wind · fall

[wind-fawl] -noun
1. an unexpected gain, piece of good fortune, or the like.

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In my last post, I had alluded to the fact that registration for fall classes had not gone as smoothly as I'd hoped, but that all would be well in the end. In fact, all turned out better than I could have anticipated. I am now registered for the fall and I feel like a "windfall" is the only way to describe the outcome.

I had thought that I would begin my program by taking seven "core" classes, so I'd looked up the recommended first semester schedule. Imagine how baffled I was to find that I was unable to access any of the courses I needed. They were all listed, but the link to add them wasn't live. I started making phone calls... and what followed was a comedy of errors, and unfortunately it seemed the joke was on me.

The registrar's office told me I needed to get permission to enroll in those classes from the business department. The business department told me the classes were all full, but I probably didn't need them, and I should call the program advisor. What had I heard about my core waiver review? Huh? (I had submitted this form, but hadn't received anything back yet, figuring it wasn't urgent because I needed to take the core first.) The business office didn't have it. My advisor didn't have it. Ahhh!!!

By this time I was approaching sheer panic and total despair - I couldn't get into any core classes, nobody had my paperwork, and I had no idea what to do. Thankfully when I called the advisor's office, he answered on the first ring. In a matter of minutes, he offered to get my core waiver form straightened out and made a recommendation for registration.

By Friday, all was indeed well. VERY well! Here's why...

~ My class schedule is set and I will be on campus three days per week. Campus is a 100-mile round trip, so being there as few days as possible each week is a great time and cost savings.

~ The waiver form was quickly reviewed, and I was able to register for classes that are considered important to take early in the program. In fact, one of them is a prerequisite for just about everything else.

~ And the best ever? Of the seven core classes I thought I would be taking first, I am required to take only one. One!! Besides the fact that this means I will get my degree faster than expected (and for less tuition money,) my first classes are jumping right into the subject matter I'm most interested in.


A lesson learned... not to panic when things don't go according to plan, because sometimes what rises from the chaos is something that I couldn't have dreamed was possible. Amen to that!!