I am OFFICIALLY done with ALL my classes
and am
OFFICIALLY graduating come August 2013
from
Brigham Young University
Austin was a huge part of this. He was supportive the whole time, even when he came home to no dinner and a sink FULL of dirty dishes from a few days ago. He cleaned house, made meals, and encouraged me the whole time. He even made the ice cream run when I was home crying my eyes out after the 201 final catastrophe. This would not have been possible without him being there for me. Thank you Austin. =)
Through the whole experience I have learned one thing REALLY well:
Don't EVER take classes through BYU INDEPENDENT STUDY!!!!!!
I have come to this conclusion from the very beginning of these 3 classes. In the beginning there was the wrong test sent and the wrong address used. Well in the past three weeks there has been the following issues (remember, just in the past three weeks):
- Test sent to incorrect address after confirming correct address
- Must request ANOTHER test and they actually have the nerve to try to charge me for the "reprint" of the test. I made sure they knew I was paying no such fee for their mistake
- Customer service rep. didn't bother to tell me that FedEx doesn't send to P.O. Boxes so I had to call back because it didn't make sense to me
- Customer service rep. tells me to have proctor change address and she will send out the tests when the new address appears.
- Customer service rep. never sends test
- Test request cancelled
- Customer service rep. saying there is NO way for the test to go out today, then I talked to supervisor and he said that there is ways to get it to go out.
- Halfway through 201 final I realize that the 20 figures I am suppose to identify are missing from test.
- I have to call BYU IS during test and they say that the professor FORGOT to put them in. Either I finish and they adjust my score OR I WAIT for another test to come to take
- I am told that since I finishing my test as is(really disappointing though since Austin and I studied for hours to memorize over 60 figures) my score would be adjusted accordingly. I ask for a conformation email saying that this is what the decision was. NO EMAIL. I call the supervisor and he sends me an email. BYU IS customer service reps FAIL at sending emails when they say they will.
- Different info from different customer service reps. every time I call. I believe I have talked with every single person that works at Independent Study. Tiana, Jordan, Tyler, Kate, Spencer, Rebecca, Ashley, Chris, etc.
I just can't believe that the University of the Lord has a program such as this representing His name!
But this is not all my troubles. I also had troubles with FedEx. As previously mentioned, FedEx doesn't deliver to P.O. Boxes. So once a new address was given which wasn't even the library, it was the town office since the FedEx guy won't deliver after one, which is when the library opens, There was a whole bunch of drama of getting it sent back.
There is no FedEx drop off in my town. So I call FedEx and schedule a pick up for the next day and ask for a confirmation email (never received the email). I paid extra to have my last two tests sent express(one day to me, and one day back to BYU). The librarian put the package on the front desk at the town office and I was told that the package would be picked up no later than 3. I was told that the guy comes no later than 10am. So I call the town office and ask if the envelope was picked up. They say no.
I called FedEx just to make sure that they still had the appointed I had confirmed over the phone with a gentlemen assuring me that they'd pick it up. WELL come to find out, they have no appointment on record! My town zip code is INVALID for pickups!!
WHY DIDN'T THE GUY TELL ME THE DAY BEFORE!!!!!!!
The lady on the phone tells me that she'll take my number and have dispatch call me and try to arrange something. I had little faith in FedEx at this point and didn't think they'd call. So after taking a brief freak-out break I call BYU IS again...ugh...and told them my situation. After being on hold for about a lifetime (10 minutes) the guy comes on the phone and says, "just take it to the nearest drop-off location." You dummy, I think, I had already told him that there is no drop off near me, I am not so lazy as to not go one town over and drop off the package.
Anyways...
I tell him that the nearest drop-off location is 3 1/2 hours away and I am NOT driving that. Then he says, well then what you can do is take it to the post office and have them express it. I am assured that I will receive a refund for the one way back to BYU if the FedEx envelope they provided is in the USPS envelope.
While all of this was happening I was getting dressed (I was still in my pj's) and getting ready to run out of the house. So I book it over to the Town Office and ask them frantically where the envelope is. I know that overnight mail leaves earlier typically then regular mail so I had to rush over to the USPS once I got the envelope in my hand.
