Has anyone had the same trouble? There are more stupid HOOPS to jump through to get this flipping degree than is reasonable and proper. I feel like I'm in the "Hitchhiker" books, trying to maneuver my way through an enormous stinky bog of red-tape and forms-upon-forms-upon-forms than even a Vogon could imagine ... (for more information on said Vogons, please see: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Race...axy#Vogons ... thenkewveddymush)
"I'm sorry, you'll need a form for that; I'm sorry, that wasn't entered into the computer correctly, but in order to fix it I need your department to send my department this form; OH! You should have filled out this form when you first entered the program, but of course, you wouldn't have known that, since the graduate program was undergoing a bunch of administrative changes at that time ... etc. etc. etc. .... "
"I'm sorry, you'll need a form for that; I'm sorry, that wasn't entered into the computer correctly, but in order to fix it I need your department to send my department this form; OH! You should have filled out this form when you first entered the program, but of course, you wouldn't have known that, since the graduate program was undergoing a bunch of administrative changes at that time ... etc. etc. etc. .... "
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Anchorage
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Re: ... Beauracracy Blues ...
Thu, September 13, 2007 - 4:27 PMer ... that should read: " ... and MORE forms-upon-forms-upon-forms than even a Vogon could imagine ..."
damn impassioned ranting ... -
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Re: ... Beauracracy Blues ...
Thu, September 20, 2007 - 11:42 PMWell, that's why you need to keep your towel with you at all times, so you can wipe the smirk of the bureaucrats faces when they tell you that you need another form. Just don't let them read you poetry, because they might be as bad as the Vogons: "Ode to triplicate" or a something called "that's not my job!"
Seriously, get on the good side of deans, department chairs, and graduate program directors. They have a way of cutting through it. It's amazing. Actually, I cut through red tape for my undergraduates all the time. I'm at several schools but my grad school is UMass Amherst and it's among the worst. I used to tell my colleagues about my theory "UMass can't do anything right." Especially the financial aid department.
Keep your sense of humor. It's a good one.
John
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