And Then There's This ...

 

I can't share the email I mention below because it's a fellow student, but it's from our professor.

As you know, I am an an accelerated 2-year program to become a certified cancer registrar, now called an ODS-C (Oncology Data Specialist).

So in this particular class, we studied about all the standard setters for cancer registry - the CoC and ACoS, CDC/NPCR, NCI/SEER, and the NAACCR. 

The CoC itself has an over 100-page manual alone and we did exactly 1 actual assignment on it - then we were referred to practice tests to do in self study on it.

The problem with that is, we have to pass the official pre-graduation exam on this manual before we graduate, and we take the first try within the next 2 weeks.

So essentially, I just spent $1500 of borrowed money on a class that mentioned this 100-page manual exactly 1 time, for 1 small assignment, then sent us off to take a mandatory external preprofessional exam on it in self-study and expected us to pass it without actually teaching on it in the next 2 weeks!

Why didn't we spend more time on it then, and why are we spending so much time on these organizational backgrounds rather than coding and what we will actually need to pass professional exams and abstracting?!?

Believe me, I'm not alone - I'm just the bravest - or the dumbest - to say so out loud.

Now - initially, we were told that if we didn't pass it during this class, we'd just get an SP for that particular assignment, but that we had to pass it before graduation.

There is little time to study a 100-plus page detailed manual on our own outside of class work, but I figured if I didn't pass this round, I would - I do have straight A's after all.

But then not so fast - in addition to the OBBBA nonsense cutting my financial aid in half, this bomb was dropped today. 

They didn't even bother to send us all an email or make a class announcement about it - it was just casually mentioned in an office hours professor's meeting last week (which I couldn't attend due to dashing at night). My classmates present sent private email questions confirming this was the case, which have been forwarded to me, so it's true. 

They just discovered that due to new financial aid obligations, they MUST give a grade for this external preprofessional exam that we've spent virtually no class time on, just self-study, in the next 2 weeks - and if we don't pass it, our grade overall will be a D, even if we have an A in the class overall or straight A's.

So essentially, it doesn't matter that we have A's on everything else in the class, it doesn't matter that haven't spent any time learning the material in class, it doesn't matter that we haven't even gotten to coding yet or any of the things that we need to do for our actual job one day - pass this external manual test on the CoC manual within the next 2 weeks or we fail.

Ya know, had they sent us a blanket email announcement on it or a class announcement, I'd be less upset - but the fact that they casually dropped it in office hours (that I couldn't attend because I was dashing) and let it filter through gossip instead is just - inexcusable.

Also, I learned today that people mentioning they've gotten D's get to continue with full financial aid anyway, despite OBBBA -  not based solely on financial need, but amount used - meanwhile, people like me with straight A's  get cut based on the same requirements. 

Nothing against these people, but that is so F-ed up!

The government will give you financial aid for D's but cuts straight-A students based on financial aid used thus far in your lifetime, even if decades ago???

In the real world, if you do well, you get raises and promotions.

But with school, you can actually still lose it based on credit hours used thus far and other bullshit?

Despite my anxiety issues, I have not yet shed 1 tear over the accelerated pace of this course, tech challenges, or even financial aid cuts.

In fact, I've encouraged many others struggling and crying over this stuff and their other obligations with work, kids, financial woes.

I got through the first big challenge when my tech stuff wouldn't work and that professor did nothing to fix them for us, I turned them all in by hand.

And yet when that news bomb just dropped, especially the way in which it was done - white flag -  I admit, I shed my first tear.

Because it just seems like every time I try to go back to school, obstacles get thrown in my path - some of which were within my control when younger, but many weren't like finances, family illness, and now this BS with the new OBBBA financial aid requirements.

And the thing is, I don't have many gifts, but I'm good at school. In fact, I LOVE school. 

I am 57 years old and my prior career has been replaced by AI. A certification in 2 years seemed like the best option.

And yet why am I throwing away money I don't have on courses that barely mention the stuff that will be on professional exams that we suddenly have to take and pass within the next 2 weeks that just now realized? 

And why did they not tell us all that, rather than office hours and sending private emails with students with questions about it?

(As I've said, I've seen the emails, I just can't share them.)

The reason I am writing about this publicly is for Trump voters to understand what they voted for and the downstream consequences on we the people, because ain't nothing "trickling down" on us, nothing good anyway..

You all say "America First" - oh yeah?

And yet we cut financial aid down to nothing, while spending $40 billion of our tax dollars are going to the Iran War - and for what?

Do we even know why?

For 17 soldiers to die thus far?

For oil prices to go up?

Oh wait, I know - so that Trump-supporting military contractors can make money!

(Well, that and distraction from other misdeeds).

Ding Ding Ding!

The latter two are the best combined answers!

Thus, Trump voters ...  I'm mad at you today.

I love you, but I'm mad at you for continuing to choose Trump despite his crazy antics. 

I'll get over it though lol. 

__________________________________

PS/UPDATE:

My professor just clarified in private email that we will not fail the class overall if we don't pass, but we WILL get a D on this mandatory preprofessional exam until we pass it at some point before graduation.

Okay, great - not only was that not made clear from the emails I saw, but we still have the problem of paying $1500 with borrowed money for this class,  that literally mentioned this 100-plus-page manual we're taking the preprofessional NCRA exam on exactly 1 time, then sent us off to self-study and take an external preprofessional mandatory exam in the next 2 weeks?

I mean, if you're not going to cover it in class, but it's mandatory, then what the heck am I paying Y'ALL fthousnads of borrowed money for if you just send me off to self-study it? 

Why is there not a class exclusively on it then???

And I'm not alone in feeling this way, believe me - lots of people complaining it's a lot of busy work that doesn't focus on what we actually need or takes too many classes to get to the nitty-gritty - and this situation sent lots of people into full panic mode.

I'm sorry, but if we have to pass mandatory preprofessional exams with professional organizations, then you should teach on it in class, not send us off in self-study on top of our course work, which basically has little to do with anything we'll actually be doing anyway.