without income. But, I cannot afford to do this program, and get the job I really want, whilst battling my advisor for the next year. This communication style has really put me off of this program.

What to do? What to do?

I could do this program in a year when maybe I have a job, and let time restraints. I don't know.

Give me your advice, and if something doesn't make sense above, ask. I really need some serious discussion as to how to move forward. Thanks.

3 comments:

Sheri Nugent said...

My opinion is this: do whatever it takes to get the certification. Use Grammy's money, which I know you are loathe to do. That's $8000 right there. You need the cert to get the job you want. My concern is that you will not have good options, job-wise, without the cert and you may end up back to fitting bras and not be doing the job you are born to do.

Remember, the hardest thing about school is all the BS you have to go through. Remember when Klown Kollege tried to make me go to Costa Rica ($1400 out of pocket) which I wiggled out of. But I still had to go to WDC - not Boeing paid, which pissed me off.

Anyway, my best advice is push through and get the certification. Even though it's so frustrating and wrong to have to go through all this nonsense. You need the cert.

Lori Emmerton said...

I would try again with the Dean, and of course keep the advisor you love informed...could he be any sort of spokesperson for you with the invisible man?

Remember when you interview with your current intern place, they talked about you "having to take more classes (bummer!) and they pay for it...well this can come up again with an employer.

Emily said...

Great advice from Sheri and Lori.
After reading this I had a get away from it out of my pure frustration over this invisible advisor. Can you go above his head? A letter of complaint is in order for sure.
S is right about the hardest thing about shool is all of the BS you have to go through. Push forward. And keep pushing.
love love love
Emily