Yes, I am. When told people that I completed my CS degree (those people being friends, family, and my current employer!) in the fall of 2005 I was lying through my teeth.
When I turned in my completed paperwork and copy of my project report to UIC's CS department last September I jokingly asked ,"So am I really done now?" "Yes, you are," she replied. "Really?," I sarcastically asked, "I still don't believe it to be true." Yes, you are. Congratulations," she said as she smiled. I left the office floating on a cloud. All these years and it was finally done. Aside from being relieved I was immensely proud. I wrote December 2005 on my resume as the date I received my degree. I moved to Madison, interviewed, and found a job.
I know in the past the College of Engineering has had a smaller ceremony where your name is actually called in December for fall graduates so I emailed the department in early November to determine if it was taking place and if I could participate. They said no, it didn't take place anymore -- only in the spring. Fine.
This past Wednesday I received an email from the same woman I spoke with in September at the CS office -- "Do you plan on graduating this Spring? Your project is done but you didn't declare your intent to graduate last Fall and the deadline for Spring is this Friday."
Well, this was very upsetting to say the least. I wanted to call this woman and scream my head off at her, but the reality is that will only hurt the entire process. I composed myself and emailed her back trying to be polite with the following facts: I was told by the "CS office" (not her) that I was done and I NOW LIVE IN ANOTHER STATE! In all my years ay UIC each and every form I had to fill out needed 12 signatures and had to be walked to Dean Jerk's office before heading to Department Head Lazy's office. I figured there was no way this would be any different. Thankfully, that is incorrect.
I logged into the website, clicked 2 buttons, and had declared my intent to graduate. I made the deadline, and will now be a Spring 2006 graduate. I forwarded all of this to my friend in the CS office and was given the thumbs up. Only time will tell if it worked this time -- I'll believe it when I see the degree in my mailbox. UIC is way hardcore and takes no pity on its subjects.
3 comments:
Wow! all this time I've looked up to you... No longer! All my heros have let me down!!
So write a song about it and get a froofy haircut -- then start a band named after a simpsons character and watch the $ and chicks roll in. Then give me 10%.
is there anyone among us who actually graduated college? I found out in 2001 that I never actually graduated in 1999. Apparently I had been registered for the same class twice, and since I only completed it once, I had an outstanding "incomplete." Even though I bought the single-use biodegradable cap & gown (no joke) and shook somebody's hand on the football field. I guess that doesn't count for much anymore. Missed you on sunday. It was brutal. Took me several days to floss the mud out of my teeth.
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