Back to School for GrownUps

Sometimes it seems as though computers have made things harder, not easier…. but really, it’s the programmers that are causing the problems, not the technology.

Today I started my applications for graduate school next year - both universities that I am applying to require an online form (in addition to a bunch of other hoops to jump through). Not TOO frustrating.

The first form wanted basic info - and then start and end dates for each university or college I have attended. None of it was too onerous - but it took me a bit of time to get the dates sorted and make sure every thing was completed - and I had the whole thing just about done and somehow the page reloaded and wiped out ALL of the information I had just filled in. Not TOO frustrating.

The second form was even worse - basically all the same information - but this form wanted everything exactly their way - and only their way. Some control freak programmer wrote that one, guaranteed.

I was not able to include several of my previous employers on their form as I do not have valid postal codes for them (some of them no longer exist - be damned if I can find addresses from waaaaaaaaaaaaaay back then). I also could not ‘go’ to Athabasca University, because the university isn’t in their dropdown list - and when I did add it in, in the space provided, I still couldn’t go there because I was unable to provide a program name and a graduation date - since I am not IN a program, I just take courses a la carte.

Since I couldn’t go there, I also couldn’t use the transcript request system for that university. Of course.

While it would be easy to get frustrated with the technology, each and every one of my aggravations was caused not by the computer, but by a programmer who did not have the foresight or the skill to make the form work WELL.

All programmers should have to take courses in usability, y’ask me… of course, nobody does.

Anyway - those are (mostly) done…. sure wish I had printed off and kept absolutely everything I did last year when I jumped through all these hoops - would make my life SO much easier now.

Good tip for you - file folders - and save everything! In the ORGANIZED file folders.