I got another ultimatum e-mail from API today, saying that they need my passport picture NOW or they won't be my bff anymore or something. But I won't go into that because I don't want to make this into an API hate blog (even though it's a little late for that). Let's just say that if I make it through this, I'm starting an API Survivors Anonymous support group ("the other AA").
I decided that since I'm going to a foreign country in, oh, a month, I should probably read up a little bit on my destination. So I went to Border's today and bought two Frommer's books, Paris Day by Day and Portable Paris 2008. I also bought Savoir Flair by Polly Platt, which looks like it will be really helpful with fitting in culturally. I was looking for some student-centered guides but couldn't find any, so if there are any recommendations, throw them at me.
Tuesday, May 27, 2008
Thursday, May 22, 2008
One Missed Call
I hate to make this a blog about how much I hate API and the study abroad program at my school, but so far frustration has been a big part of my study abroad experience. And frankly if you're going to share this experience with me, you need to share in my frustrations. You are living vicariously through me. So let's journey together.
Today I check my voicemail, and I have a call from API. The message is that they have not yet received my paperwork, and were wondering if I was still planning on going on the trip. Then the woman goes on to say that they need the paperwork...today.
This is not the first time that they have given me a ridiculous deadline. I received a letter in the mail stating that I owe them several thousands of dollars by ...two days prior to receiving the letter.
I'm not totally sure where it's okay for a company to not mention any deadlines until the day of. Luckily I sent out my paperwork a few days ago, but what if I hadn't. The call was at 3:18 pm. How would I get that paperwork to them today? Short of driving to Texas, I'm not sure it's possible. I will truly be thankful if I get to Paris and have somewhere to live and have successfully registered in some (ANY) classes.
In other news, I got my visa today. Less than a week after my adventure to the French consulate. So everyone who told me it would take 90 days can suck it.
Today I check my voicemail, and I have a call from API. The message is that they have not yet received my paperwork, and were wondering if I was still planning on going on the trip. Then the woman goes on to say that they need the paperwork...today.
This is not the first time that they have given me a ridiculous deadline. I received a letter in the mail stating that I owe them several thousands of dollars by ...two days prior to receiving the letter.
I'm not totally sure where it's okay for a company to not mention any deadlines until the day of. Luckily I sent out my paperwork a few days ago, but what if I hadn't. The call was at 3:18 pm. How would I get that paperwork to them today? Short of driving to Texas, I'm not sure it's possible. I will truly be thankful if I get to Paris and have somewhere to live and have successfully registered in some (ANY) classes.
In other news, I got my visa today. Less than a week after my adventure to the French consulate. So everyone who told me it would take 90 days can suck it.
Saturday, May 17, 2008
Adventures at the French Consulate
So this morning my lovely father woke me up bright and early so that we could venture in to Boston and apply for a student visa. This process has been kind of a daunting task, and everytime I mention the word visa at school, somebody gives me a big sob story about how it take 4 months or 90 days or 15 years and your first born to get a visa. Even the woman at CVS was warning me that I need to start applying for stuff now if I think I'm going to go to Paris in July. I was going to go get my visa once before, but I hadn't read the information very carefully and didn't have a lot of the documents I needed. The list of necessary documents found on the consulate website was almost as intimidating as the horror stories about processing time. But finally I got all of my belongings together and made the journey to Boston.
I would just like to say that everyone who offered me any advice about getting my visa prior to today is a liar. Getting my visa was probably one of the easiest parts of the preparation process. Having all of the necessary documents in order helped, but the wait wasn't long, it was a pretty organized process, and I'm going back on Tuesday to pick up my visa. Yes, this coming Tuesday. 4 days from now, not 90.
The visa process was a huge relief from the stress and disorganization of the process so far. I'm hoping this becomes a theme for the rest of my trip!
I would just like to say that everyone who offered me any advice about getting my visa prior to today is a liar. Getting my visa was probably one of the easiest parts of the preparation process. Having all of the necessary documents in order helped, but the wait wasn't long, it was a pretty organized process, and I'm going back on Tuesday to pick up my visa. Yes, this coming Tuesday. 4 days from now, not 90.
The visa process was a huge relief from the stress and disorganization of the process so far. I'm hoping this becomes a theme for the rest of my trip!
