First Full Day On Campus

Aug 31:

I woke up today too many times to remember. When the alarm finally went off, I struggled to get up- ironic, I know. I bathed and got dressed and ventured out in the rain for the 1^st time on Barbados roads, me and God. It was a bit of a walk with a heavy laptop and a small umbrella with part of the journey up a hill, but I survived and did the natural heavy breathing once I got to the top (sooo unfit). It didn’t take long for the ZR (ie, route taxi with a no. 3 on it) to get there.

I got to school and headed to Neetha (programme co-ordinator) as there were questions I had about registration that I needed to ask. Good thing I went there, because there was some info that got lost along the way. Got that sorted out. Then went to Post Grad for them to sign my scholarship form saying I arrived at the institution. Got that done, then on to registration. That was a but of a hassle. I went to the computer lab they told me to go while I was in the Post Graduate area, and tried logging on the computer. Nothing. Noone seemed to know much, so I left and back over the Neetha. We tried from there. I was able to change my password and all, but couldn't register because the system requires the CRN number for the courses and not the course code. Weird. Did the search. Nothing. Ok. So I go back to the computer lab where there are personnel from the Pot Graduate studies there to assist. Eventually logged on. Still I wasn’t able to register because the system couldn’t find the courses’ CRN numbers. The persons there to assist were just as clueless as to why it wasn’t working. I eventually gave up and decided I needed food in my system.

I went back over to Neetha because I left my laptop in her office (I did mention it was heavy). Figured she wanted to go for lunch. I met some other students while there, one of whom had luck registering in a big yellow building on the hill. So the other two of us who hadn’t yet registered went to said building and got through with no problems. Then we went to get our ID pictures taken.

We then trekked it back down the hill and went to the cafeteria for food. I had a salad that looked small but was way too much and so I ended up throwing away some of it (God forgive me). After eating, my new friend (and her mom) and I parted ways.

I went back to the computer lab and then I remembered that I forgot about immigration. Great! So I trekked back up that hill. Sigh. I saw a security guard and asked where I was to go. That’s when I heard that they had already packed up because today is for matriculation of the undergraduates. Oh well. I guess I’ll be back next week. The rain came on the way down.

I eventually decided that I needed to head back to get my laptop and then head home. But I ended up spending over half hour with Neetha because she was telling me more about the programme. I know now that the overseas trip I’ll be taking next year is fully covered and I’ll need spending money, I could have gotten a US visa if I hadn’t already had one, and it’s a trip to Belize for a week (at least) with a possible over-night in Miami on both legs. I think from what I have heard about the programme so far, I like it and I’ll be over-worked at the end of it, but it would be worth it.

I left there and met up with Sara. We decided that we’d go into town tomorrow (on her offering). Took the bus home with no rain this time around.

I had intended to go out with Yvonne (one of B’s friends) but she fell asleep. No horrors. All in all a well-spent day. Just hoped I’d remembered to email my OAS scholarship advisor before I got home to the life of no internet.