Fresh Perspectives

VSAC. Vermont Students Assistance Corporation.

Assistance? Yeah right.

For the last couple weeks my life has been hell. Financial aid hell. Not something a student loves to deal with.

I couldn’t think of anything else. All I did was worry. I didn’t want to have fun, or go to classes, or do my school work. I shut down my life. Funny how money can screw up ones hopes and dreams.

I almost couldn’t come back next semester. I had a million problems with my loans. The ones I applied for kept falling through. I called VSAC and they told me everything was fine one minute, and the next minute I couldn’t get the loan. I know they must be extremely busy, but all I wanted to do was yell and scream at them for their lack of organization.

I have to stay in college. I need to stay in college. If I don’t, who knows what will happen between the end of this semester and when it comes time to apply for the next year of college. I could get stuck in a rut. I’m not lazy, but usually if I have a routine I stick to it.

I get so used to it that nothing else seems like it would work out. I worked at Dunkin Donuts for two years and hated many aspects of the job, but stayed there because I knew how to do the job.

How fair is it that those who really want to stay, run into every obstacle? I know trials build character, but seriously! I listen to so many students who don’t want to come back next semester. That or they are slacking from their classes because they would rather party.

Stop complaining!

Some people actually want to be here and are struggling to do so. I’m not against hard work, but one could be so lucky to be able to attend school and not worry about the money issues. At some point, every student has to deal with loans, grants and scholarships.

Certain people just get the raw end of the deal because of one mistake someone else made.

These tough times put a lot of my future into perspective. I have always wanted to go to college. I never realized how upset I would be if I couldn’t. College was an impossible dream that I made possible for me. I spent a lot of time and a lot of effort working towards this goal. When you work hard for something it is always more rewarding in the end.

I promised I wouldn’t be negative anymore. Sorry I lied. All of this sounds pretty depressing. You ponder life and its meaning and every introspective idea you can think of. You feel like your problems will never work out no matter how hard you try. Friends tried to cheer me up, but nothing worked. I was about to give up to be quite honest.

Then someone came from out of the blue, and gave me a suggestion. I applied for a new loan that wasn’t through VSAC. The situation is clearing up. A lot of good friends, family and CSC staff members helped me out with this. I’m lucky to receive such help.

Pretty soon it will all be worked out and I can apply for classes. I might not get all the ones I wanted originally, but I’m not going to whine about that fact. As long as I get classes I’ll be fine.

Don’t let the system get you down. Eventually life turns around, that is if you truly put your heart and soul into everything you do.

That’s a real life experience.

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