Friday, May 16, 2008
You're Welcome
I decided today that I was going to keep a blog about my study abroad experience. You lucky people.
I'm leaving for Paris in a little over a month, but I would say my study abroad "experience" started about March when I decided that I wanted to participate in the program. I've been hesitant to say the least, and I only recently decided for sure that I would be going for the summer. So recently in fact that I received an ultimatum e-mail from API, the program that I will be studying through, a few days ago stating that I need to pay them or they were going to take me out of the program, and in fact, I still need to send out my paperwork.
I think that most people would think that I am crazy for not jumping at the opportunity to go to Paris, since my schedule and finances allow for it. But the experience has not been an easy one so far. The program has been disorganized so far, and I'm still not totally sure what's going on. Every time I try to get information from the study abroad office, they give me information about the culture. I'm not worried about the culture. I'm worried about getting there at all with the mountains of paperwork. My parents have been less than helpful throughout this experience as well. My dad mostly just asks a lot of questions that I have already answered, and my mom's contribution is that she is trying to find a reasonably priced round trip plane ticket to France so that she can come visit me.
Basically, I came into this experience with no passport, no clue, and no guidance, and now, I have a passport.
One of the more recent twists that I found out from the ever-reliable API is that even though I am requesting a dorm room, I probably will not get one. This is because they have reserved 10 dorm rooms for 50+ applicants. The rest (me included, because as I said I have not handed in my paperwork and I just paid them yesterday) will be staying with host families throughout Paris. Luckily the program manager casually mentioned this to my father during one conversation that I'm sure involved a lot of questions from him, otherwise I would be very surprised and annoyed when my housing placement was not in a dorm as I expected. Unfortunately for API, they still have 39 other people who are about to be very irritated.
Needless to say, my study abroad experience has not been a positive one so far. People keep saying that study abroad is an experience I will never forget. That I will be forever grateful that I took the opportunity to go to Paris while I was in college. That I will have the time of my life and it will change me as a person. But so far I feel like I'm being dumped in a foreign country where I barely speak the language despite a long and painful career in French classes, and at this point I don't care if it's life-changing, I just want to make it home alive.
I'm leaving for Paris in a little over a month, but I would say my study abroad "experience" started about March when I decided that I wanted to participate in the program. I've been hesitant to say the least, and I only recently decided for sure that I would be going for the summer. So recently in fact that I received an ultimatum e-mail from API, the program that I will be studying through, a few days ago stating that I need to pay them or they were going to take me out of the program, and in fact, I still need to send out my paperwork.
I think that most people would think that I am crazy for not jumping at the opportunity to go to Paris, since my schedule and finances allow for it. But the experience has not been an easy one so far. The program has been disorganized so far, and I'm still not totally sure what's going on. Every time I try to get information from the study abroad office, they give me information about the culture. I'm not worried about the culture. I'm worried about getting there at all with the mountains of paperwork. My parents have been less than helpful throughout this experience as well. My dad mostly just asks a lot of questions that I have already answered, and my mom's contribution is that she is trying to find a reasonably priced round trip plane ticket to France so that she can come visit me.
Basically, I came into this experience with no passport, no clue, and no guidance, and now, I have a passport.
One of the more recent twists that I found out from the ever-reliable API is that even though I am requesting a dorm room, I probably will not get one. This is because they have reserved 10 dorm rooms for 50+ applicants. The rest (me included, because as I said I have not handed in my paperwork and I just paid them yesterday) will be staying with host families throughout Paris. Luckily the program manager casually mentioned this to my father during one conversation that I'm sure involved a lot of questions from him, otherwise I would be very surprised and annoyed when my housing placement was not in a dorm as I expected. Unfortunately for API, they still have 39 other people who are about to be very irritated.
Needless to say, my study abroad experience has not been a positive one so far. People keep saying that study abroad is an experience I will never forget. That I will be forever grateful that I took the opportunity to go to Paris while I was in college. That I will have the time of my life and it will change me as a person. But so far I feel like I'm being dumped in a foreign country where I barely speak the language despite a long and painful career in French classes, and at this point I don't care if it's life-changing, I just want to make it home alive.
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