We Line Up
As an OSAP funded postsecondary student, I have the honour and privilege to join hundreds of students in the longest lines possible for seemingly endless hours. After wandering the halls of the financial aid office following signs pointing in circles, I finally found the end of the line, which was, of course, practically back at the beginning of the building's hallway.
Every year my university finds new and spectacular ways to get us underfunded students completely lost and disoriented. I do not know why they feel the need to change the system every year, but we are always at a loss as to which line to stand in first and which wicket to aim for. It always reminds me of those old game shows..."And behind door number two...another line! If only you had picked door number 27, you would have won your loan!!!"
The nice thing about line up day, er, OSAP release day, is that after standing in line for two and a half bloody hours, you can make some interesting friends with the people in front of and behind you. I had a very interesting conversation with two girls. One was a pretty, slim, fourth year business student with no specific career goals and a boyfriend of five years, and whose mother is in remission from cancer. The other was a heavy-set, sweet girl in second year languages who has extensive education plans (double degrees followed by graduate school) who lives with a foster family and is frighteningly serious about pursuing her career goals before she considers any romantic entanglements whatsoever.
As we stood there in line, discussing everything from politics to frosh week to public education vs homeschooling to health services to environmental concerns, I began to feel at ease. I felt like I had known them all my life, and yet I knew that once the line ended and we were sent on our way with promises of direct deposit funds, that I wouldn't probably see them again. More than that, I knew that if I had met them anywhere other than the OSAP release line, I probably wouldn't have conversed with them, and even if I had, I realized that there were such character differences that we would probably not be friends. I don't say this to be cruel, just as a likely fact. I think it's one of the great fascinations about humanity that we are able to converse so freely with people that we barely know. In fact, I know from my personal experience that I find it much easier to drop my guard around people that I know I'll likely never see again, than those that I know I'll see again and again. I suppose it's that their judgment and opinion of me doesn't matter nearly as much as that of my friends, family, or closer acquaintances.
On a lighter topic, how amazing is it that it's the third day of classes and I'm already sick? Lots of fluids and an early night for sleep. I was going to take a bath, but have discovered that we have no plugs for anything except the kitchen sink. Can you say "trip to the dollar store"?
Every year my university finds new and spectacular ways to get us underfunded students completely lost and disoriented. I do not know why they feel the need to change the system every year, but we are always at a loss as to which line to stand in first and which wicket to aim for. It always reminds me of those old game shows..."And behind door number two...another line! If only you had picked door number 27, you would have won your loan!!!"
The nice thing about line up day, er, OSAP release day, is that after standing in line for two and a half bloody hours, you can make some interesting friends with the people in front of and behind you. I had a very interesting conversation with two girls. One was a pretty, slim, fourth year business student with no specific career goals and a boyfriend of five years, and whose mother is in remission from cancer. The other was a heavy-set, sweet girl in second year languages who has extensive education plans (double degrees followed by graduate school) who lives with a foster family and is frighteningly serious about pursuing her career goals before she considers any romantic entanglements whatsoever.
As we stood there in line, discussing everything from politics to frosh week to public education vs homeschooling to health services to environmental concerns, I began to feel at ease. I felt like I had known them all my life, and yet I knew that once the line ended and we were sent on our way with promises of direct deposit funds, that I wouldn't probably see them again. More than that, I knew that if I had met them anywhere other than the OSAP release line, I probably wouldn't have conversed with them, and even if I had, I realized that there were such character differences that we would probably not be friends. I don't say this to be cruel, just as a likely fact. I think it's one of the great fascinations about humanity that we are able to converse so freely with people that we barely know. In fact, I know from my personal experience that I find it much easier to drop my guard around people that I know I'll likely never see again, than those that I know I'll see again and again. I suppose it's that their judgment and opinion of me doesn't matter nearly as much as that of my friends, family, or closer acquaintances.
On a lighter topic, how amazing is it that it's the third day of classes and I'm already sick? Lots of fluids and an early night for sleep. I was going to take a bath, but have discovered that we have no plugs for anything except the kitchen sink. Can you say "trip to the dollar store"?
posted by Haley @ 9:03 p.m.