I run in there breathless and ask for the envelope and the lady(who knows me, cause she also works at the library) tells me that as soon as I hung up the phone the FedEx guy showed up and she gave him the package. He didn't have it scheduled but he took it. I almost collapsed on the floor from relief. Thank goodness I thought.
Back home I go and I get the dogs all ready for a walk and the FedEx dispatcher calls me. WOW! Well I told her that the package was picked up by chance. I ask her if they'll know its an express. I tell its a prepaid envelope and she asks for the tracking number.
I was never given my tracking number like they were suppose to...call BYU IS again........
This time I get Tiana again and she puts me on hold to talk to the materials department. 15 minutes later... She tells me that they are going through their files for the number and she will email it to me. I was just thinking, "you're kidding me right? You aren't really going to email me." So I wait till one to go to the library to check my email.
But I can't sit still by this point. I call FedEx to ask if the envelope says express on it if it is prepaid. Well this southern guy who couldn't speak clear English answered the call, my luck. I ask if a prepaid FedEx express envelope says express priority mail or something like it so FedEx will know how to send it. He tells me that all of their envelopes say FedEx. O...kay..... Not an answer to my question. I try again. Fail. I try phrasing it differently. Fail. This guy was an idiot. Finally I ask how FedEx knows its suppose to be express and he tells me its on the printed label on the envelope which FedEx puts on themselves; he sounded very proud of this, weird...
So after a wasted 20 minutes of my life I finally say good bye and hang up. Now I call BYU IS again and ask about the envelopes. I am told by some girl, don't remember which one, that these envelopes say express right on them so FedEx will know what to do with them. That comforts me somewhat...except that is came out of the mouth of a BYU IS customer service rep.
Finally one o'clock rolls around and I head out on foot to the library. While talking to my sister, behind the post office I see the afternoon FedEx van and start running in front of him while he's driving to make him stop. I am waving my arms and jumping up and down making a complete fool of myself but at this moment I did not care. He stops the van before hitting me, thank goodness, and opens his door; I tell him my situation and ask if express envelopes say express. He tells me yes they do and they are different than the average FedEx envelopes. I felt so much better now.
In all the commotion I realized I accidentally hung up on my sister. Called her back and told her that her older sister is crazy. But I am pretty sure she already knew that. =)
I got to the library and related my whole story to my proctor and she just loves it. The lady from the town office was also working that day and tells me that the FedEx guy knew it was an express when he picked it up. He said it out loud when he took it from her.
Oh I WISH she would have told me that sooner and saved me some grief and stress.
Next I check my email and lo and behold, I actually got an email with my tracking number. Amazing!!! Tiana actually came through for me!
I should have mentioned this earlier but I'll tell you now, the reasons I was so frantic to get these test sent off was because (1.) The deadline for grades to be in is July 26th and (2.) I wasn't so sure I passed my 201 final after such a stressful situation regarding the missing figures, and I would need to know my score soon so that I could order another test and take it and have it graded by the 26th, the deadline.
But through it all I have come through it with a greater knowledge of the humanities, technical writing, BYU IS, and myself. My final grades being as follows:
Western Humanities 202 B+
Western Humanities 201 C+
Technical Writing 316 A
I am happy with my grades and got a good grade in the class that really matters to my career path.
I know that with everything that I went through God was watching over me and hearing my prayers. I spent much time on my knees praying for help in these past three weeks, and now I am spending a lot of time on my knees thanking God for the help he gave me.
Many tears were shed, along with many sleepless nights, tossing and turning unable to sleep because of the stress of the coming day, but I made it through and boy, will our kids have NO excuse for not finishing school if they tell me it's hard. I am going to tell my story over and over to them until they know to finish school so that they don't have to hear the story. Yes, that is probably why I had to go through this. Our future children are in for a real "treat".
mwahahahahahaha!!!!! (evil laugh) =)
Well I hope you enjoyed this tale of my experience.
Have a great day!! =)
(ps: UPDATE 7/25/13: I actually received a B in my 201 class and NOT a C+. My final score hadn't been adjusted yet. Hurrah!!)
(ps: UPDATE 7/25/13: I actually received a B in my 201 class and NOT a C+. My final score hadn't been adjusted yet. Hurrah!!)
