In the summer of 2003, I sat in the Journalism Office of Holmes Hall as an incoming freshman, bright-eyed, bushy-tailed and bursting with transfer credit.
As I rattled off my list of completed coursework, the advisor assigned to help me create my fall schedule nodded accordingly and granted me a reprieve from the courses I had already received either AP or university credit for. I thought it was settled.
My first inkling something was awry was at the end of my second freshman semester when I stumbled upon the degree audit option on the myNEU Web site. And to what did my wondering eyes appear? Absolutely nothing.
Somewhere along the way, the AP people decided to send scores to the Admissions Office or the Registrar, and Northeastern wanted them to go to the Journalism Office or the College of Arts and Sciences. Or perhaps switch them on, let’s say, five-minute intervals.
Not feeling too discouraged yet, I felt it was time to just start anew and get another copy of my AP and transfer credits from the State University of New York (SUNY) at Albany.
Beyond the impossible password I had to create that I forgot within 10 seconds after logging in, SUNY Albany decreed that transcript requests had to be made in person or by fax; not e-mail, not over the phone.
After tracking down a fax machine (I don’t recall “fax machine” on the suggested list of items I was supposed to bring freshman year) my advisor went MIA. I tracked down her replacement and made sure my transcript was sitting in her hands.
While my AP score of three was deemed suitable to take the place of my U.S. History class and the two years of AP Spanish were used, apparently my AP English credit was not satisfactory to replace the basic freshman writing course, College Writing.
Now, I am going into my middler year of journalism. That fact alone is enough to get me out of my middler year, advanced writing discipline class. I am an editor at The Northeastern News and a co-op at the Boston Globe. Writing is the one subject I have excelled in for as long as I can remember.
But, apparently, even though the experience I am supposed to have garnered in my journalism classes is enough to give me a “get out of middler year writing free” card, it doesn’t cover the basic writing class that other students take during their first semester here.
So what’s the problem? I take an exceedingly easy class, score a complete 4.0 from it, walk away with a chance to take an hour nap three times a week and come out with an improved GPA. Sounds great, right?
I worked hard for these credits because I am a motivated student. I have aspirations to pick up minors and maybe even study abroad. Each slot on my schedule has to be meticulously picked to ensure I am taking my required classes in the most efficient way possible, so that I may have the freedom to take full advantage of my Northeastern experience. Not only would this course not benefit me, but it would actually hinder my progress.
But, after speaking with my Arts and Sciences advisor as well as representatives from the English Department (and one failed attempt to make an appointment with the registrar, whose secretary said I still haven’t “exhausted all my options”) no one is willing to listen to any reason and instead insist on falling back on a blanket policy that should be adapted for a case by case basis.
Perhaps if the powers that be would actually take the time to listen to a student, they’d see just how exhausted I really am.
– Bobby Hankinson is a sophomore journalism major and
