Ramblomatic

Since I started my graduate degree out here at Flat Place University, I've encountered nothing but roadblocks from the graduate faculty advisor in my department. In fact, before I started my degree, when I was in the application process, she told me I probably wouldn't get in because I didn't have any letters of recommendation from professors in the department (neglecting to mention that I had letters from the ex-vice provost and two department chairs, all of whom know me very well) and that my GRE math score was low, which was a "red flag" (I got a 580/800 because I was told not to study by that advisor! And when I needed a 700/800 for my PhD application, I got it.).

Recently, I've been trying to register for my last semester here - Summer I 2010. I discovered that through some error in paperwork, my degree plan, which I had filed July of last year, in accordance with their requirements, had gone missing. Either the graduate school had never received it from my department in the first place, or both the grad school and my department had lost it. So I filled out a new form, and turned it in, only to find out (much to my surprise) that I was apparently missing a class before I could graduate. I double checked the form I had been following for the past four years and found that no, I actually had one more elective than needed.

Apparently, the form was wrong. Plain and simple. The standard I was supposed to meet had been up on the departmental website this whole time, and why didn't I check it? And since the department is so small, they're only offering one graduate class for all of summer one.

And it's being taught by this same person, the graduate faculty advisor.

At this point, I just want to finish the thesis and be able to move on. So, I decided to bite the bullet and register for that class. Of course, I can't do it yet, because the degree plan - which I filed last week with our department - has, once again, been lost. When asked about it, I mentioned that I had submitted it to the departmental graduate faculty advisor, who then emailed me back with this gem:

G----, did you return the degree plan to me after you put the eighth class on it (as I don't have it)? Are we having a deja vu experience again with G----'s degree plan that appears, but then disappears?

No, we are not having a fucking deja vu experience. You lost my paperwork. Again. And now you're telling me that even if I turn in the form today, I probably won't be able to register for another week, one week before classes start? Give me a break.

I refuse to accept that I - who had to wait a month after being accepted before I could register for graduate classes, because you couldn't get the paperwork into the system; who had to put up with your bullshit about my academic abilities being below the standards of your program, and then got unanimously accepted anyway; who had to email you almost every day for two weeks to remind you that I needed proof of enrollment so I didn't get charged for student loans - am the incompetent one.