Butterflies and a New Educational Adventure

Today was a big day.

See, a couple months ago, Andrew and I applied for Post 9/11 GI Bill benefits so we could continue our educations; our applications were approved.

That means that we will both have funding for grad school (both tuition and books)!!

The next step, therefore, is to get accepted to a graduate school in the area. One of the closest schools? The University of Iowa, in Iowa City, IA.

Iowa's Old Capitol, now a part of the University of Iowa.

Andrew's idea was to take two graduate courses in the non-degree program to 1.) get back into the school/study habit, and 2.) to establish a pattern of being able to get good grades at the graduate level, in case his GRE scores weren't as good as he'd hoped.

I thought that was a good idea, and was toying with doing the same thing myself.

So today, Andrew was planning on heading down there (about a 45 minute drive) to turn in the required paperwork, as well as dropping off his sealed undergraduate transcript at the graduate school office. Then he could sign up for a couple classes. He'd wanted me to go with him so I could do the same.

Here's Andrew on campus.

Well, I hadn't known until last night that he was planning on doing this, so I didn't have my transcripts sent. I told him I'd have to go down another day.

But since I had a bit of time today, I decided at the last minute, to go with him, just so I'd know exactly where I needed to go when I ended up going next week to drop off my paperwork (which I decided to take with me in the event I had a chance to sit down and finish filling it out).

Guess what? Once there, I realized that classes start NEXT WEEK!!

Good thing I brought my paperwork with me, right? (Except for the VA stuff, which I'll have to take with me next week, and drop off after class).

I got really excited about the prospect of signing up for a couple classes. As I scrolled through the list of English classes, I suddenly thought of my Uncle Hector, who was a professor of English and Linguistics in New Mexico. I missed him, and the opportunity to share my grad school experience with him.

It was a sad moment. I'd told Andrew, "I miss my uncle." He said, "Do this for him!" to which I responded, "I'll do it for me, but I'll keep him in mind."

And then I saw it . . . a class that looked really interesting - one that my uncle would've encouraged me to take - "Native American Literature." Here I was, thinking of my uncle, and voila! Here's a class he would've enjoyed talking about with me.

The computer, by the way, indicated it was still open!! Woo hoo!!

Andrew and I hurriedly finished our paperwork and literally ran over to the registrar's office to add our classes; I wanted to hurry up and sign up for the "Native American Literature" class before it filled up, because I'd found out there was one opening left.

Here's where we ran from one building to the next (from right to left).

Unfortunately, once we got to the registrar's office, I found out the class was full!  

Really?! In the few minutes it took us to run from one building to the neighboring building, the class filled up?!

Ugh. The registrar said I needed to get the slip signed by the professor, and that next week, I could head back to the registrar and see if anyone had dropped it, leaving a spot open for me. She said that if I had time today, maybe I could go to that professor's office and have him sign it now, then I wouldn't have to worry about it next week.

So Andrew and I did just that.

But this is where my second disappointment of the day happened - we found the professor and he said he couldn't sign it this week. I'll have to go to the first class on Tuesday, and if there are people who've dropped the class, he'll sign it then.

Ah, well. If it's meant to be, there'll be a space for me on Tuesday morning, when the first class is held. I'll be disappointed, but hopefully I'll find another class that is just as interesting, right?