hmmmm ...

I'm really bad at this blogging thing ... I think of clever things to talk about all day long but as soon as I get home I really don't feel like using my brain. I suppose that this job I have is to blame. I have to know almost everything concerning Financial Aid, Admissions, and Records & Registration and with that much knowledge stored up there ... there really isn't much room for much else. Not to mention that I speak with complete idiots all day long. No, really. Working in Student Services at a university really shows you how idiotic people are.

For example, I actually had a student yesterday complain to me that she couldn't access her unofficial transcripts through MyWings under Guest access. GUEST access. I said, "Ma'am, you have to log in under your student number in order for the computer to access your information." You've got to be kidding me! She logged in as a guest and then couldn't for the life of her figure out why she couldn't see her academic record. WOW. Maybe it's just me, maybe I'm being overly critical but that seems like a pretty simple thing and this is just the tip of the iceberg folks ... I'm not exaggerating.

Okay, so I've started twittering ... good times. It's a lot like updating your facebook status but oh well, still fun to post and it is much easier than having to write a whole post for the blog ;-) Maybe I'll actually be good at it, especially when I figure out how to do it from my phone. Last night I sliced up a whole cucumber and dipped each slice into hummus and YUM I love it so much and eat it regularly and wanted to post to twitter but I was too lazy to open the computer ... so I just thought it to myself. I figure ... it'll be a lot easier for me to post a quick message about what I'm doing, where I'm going, what I'm eating, etc through twitter so I might be a better twitterer than blogger. Man, my brain really is fried ... I'm rambling on and on ... Okay, I'll stop now. Have a good weekend! :-)

hump day

So ... today is "hump" day ... Friday can't come soon enough. I couldn't believe it but on Monday we had about 90 students at any given time waiting in our lobby to see us. And the worst part is that I'm not exaggerating about the number. At one point there were 96 students on the roster! CRAZY! In all my years here I've never seen it that busy. Nothing like a tropical storm to screw up the first week of school.

Okay ... I'm exhausted ... and it's only 12:20 ... I still have soooo much time left in the day. And I have to go home and clean because my sister is coming Thursday evening to spend the weekend with me. Have I mentioned how happy I am that she's back home for a while!?! I miss my family like crazy. It's not fair that everyone has to live so darned far away. But, for now, I will sign off ... get back to work ... etc. I start two graduate classes this semester. One online. One on Thursday evenings. Hopefully these won't be toooooo difficult. I'm so over school right now. Wish me luck!

conversations with students

Now that it is officially intercession here at the university we have a chance to reflect on the happenings over the past few weeks during registration, etc. What I don't understand is how much these students really think that someone should be doing things for them, telling them everything they need, and that they honestly think they shouldn't have to be proactive in any regard. I mean, the most common answer I get from students is, "No one told me." I mean, really? Really? That's your excuse? Well, truly, it's the parents fault and none other. These parents do everything for their students and never allow their children to make their own mistakes or to learn to be self-sufficient. It's pathetic!

I know I'm just ranting at this point, but consider this ... in the 'real world' if you some how don't receive your electric bill in the mail that month, does that mean that your electric bill is no longer due? Would you expect the electric company to call you up and say, "By the way, we haven't received your payment yet, don't forget it's due." NO. And if you call them when you're late and tell them you never received your bill do you think they'll say, "OH, well in that case, you don't need to worry about paying." NO. Seriously. I truly think these kids have no idea what to do with themselves. They just skate through school ... thinking that Mom or Dad will take care of it for them. Well, they'll receive a rude awakening when they get out there and realize that life isn't a bowl of cherries. It's sad. And when I try my darndest to get these kids to become more self-sufficient I'm given attitude.

Am I just old? Was I really that stupid when I was 18 or 20 years old? Have I just forgotten what it was like? I mean, I remember my mom making me go pay for things by myself when I was quite young ... making me talk to people and ask for things, etc all by myself so I would get used to asking questions and becoming more self-sufficient. Sure we all fall short and we all need a little support now and then ... Do these kids really expect things handed to them? Do they really expect to not look up the answer for themselves? It is the one thing that really drives us all crazy in this office. Other than the people who work here that don't take any pride in their work, aren't proactive, don't truly care about the student, that's a post for another day ...

Maybe the point is that it's not just the students. Maybe it's people in general. People today have more conveniences than ever in the past. People today receive information in a second with the world at their fingertips. From microwaves that cook their dinner in 5 minutes to cell phones that put them in touch with someone in no time ... this fast paced world ... has it truly caused us to stop using our brains? Has this world we all live in caused us to lose our ability to think outside the box? Thoughts to ponder ...

I know I could go on and on and on ... hell, I've worked here for over 5 years ... but I'll leave the rest of my ranting for another day. On a much more positive note, during intercession we can wear jeans ... and our call volume and walk-in volume, etc drops off significantly. Hallelujah! Plus, my grandma is coming to visit me on the 14th and my sister comes home from L.A. on the 16th! This is going to be a nice break :-)

update

I've realized that for the first time since 2003 I have free time. I'm no longer working all day and taking courses in the evenings. I now have the ability to focus on my friendships and hobbies and family.

I started a new bible study at church on Tuesday evenings. We are working through Beth Moore's study Breaking Free. It couldn't have come at a better time. I absolutely love Beth's studies and this one, or so I've heard from several people, is pretty fantastic.

Also, I'm starting to run again. I had been running for a while and working my way up to completing a 5k with little difficulty. Because of my schedule during the first half of the summer I had stopped running regularly with my friend Kristin. I feel so blah right now and I know that it's because I'm not exercising regularly. Hopefully within a few weeks I'll be back to my normal self. :)

Tonight I'm meeting my friend, Heather, in Ponte Vedra. Should be fun. I'm ready to get out ... especially somewhere new! I have to work Freshman Orientation this Friday but that evening my friend, Melissa, is coming over and we're sharing a bottle of wine and watching a movie. Hopefully by the end of the weekend I will be refreshed and renewed and ready to tackle work that next week. I'm still praying for a teaching job although I know it's not likely with our economy being the way it is ...

So, that's all for now. Still haven't had a chance to work on uploading some pics for y'all but I'll try again to find time this weekend :)

today

Today is hump day ... I'm halfway through the week and already can't wait for it to be over. I found out through a friend that St. John's County had too many applicants and were only interviewing those with experience. That seems to be the trend right now ... but seriously ... how am I supposed to get the experience they're looking for if no one will hire me!?! So, for now I'm here ... frustrated as all hell with the staff at UNF. I really need to branch out a bit I guess. Maybe start applying for positions in corporate America ... we'll see. Until then ... I'll keep on keeping on.

So ... bottom line is ... continue to keep me in your prayers and hopefully I'll also have some time this weekend to get some recent pics on here! Much love to you all :-)

Thought I'd share with you my thoughts for this Friday summed up in a lost Dr. Seuss poem ... enjoy!