Be Advised: Part 4

Having successfully navigated an online ordeal to register for my classes, I needed to go to the campus and pay for them. I also needed to sign up for their payment contract system, buy the appropriate books, and get parking stickers for Bull and Buddy.

Not being wholly ready for public display/interaction, The Wife went with me to the campus (that and she’d never seen the place). I knew that on-campus parking would be an issue, so I went later in the morning hoping that some of the early class attendees would have left by then and given up a few spots.

It didn’t quite work out as well as I had planned, and we had to wind our way further and further back looking for a spot. I saw a number of “Well behaved women rarely make history” bumper stickers as I drove through the lots and made a rude comment on the topic in The Wife’s presence, right before eying an open spot in the next lot over.

I cut the wrong way through a one-way entrance to the lot and got a finger wagged at me by the parking lot attendant-chick in the booth. After we parked I noticed that we’d have to walk past her on our way to the Student Center. Feeling brave, I walked past and said “Well behaved men rarely get decent parking spots.” This got a sneer of a smile out of her and I think saved me from some draconian form of punishment/parking ticket.

I do not have a bulk $1200 burning a hole in my pocket to pay for tuition and books, so I needed to sign up for the Student Tuition Easy Payment Plan (STEPP). This allows me to pay $400 up front, and then the remainder in two payments over the next 70 days.

Per the instructions on the form I had printed out and completed, I was to take my paperwork to the Campus Cashier in the Student Center. However, once we had arrived at the Cashier’s window I was told that the instructions on the form were incorrect. That I first needed to go to the Enrollment Services office, where they would enter me into the plan for Winter Quarter and give me a proof of acceptance to hand to the Cashier.

And so, off to the other side of the building we went. There were two doors into the office; one clearly marked “IN” and the other clearly marked “OUT”. As I turned the corner to walk in through the “IN” door, I collided with a 5ft 5in emo dork who, apparently, was unable to read a two-letter word.

As I was having my information entered into the STEPP system, the lady behind the desk had to tell no fewer than three students stepping into the office through the “OUT” door that the line was through the other door.

I suggested that maybe she needed bigger signs. She said that they’d already tried that. I replied that it must be the non-conformist nature of college students. She said that some of the professors had the same lack of ability to read.

Lovely.

We then went back to the Cashier, who promptly took my money. During the transaction I asked her where I had to go get my student ID card. I was directed to the bookstore.

Apparently, taking photos is a man’s job. I say this because I was told that the only person who knew how to operate the digital photocard system was Jim, the only male on the library staff. I don’t know if I yanked him off his smoke break or what, but he was not hip to my Buddy Jesus pose. I had no difficulty getting that pose onto my Driver’s License photo, but Student ID is too serious a business to be screwing around with, dude!

After the no-smile and click procedure, I found my text books. After cringing at the $250 price tag, I picked out a used Introduction to Geography text book and decided that that was enough money to be spent for one day. I’ll go back in a couple weeks for the other one.

My last stop was in the Administration Building, where the school catalog directed me to go for my parking stickers. Unfortunately for me, the catalog was wrong. Anyone want to take a stab at where I had to go get those?

Anyone? Bueller?

Yep! The Cashier’s window.

So, back to the Student Center building we went. One form for each vehicle garnered one sticker for each vehicle. Our LRRP now complete, we unassed the area and headed to lunch.

Before leaving the campus, The Wife snagged one of the school newspapers. Over lunch, I looked through it. This was a bad idea. It is quite safe to say that RNS is better written (and probably even better edited) than what was in print.

Next week I’ll be posting some of the drivel that I read. If you are a Washington State taxpayer, you’ll want to see what they’re whining about.

The paper’s website says they’re rebuilding and will soon have comments.

This could prove interesting