The Dudeism Forum

Dean of the arts and letters department is insisting I take a 3 credit theatre class.

After he waived 8 credits worth of French so I could graduate with everyone.

The only reason he wants me to take that class is because his head is so far up his own theatre-loving fanciful ass that he wants me to have to pay another $1,200 for a college class that has nothing to do with my concentration.

Meanwhile, my mother's in poor health and graduating meant me being able to move closer to her and help out more. Now I'll have no money to relocate and even less money because I'll have to quit a job (I have three) to take this bullshit theatre class.

Way to inspire interest in education by forcing it on someone, fuckhead!

My mother got a hold of the guy's number. As embarrassing as it is, I'm kinda hoping it has some effect. She can really lay the guilt on--seriously, she works in guilt the way some work in oils or paints.

It's so completely undude of me, but I'm so fucking upset right now. I'm having a very Walter day. My special man friend and his dad think I'm out of my mind because after working for so long for a simple bachelor's degree I'm about to say "fuck it" and just drop out on principle. I'd rather work as a cashier and get drunk with friends and live paycheck to paycheck than let this fucking prick push his agenda on me.

Apparently it's required, although he never said anything and passed my paperwork through with no problem. He doesn't give a fuck about me or my problems--he just wants to feed the monkey (the monkey being the college) with more money that I don't have.

What do I do, dudes? I literally feel like someone has to draw a line in the sand, man. And across this line, you do NOT--also, I feel like if I have to sit in one more class listening to someone else talk for five more months I'm going to lose my fucking mind.

Well dude, as you may know by now, my record on giving advice really sucks. I have little idea on how to solve my own problems half the time. But maybe we can find something from the Dude De Ching to fit the bill here. http://dudeism.com/tao/

My only other way of coping is to just say fuck it and go bowling...but I don't think that's very helpful in you[r] case.

Check the Dude De Ching dude!

Reference to the movie Animal House for other options ..... that would be my suggestion.........

My advice: follow YOUR dreams. Fuck the rest, they do not have to live your life at the end of the day.

Also, great time to say "fuck it, I'm going bowling."

Well, now the registrar's office is telling me they sent me notification in February. I have no such letter.

I think they're trying to make me out to be the asshole here. I'm not tryin' to scam anyone here, man.

So I'm looking all through my records to find this letter they apparently sent. If it's not here, I never received it, and they can't prove otherwise.

You know,..on fourth/fifth thought, take the class and get your diploma. I mean isn't abiding just doing what we need to do and not getting all worked up and expending all that time and energy fighting the system?...am I wrong? Who knows, you might actually enjoy the theatre class. It just might change your life dude.
I mean you still gotta feed the monkey and a diploma makes that a whole lot easier.

But then you gotta remember I'm an ex Little Lebowski Urban Achiever. I spend 43 years puckering up and bending over till I was able to retire in 08 and find my inner dude.
I did what I had to do to feed the monkey without becoming a fuckin' Fascist myself dude...and got out just as soon as I was able.
Now I'm living the life of the dude, and enjoying every fuckin' minute of it!

Take the class dude and get the diploma while you still can. It can't hurt.

No, you're not wrong, but the thing is, it's not my fuck-up, and I shouldn't have to pay for their mistake. I have 25 more credits than I need to graduate and the dean can (and will) substitute that class requirement.

I've already taken theatre classes with the professor and he's a real reactionary. I mean if it were just some bullshit lecture class that'd be one thing--but he turns lecture classes into performance classes and makes people act and stuff...which I did already to satisfy the requirement.

Also, it's a money issue. I've got several monkeys to feed (including bill collectors). $1200 is a lot for someone like me.

I mean I know I'm being pretty un-dude about it, but even after I've had a few drinks and calmed down, I still don't think it's right to force me to take a class just because they fucked up and forgot to inform me of it before I graduated.

My special man friend even talked about selling his Gibson (which is like...beautiful and from the 60s) to pay for the class. That's the only way we'd have the money, and I don't want him to do that (it was his old man's). I keep telling myself "nothing is fucked here, man" but I don't know man. Just seems like the Big Lebowskis keep trying to fuck over the dudes.

I'm going to have to save up my anger and go Walter on the registrar's office, possibly on Friday. Pacifism is nothing to hide behind, especially in this case--as I've learned dealing with this college, you have to be rude in order to get anything done. It really sucks, and I feel like shit afterward, but it's just how this place operates.

I get what you're saying, man. Whether or not I can go through with that and give them all the money in the world that I don't have, well dude, we just don't know.

I have only one thing to say really.

If you drop it now you will regret it later, not immediately, but at some point.

Better to get it over with now and expand your options for later than to have to come back to it later just to be able to do something you find interesting with your life.

I have been that barman/cashier (I can not tell you how much frustration that causes stuck in a shite job because you can't prove you are as clever as you actually believe you are), and later went back to University (when I was 29).

I don't regret the time I spent doing shit jobs but I now do something I really enjoy, and see myself easily staying with this sort of work for the rest of my life.

And I am finally able to say I earn enough to cover all my bills, I am finally relatively debt free, and the next job should pay me enough to be able to afford to have a relationship again.

Quote from: meekon5 on July 13, 2011, 05:20:49 AM
I have only one thing to say really.

If you drop it now you will regret it later, not immediately, but at some point.

meekon's got the right of it-- don't quit now out of reactionary anger; i've been hacking away at my higher education for the better part of 20 years, because real life keeps getting in the way... but i always manage to go back.

fight the good fight, dude! 

Would you be able to take a class at a community college closer to your family that would satisfy the requirement? the school wouldn't get the money, you would save your money, and might be able to get where you need faster. If you do take my advice see if there are any adult ed or half semester courses available. Once finished transfer the credits back to the school you are getting you bachelors from.

I am working on my bachelors as well. I am trying to split my courses as much as possible, taking gen eds in my home state at the community college and taking classes that actually count for something at the state school in another state.

landshark's suggestion is a good one-- and even better if you could do it online. then you could work it around your life a little better 

Well, we'll see. I'm meeting with the chair of the English department this afternoon. I'm going to try to be as Dude as possible, but I have a feeling that once they start in with the bureaucratic nonsense I'm going to become increasingly agitated. I'm sticking to my guns, though--sometimes you have to draw a line in the sand, and across this line you do not--also, it just seems silly that they'll waive 8 gen ed credits but not substitute 3 credits for a theatre class.

Oh well. We'll see what happens. Thanks folks.