Bureaucracy, part XXIV.

At my old job when they'd change the computer system that usually meant that we got to stand around doing nothing for a week or so. We also got to go home early more than usual. Any kind of computer system upheaval filled me with glee. But, now that I'm on sabbatical from the working world (stop laughing!) and have gone back to school, any kind of computer system upheaval fills me with horror.

The school has a completely new computer system for grades, enrollment, etc. I knew the transition wouldn't go without a hitch, but what I didn't consider was that the transition would screw up my grades. Friday I got my report card and was shocked to find I'd gotten an F. I didn't think I'd done that hot on the exam, but I didn't think it'd have catastrophic results on my final grade. Naturally, I threw a fit. What else am I going to do? Eventually the logical part of my brain kicked into gear and I went to the school's web site to check my grades. I got an A. In the old system I have an F and in the new system I have an A, which also means I have two grade point averages. Lovely.

I went to school Friday and couldn't straighten it out because the people I needed to talk to had gone home. This morning I couldn't get it straightened out because the people I needed to talk to had gone on vacation. So, I get wait until August 18th to get my teacher to confirm my grade. Bureaucracy is marvelous thing to behold.

The only vaguely amusing thing about this whole mind-numbing episode was being told that the grades in the old system were hand keyed, which probably means some yutz who deserved an F in that class ended up with my A. Wait, that's not amusing at all.