Why do the simplest things in my life turn into major adventures? Can nothing be easy?Case in point....
I decided to sign up for a Photoshop Elements class at a local community college. I debated the $250 fee, but figured it was money well spent if I actually learned the program instead of wasting the $100 I spent on it initially if I can't use it properly. I'm an idiot and the 2 inch thick book I bought to help me is not working--I need to be shown like a monkey how to work this damn thing.
I tried to enroll on Saturday, but the site wouldn't accept my information saying "We cannot verify this information" and not letting me proceed to the final step to registration. Joe and I went over and over my information, trying to figure out why it would not allow me to register. Sigh. Okay, I'll call on Monday.
Monday comes and I call to register over the phone.
As I give the lady my name and social security number, I'm met with an "Ohhhhhh" on the other end of the line.
"Do you have another name?" she asks.
"Well, I had a maiden name like a hundred years ago, " I say, "but I've taken classes since those days."
"Oh. I'll have to transfer you to Human Resources. Apparently you were an employee here and you have to update your old information with them before I can register you." She tells me in a very serious voice.
What?????! (I think I said that too.)
So, now I'm on the phone with Human Resources--to register for a $250 non-credit just-for-fun class. Really?
And I give the HR dame the story now. And I'm not very happy. And I think that transferred over the phone lines.
"Ohhhhhh. Apparently you worked here..."
"YEAH. WHEN I WAS 18! AND I'M 48 NOW!" I was shouting. "What does this have to do with this silly class that I want to take for fun?"
"Well, since you worked here, you have to update your information with the school....in writing. Do you have email?......" she says seriously.
OMG. I worked as a part-time student aide for 2 semesters over 30 years ago at this school. Why do I have to put in writing that I have gotten married since that time and I now have a married name? This isn't a class for credit or a degree or anything. The hell??! And what does this have to do with HR? And why didn't the Alumni Association make all these changes in my file when they called me last summer? Arrrrggghh.
So I tell the dame "Forget it. I don't want to take the class anymore." and I hang up. I'm infuriated. I think about ditching the whole damn plan, but I don't give up that easily.
And I go back online.
This time, I register in my maiden name and it accepts me. Done. Problem solved. It's just so silly. Why on earth would HR care if I worked there 30 years ago and what my name is now? Can't they just register me with my current information? Have they ever run into a woman who has a married name and a maiden name? Is that really so difficult to handle--for a COLLEGE? Sheesh.
Does everything have to be so difficult or is it just me?
I'm just hoping when they call my name for attendance I know who the hell I am and what name to answer to.
27 comments:
That doesn't even make sense to me. What do they care if you worked there before when you are just trying to take a non credit class? People make mountains out of mole hills some times when they really just need to let it go.
Well Miss Lin, I look forward to seeing what your maiden name learns ya. ;-)
Once your in the system you're there for life. A little scary but hey if you ever need a job reference...
I can usually learn from a manual EXCEPT for these graphics programs - I have to see how it's done and then do it myself - hand to brain, hand to brain.
Wish I could find a course like that. Around here the community colleges have courses like "Introduction to Learning to Read"...::Sigh::
I hope you enjoy your class after all that struggle to get signed up! Oh red tape... :(
xo Catherine
$250? I should offer private classes for double that!! I don't even care what name the person who pays me is!!!
oops. And here I thought the outcome would go like this: Ms. Huffy would grudgingly inform HR, then she would be told that, as a former employee, she would get a 50% tuition discount!
Well, no. Sometimes crap is just crap. ;-)
Then maybe you can teach me. I still can't do much other than resize and marginally fix my photos.
One of my favorite expressions fits in here. "In order to serve you better . . ." Irritates,doesn't it?
Vanilla might be onto something here. I know that employees get a discount on classes there, and possibly past employees would too. It might be worth checking on. Phyl
omg- thats freaking ridiculous. they don't take you because they think you're giving the wrong info but register you under the wrong info.
Um, is it me or is that just BIZARRE?
O....M....G!!!!
What a load of #%*!*#*!#!!!
Ek...in her path a trial of lies she leaves...
Hehe...that's very odd. VERY ODD. Why is it that people need so much in detail information from you these days? You're right though, absolutely NOTHING is simple. NOTHING. Not even things you try to do for fun. So lame.
I wish I lived closer to you I would show you how to use the program. I wouldn't charge you $250 and I would let you go by any name you wanted :)
That's just plain crazy
Yeah, for some reason once you're in a university's system, you're in there. It's crazy!
Glad you worked it out though :D
Okay, I was infuriated with you... that is until the end when you made me laugh. I can see you sitting there as the instructor calls your name. Head down, doodling on paper... waiting for your name! LOL... Okay, really, I am too through with community colleges. My daughter had the toughest time getting everything situated for a couple of summer courses. She, of course, has vowed never to take anything there again and every sentence starts with "At MY school..."
