Community College isn't pretty. Its full of interesting takes on the student form. As well as interesting takes on the College form. My hiatus was ended last winter and I embarked on settling the score between Community College and myself. We've had a long drawn out war. Finally, I thought I had a game plan.
As with any war you have to know your enemy or its futile to winning because what would winning be defined as? For me, winning is just getting a note of surrender in the form of some sort of a degree from my adversary.
Today I faced a major setback. My government aid was not given due to a lacking in W2 forms sent. Its been quite a debacle. Usually I just work on it but today I just feel the need to say everything I don't like about my enemy so as to give you some perspective.
This place is now a Community University. So, in my absence it has grown immensely in strength and arrogance. It looks like a half ass makeover to me. The place has always had an industrial feel that hasn't been updated since the 70's or whenever. But, now it has some new stuff and its just weird. Feels like a library in that it is this massive structure but gross for some reason. You could probably convert the place to a power plant or industrial factory in about two months. The walls are concrete. The ceilings are purposely unfinished but all the pipes and crap are painted over in school colors. I hate it.
Half of my classes had to be dropped. I was only taking two. I dropped one because I had a couple absences due to work and family events. The other class is a nice old man who tells stories about science for 40 minutes and then we turn in a scantron of the chapters. The answers are in the back of the book and the test is open book.
The parking situation is a joke. Before, I didn't mind because there was a shuttle that took me back and forth from school without any other stops. Now the shuttle takes a 40 minute route around the whole campus. Thats what you put up with if you don't feel like shilling over an extra $80 for a parking pass. A lot of people park in visiting because its close and faster than playing their games. We're reduced to being criminals for wanting a decent parking spot. Can you imagine if Wal-Mart made you get a parking pass?
Books are scams. Some even say they're not refundable right when you buy them. If Borders or Barnes and Noble had that same ratio of price they'd be going out of business. And guess what? They already are. Too bad schools get away with it because you don't really have a choice. You can buy it or not. You can get it used and not get a refund but still pay way more than any humane price you can think of or you can get it new and get maybe 20 bucks for the 200 bucks you paid.
Basically, the business model only works because of that handy little note that says you're smart. But, really all its saying is you're smarter than the stupid school for winning them at their run around games.
If this school was really community focused then maybe they should lower tuition, lower book prices, make parking decent and functional, have a good looking inside and outside that is cohesive, make the teachers give a crap about their students. I guess its my fault for picking public schools instead of private.