A small matter, but still.

Timeless Rebellion · 10-10-2010, 11:08 PM

I live in a different city than my current education. So I have to get up early to make it here in time. That is a choice I made.
Up until last week, I could get up at 6:30 and be here at 8:35, just 5 minutes after the official time we start.
Sure enough, no problem.
But last week, the woman who's the boss of this city branch decided that being late by 5 minutes is unacceptable, so now I have to get up at 5:30 just to be here 7:35 and wait 55 minutes.
I could accept this as well no matter how much I disagree with it.
But then she fucking keeps my teachers 5 minutes over time every morning so they aren't in class before 8:35... That pisses me off.
And if I were to be here at 8:35 I would be noted as late.
/vent

Alan · 10-10-2010, 11:13 PM

If you're not looking for any advice, I still sympathize. I also wake up two hours before going to class and work. The cities are contiguous but the border security is fucking stupid.
I just have to ask, how come your times are so exact? There's no way you can rush ten minutes? Other than that, take a nap while you wait. Thing might be different next semester.

Solumina · 10-10-2010, 11:38 PM

The times may be rather dependent on public transit schedules, since it is in another city I would imagine that there could be a number of line transfers and the like. Public transit in the US is rarely that precise but that doesn't seem to be the case in other places.

That is rather obnoxious that you are essentially being required to be there before your instructors. That really is a unfortunate.

Timeless Rebellion · 10-11-2010, 12:42 AM

Well, public transportation here is off only by a couple of minutes.
I am at school at 07.33-07.35 usually.
Getting here before my instructors appearently isn't good enough, I need to be here at 8:30 sharp.
I am probably just cranky that the expectations to me are so strict compared to what they should really.
There isn't a single workplace out there that would fuss about 5 minutes if it would be due to public transport, yet the expectations put to me are unbendable by even 3-5 minutes.

emeraldlonewoulf · 10-12-2010, 08:54 PM

Wow, that sucks. I have the opposite problem. We have no public transportation here, I have a 70 mile round trip commute that includes 12 miles of dirt road, road that becomes either muck or slush in inclement weather, and even when it is dry, it beats the crap out of vehicles, not to mention maintenance and fuel costs. i can carpool about half the time for the worst of it, but even then I've got about 50 miles a day on the car.

All I could say for your case, would be to use the extra waiting time for studying and homework, or like Alan said, catch up on some zzz's.

Have you presented your case to the powers that be? Are there other students who are in the same boat?

Timeless Rebellion · 10-12-2010, 11:07 PM

There are other students in the same boat.
Presenting the case to the headmaster? She's the ... woman ... who made the rules.

Underwater Ophelia · 10-13-2010, 06:55 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Timeless Rebellion

There are other students in the same boat.
Presenting the case to the headmaster? She's the ... woman ... who made the rules.

That does suck, but like you said, you CHOSE to go to a school far away.

Apathy's_Child · 10-13-2010, 09:07 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Underwater Ophelia

That does suck, but like you said, you CHOSE to go to a school far away.

It's still a bullshit rule.

Timeless Rebellion · 10-13-2010, 09:45 AM

Actually, I chose to move far away to avoid a lot of trouble.
I lived next door to my school when I enrolled.
But yeah. It was a choice nonetheless.

emeraldlonewoulf · 10-13-2010, 07:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Timeless Rebellion

There are other students in the same boat.
Presenting the case to the headmaster? She's the ... woman ... who made the rules.

I don't know what your specific situation might be, type of school, etc, but keep in mind that the money you pay or that is paid on your behalf to the school means you have a little more power in the transaction than might be immediately apparent, or than the tradition in education will concede.

In recent years education has become such a commercialized thing, it's about time they worked on customer service just a bit. Everybody's got a boss, and it is to the schools benefit for the students to learn. retention of knowledge is made difficult if you are sleep deprived.

When you phrase your petition, try to show how it is to the schools' benefit, or headmistress' benefit, for them to take your view. Or, at least try to show how making a change costs them nothing, and allows you and your fellow students to budget your time to the greatest advantage, precious time that is needed in order for you to excel, which is obviously to the benefit of the school.

If you act like your time is of value to you, while showing respect for the value of their time, you might be able to work out a deal. Pose it to her on a trial basis, if nothing else. Write it out, make it a presentation (graphic design is what you are doing, yes?), do something to make it impressive, collaborate with the other students in the same situation. If you can impress her with your professional, quality presentation of the matter, perhaps she will be willing to look at the situation more objectively, rather than just "hearing" excuses from late students.

Or, this could all backfire horribly, netting you lack of sleep, affected grades, and a reputation as a troublemaker. It's just an idea.

Versus · 10-13-2010, 09:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Timeless Rebellion

There isn't a single workplace out there that would fuss about 5 minutes if it would be due to public transport, yet the expectations put to me are unbendable by even 3-5 minutes.

The military.

That crossed the "too whiny" line for me, just a little.

