I hit the skids once again at the end of this semester. The straight dope: I crashed and nearly burned when I overworked myself. Thinking I'd be leaving in the middle of winter, I took on a nearly full time schedule at work to save as much money as possible for a move (in the city or elsewhere). Nearing finals, I was weeks behind on work and exhausted and nowhere the mindset need for finishing strong, arranging a move in the city in the middle of winter, and . That's when my advisor suggested I stay until May, and revealed that you don't have to be registered full time in your final semester to keep housing.
And so, after semesters of emotional hell, I did the unthinkable.
I delayed graduation and I'm staying....by choice until the end of May.
Thursday, December 14, 2017
Wednesday, September 13, 2017
The Final Countdown
Hey everyone,
I hate to say it, but microblogging platforms...facebook and instagram have taken over. It's downright weird to read this blog after not touching it all for a year and a half.
Suffice it to say, a lot happened. Columbia attempted to financially expel me. I feel no remorse calling it that. I can't pay right now and my credit is trashed from the recession, it's been a problem since I got here, everyone in the admin knew about it. I was far from the only person going into debt directly to the school because private loans weren't an option. A lot of us left. Few of us found a way.
Mine included taking an unpaid internship that transitioned to a theatre management position at an off-Broadway venue in Hell's Kitchen. I love my job, I'm good at my job, and the money is good. Working this job allowed me to set up a six month deal for $4000 in payments to the school in exchange for being able to register for my final two semesters. I was within a week of being evicted from housing because of my situation and I'm going to keep fighting on behalf of my fellow student's because the current system is set up to let the less financially able, but just as talented - get in, accrue debt many times directly owning the school not private lenders,only to be told by the bursar that it's for our own good if we aren't allowed to finish/are forced to leave with a mountain of debt and with out completing our requirements.
TL:DR I got a job, earned money, ransomed my registration rights, and now - after 11 years, I'm completing my bachelor's requirements at the end of December. (I will not be allowed my diploma until the money owed school directly is paid in full, so I should see it so.metime around 2027.) The Course reqs are updated and....we're almost home free.
I hate to say it, but microblogging platforms...facebook and instagram have taken over. It's downright weird to read this blog after not touching it all for a year and a half.
Suffice it to say, a lot happened. Columbia attempted to financially expel me. I feel no remorse calling it that. I can't pay right now and my credit is trashed from the recession, it's been a problem since I got here, everyone in the admin knew about it. I was far from the only person going into debt directly to the school because private loans weren't an option. A lot of us left. Few of us found a way.
Mine included taking an unpaid internship that transitioned to a theatre management position at an off-Broadway venue in Hell's Kitchen. I love my job, I'm good at my job, and the money is good. Working this job allowed me to set up a six month deal for $4000 in payments to the school in exchange for being able to register for my final two semesters. I was within a week of being evicted from housing because of my situation and I'm going to keep fighting on behalf of my fellow student's because the current system is set up to let the less financially able, but just as talented - get in, accrue debt many times directly owning the school not private lenders,only to be told by the bursar that it's for our own good if we aren't allowed to finish/are forced to leave with a mountain of debt and with out completing our requirements.
TL:DR I got a job, earned money, ransomed my registration rights, and now - after 11 years, I'm completing my bachelor's requirements at the end of December. (I will not be allowed my diploma until the money owed school directly is paid in full, so I should see it so.metime around 2027.) The Course reqs are updated and....we're almost home free.
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