SIGH!... Well, I'm glad you got into the class and didn't have to go through the HR stuff. We are so alike 'cause I would have went back online and registered with my maiden name as well. Higher education at work!
Makes no sense... shouldn't there have been an employee discount on the registration if they bothered updating the record?
blueyes--Bureaucracy at it's best, with no one thinking. You should have heard me yelling! ;)
Jodi--I'm hopin' there are some cute boys in my class!
Grace--I really need the class because, like you, I have to be shown how to do it first. Then I take a cabillion notes and go from there. It's gonna be interesting. And I'm thinking I won't need a job reference for a 10 hr/week student aide job from 30 years ago!
Catherine--Me too. I almost ditched the whole plan after that.
Diana--I wish you were here because I would come to YOU for lessons. Or I can just come live with you for a week and have you teach me. Does Dori have bunk beds???
Vanilla--But I would have to put it in writing for my discount and I would be GIVING IN, Vanilla. I never give in. I am stubborn. :)
Pricilla--I can do a few things, but I really need a class to use the program to its capabilities. It drives me nuts that I have it and can't really use it!
Chuck--Ugh. I get all wound up just thinking about it!
Phyl--I'm laying low on this one, Phyl. I don't want to draw attention to my secret registration scam. :)
Tracy--They encourage you to lie! It's like calling the utilities and they won't talk to me because I'm not Joe. Now I just call and SAY I'm Joe. They don't believe me, but they can't prove it. :p It's fun beating the system.
Hot Rocks--Isn't that CRAZY??! You should have heard me cussin'!
Nancy--I was this close to not even registering, but I was so annoyed at that point that I did it just to get back at them. Why don't they have the ability to update current info on past students without all that??! It is, after all, a non-credit class. Sheesh.
Ann--And I would pay you $250 to show me! PLUS we would have fun and have lunch and stuff. Oh wait...somehow I think we wouldn't get much done with all that talking and laughing and Duke petting going on. :)
Jen--It's weird because I have taken classes before under my married name. I'm wondering what happened to that information. It's just weird and annoying.
Petula--I'm gonna be sitting there, waiting for them to call my old name and then I'm gonna be giggling when I hear it. Really. I'm such a dork. :) It's like my own little party.
DameMeow--I'm STILL confused on why HR needed to correct my info. Do they think I want to be a student aide again??? ;)
How frustrating! At least you were able to get registered though and hopefully you learn a lot too. I thought of taking a Photoshop class at our local community college because I need to be shown how to do it too.
Beaded Tail--Be sure to dust off your maiden name, pally!! Hahaha! After all of this, I am excited to get in there and learn PSE!
Nearly all of the software programs I've learned started out self-taught, by just diving in or getting one of those "for dummies" books. I wish I had this program so I could learn it. Several jobs I've wanted to apply for list that you need to know Photoshop and I've never been exposed to it. Goodness knows I've got the time on my hands to learn it.
Lola's Diner
I'm sorry to hear that brother messed up Em's computer. If she has a regular puter and not a mac have her try system restore. Basically it lets you roll the computer back to a prior date. To use system restore go to
Start...
then click
all programs....
then click
Accessaries.....
and then click
System tools....
and then click
system restore
I use it when windows puts a new update on my computer and it then begins to act all wonky.
Damnation, talk about having to work for it. Although I admire your workaround. It never occurred to me that you could register with your maiden name.
But oy! I can't believe they held your info for 30 years!
Lola--Jobs want you to know Photoshop?? Hmmmm... Elements seems pretty scaled down, but it is all I really need here. Still--I have to have someone show me all that it can do before I can master it. Book learning things like that doesn't work for me--time or no time.
Ozark Mtn Cats--Oh, I forgot about that. I'll ask Joe to see if it is too late. Thanks for the reminder. Em thanks you for your sympathy. :)
CardioGirl--I was gonna ditch the whole plan, but I'll be damned if they are gonna win this battle! Now I have to remember what my old name was!
LOVE this pic.
You and I could write a book on this stuff.
The university wanted my friend to drop before she failed for not keeping up with required posting. She had nuclear clouds overhead for gosh sakes. Sorry the earthquake, tsunami, nuclear reactors blowing up and evacuation with nothing but two suitcases weren't accounted for in university policies. sheesh
Helene--You'd think THEY, of all people, would understand. Ugh.
WTF? That's insane. I dunno why weird shit like that happens. My license just expired and I had to bring my fricken marriage certificate and two proofs of address and ID in order to get a new license. My license has had my married name on it since 2005 so why the hell do they need my cert 6 years later? Stupidheads. In summation, I'm with you.
Casey--Isn't that stupid?? I mean, they should expect that most women get married and change their names. Why must we go through the Inquisition in order to document our married names??? It's insane. And even more insane when I don't answer to my maiden name on the first day of class. :)
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