But anyway. I think emeraldlonewoulf made a really good suggestion.

I'm curious, is there anything that prevents you from just going to bed earlier? Also, you could sleep during the 3 or so hours between when you take the public transit and your class starts.

I'm sure you're just upset about the principle of the situation rather then the lack of sleep, though. I empathize.

Timeless Rebellion · 10-14-2010, 01:04 AM

Well, I can't sleep before like 11. Then I'll wake up in the middle of the night without being able to sleep again.
As for talking to the headmistress. Every time I have tried about anything, I have been told to shut up and behave.

Underwater Ophelia · 10-14-2010, 04:19 PM

Just a heads up on you saying that workplaces don't care about 5 min...yes they do.

Public transport or not, you're expected to be on time.

Timeless Rebellion · 10-15-2010, 03:17 AM

Most workplaces are flexible as to the point where you can come 10 minutes later and stay 10 minutes longer.
At least in Denmark they are.

Underwater Ophelia · 10-15-2010, 06:35 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Timeless Rebellion

Most workplaces are flexible as to the point where you can come 10 minutes later and stay 10 minutes longer.
At least in Denmark they are.

I doubt that.
The reason I doubt that is because scheduling is an important part of running a business, and people cost money.
But live your life however you want. Show up late to work every day.

Timeless Rebellion · 10-15-2010, 07:06 AM

This is a fact.
In most workplaces in Denmark, you can have flexible work schedules like that.
As long as you don't just do it, it needs to be arranged of course.

Versus · 10-15-2010, 07:20 AM

What I don't understand is why they care in the first place. I mean, it's your education that you payed for. Why would it bother them if you don't get what you paid for?

I understand that the 3-5 minutes doesn't make a difference in your circumstance, but I'm trying to look at it from their perspective... and I'm failing to understand.

Timeless Rebellion · 10-15-2010, 07:49 AM

It's some twisted sense of wanting to teach us something. I am not quite sure.
Also, it is a power trip because the collective of students shot down their last bullshit rule.

Underwater Ophelia · 10-15-2010, 09:07 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Timeless Rebellion

This is a fact.
In most workplaces in Denmark, you can have flexible work schedules like that.
As long as you don't just do it, it needs to be arranged of course.

That isn't what you implied before.

What you're saying now is that if a person calls his boss and says "Hey, I'm going to be ten minutes late, my cat threw up on my work clothes and I had to clean them," then that's fine. Obviously a one time thing for a legit reason is fine.

You were making it seem before that just regularly showing up late is fine, which it isn't.

Underwater Ophelia · 10-15-2010, 09:09 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Versus

What I don't understand is why they care in the first place. I mean, it's your education that you payed for. Why would it bother them if you don't get what you paid for?

I understand that the 3-5 minutes doesn't make a difference in your circumstance, but I'm trying to look at it from their perspective... and I'm failing to understand.

It makes sense. Yes, students are paying to go there, but think of it this way: Imagine that, since the students are paying, they can show up late, skip class without consequence, party, etc.

The school loses its reputation, then people won't want to go, and then there's no school.

Timeless Rebellion · 10-15-2010, 03:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Underwater Ophelia

That isn't what you implied before.

What you're saying now is that if a person calls his boss and says "Hey, I'm going to be ten minutes late, my cat threw up on my work clothes and I had to clean them," then that's fine. Obviously a one time thing for a legit reason is fine.

You were making it seem before that just regularly showing up late is fine, which it isn't.

That is actually not what I meant, no.
In Denmark at least, it is possible to make arrangements to have ones work schedule moved those 5-10 minutes. It doesn't mean working 5-10 minutes less, just working 5-10 minutes later in the other end.
It is possible on a majority of work places. Of course, if you work in a bank or with real estate, then it might not be so, but in an office job like what I am hoping for, it is certainly possible.
It just needs to be arranged with your boss. The far majority are open to this if you are an asset to the company.
Flexible work schedules are not uncommon.

Underwater Ophelia · 10-15-2010, 09:49 PM

You're such an ass.
That would mean you're ON TIME.

You've been saying LATE.

Timeless Rebellion · 10-16-2010, 07:02 AM

Could be my phrasing, but what I meant by late was 5-10 minutes later than the standard schedule.
In that case, we have never had different views o.O Huh.
My daily english is lacking, that is probably where the misunderstanding occurred.

LaBelleDameSansMerci · 10-16-2010, 07:36 PM

They're probably afraid of lateness "getting out of hand." If they apply a special condition to one student (or a group of students), it's unfair not to apply it to all. They could just make school *start* at 8:35, and have the teachers get there whenever they get there now (since you implied that they have daily meetings at the beginning of the day), but what if a teacher's bus is 5 minutes late? The meeting would have to go 5 minutes later, etc.

It does seem a little unreasonable though. I hated having to leave for work an hour before I started and get there 27 minutes early. It was really annoying, but I could read in the lunch room, so it wasn't *all* that bad, except that the chairs were horrible.