Monday, January 11, 2010

Please Hold...I'm a Very Busy Girl

Real Facebook status of a former roomie still in college...

Twin #2 is "on hold with student aid... 20 mins and counting"

I remember that. Calling, waiting, asking "where is my money?". My sophomore year I received a letter under my door that read something along the lines of "If the university does not receive $3,000 by Friday 12:00pm you will be asked to evacuate your on campus housing". Thanks guys.

Now my loan company and I have a different relationship. When it's time to pay them back they don't make you wait for hours at a time to talk to someone. You get bumped right to the front of the line. In fact, they're calling me! I'm so popular. I imagine my name, phone number, and social are posted somewhere in their coffee room. I kind of want to repay the favor and put them on hold. We'll make it a true role reversal.

"Thank you for doing business with the Ice Queen. Your call is very important to her and she will be with you shortly."

I remember the days of waking up every morning and checking that email with the subject line "Direct Deposit of Tuition Refund". I think my last year of college was the worst. I was student teaching and started 2 weeks earlier than Penn State. Of course, Penn State didn't care when I started. They weren't going to give me my loan refund until it was convenient enough for them to do so. I worked all summer in my moms office and it was a rough summer for the family so I was splitting most of our household bill with her. I went back to school with a money order for $267.75 for my first month's rent and a $20 bill ($10 of which went into my gas tank immediately upon arriving in my empty apartment).

I had to make it for 2 weeks with that left over money. To this day I couldn't tell you how the hell I did it, but I did. I went to a gas station and bought a bag of pretzels and began rationing them so that my rabbit wouldn't die of starvation. The sign of a true bleeding heart...putting animals before myself.

Now I'm not as broke but I have to say that it's pretty close. It's an interesting feeling when you realize after the fact that everyone in high school was right...you couldn't afford to go to that big name university.

Do I regret it? Not for a second.

12 comments:

Anonymous said...

Good for you for pushing on through and making it! I wish I would have been so brave.

And yeah, the loan institutions are total aholes when you are waiting on THEM for money. Jerks.

Poindexter said...

bravo to you - so glad you're on the other side now. You rock!!

Liz Mays said...

My daughter's refund comes every quarter before classes even start! I'm always shocked by that!

The Queen said...

You kinda made me cry. I sent my daughter away to a college she wanted..in another state.. While she got good scholarships.. it didn't cover the extras.. and I didn't have the money to help much.

But she's wiser for the experience.. and I know she can handle anything because of that first year I sent her away to college..

Now.. IF SHE EVER GOES THAT FAR AWAY AGAIN.. I'LL HURT HER BAD...
and today is her 30th bd.. and I still will hurt her if she goes far away..

Once a Mom..always a MOM..

Jaime said...

ugh. i hate every month when i have to write out my student loan payments. i think my son will be in college before i'm done paying off law school!

Julie said...

ugh I hate student bills....good for you girl!

Unknown said...

Seriously! I forgot how annoying those phone calls (and lines) were waiting for your refund...

Optimistic Pessimist said...

You went to Penn State!!!! You were near me!!!

Mike said...

I never had any student loans! I never went to college! I am a fucking idiot! :)

Jason said...

You really do have a great blog here. I have a blog myself which brings inspiration and guidance to people all around the world. Life is hard enough, and I hope my site can contribute anything positive to someone's day.

I'd like to exchange links with you to help spread some traffic around between each other. Please let me know if this is possible. Until then, keep up the good work.

Jason
TheWISDOMWALL.com

Kate said...

Thats really inspirational - congrats for pushing through.

Kate xx

http://secretofficeconfessions.blogspot.com/

G said...

I'm your facebook fan now :-)