Post by waldenwriter on Aug 20, 2010 22:53:25 GMT -5
I could use some prayer regarding school. I start up again on the 30th, and Lord willing, this will be my last year in college. (I may still be taking my web design certificate classes after I get my B.A., but that's just because I started doing it late). I am taking four classes, two of which are night classes because I can't get them at another workable time. It will be tough being at school practically all day, and taking night classes will probably make it hard for me to attend meetings for the Creative Writing Workshop as well as other club meetings, depending on when the meetings are.
Second is finances. For some reason, I have yet to be packaged for financial aid, even though I filled out the FAFSA by the school priority date. This is supposedly because I did not have my other required non-FAFSA paperwork in by May 1st, so I am not "priority." (However, I looked through my school e-mails and I received no e-mail specifically saying "You must have your paperwork in by this date to be priority for packaging"). I signed up for a tuition payment installment plan to buy me time, and was told I could cancel it once I was packaged for aid. My mom doubts whether this will be as easy as it sounds and worries even more that the plan is run by Sallie Mae, who she herself has had issues with. If I am not packaged for aid by September 1st, I will have to pay my first installment payment, which is around $630. It will be difficult to come up with that kind of money, and I knew that going into the plan; but the people at the Financial Aid office made it sound like I had no other options. The strange thing is, I have attended my current school for two years (after transferring from a junior college) and I never had these sorts of problems with aid before for a regular semester. (I did have aid problems for a couple summer classes I took, but that's different; there was a misunderstanding there).
Third, when my brother was down here recently he said that some people are looking to start a Campus Crusade for Christ chapter at my school, since my school does not currently have one. I am interested in checking this out, since my brother has had some good experiences with CCC at his school up in San Luis Obispo and also because the only other Christian clubs on campus are InterVarsity (which I got burned out with in junior college), Priority Christian Challenge (which I think is targeted toward international students), and Catholic Club. Please pray that this will be possible; I have no Christian friends at school at the moment save for an old friend from the InterVarsity at my junior college who I talk to sometimes. Also, I have not been to a mid-week church program in a long time; at first work interfered with my church's college group, and then I kinda outgrew the college group, and I haven't had a chance to try the group for people in their late 20's.
Oh and btw the reason I got burned out with InterVarsity was that I felt I didn't get anything from the homilies/talks they gave at the regular meetings and the small group Bible studies; I did, however, enjoy the more intense Bible study we did at the retreats. I know InterVarsity's main goal is evangelism to the lost, which is a great goal. But I wish they had done more in my junior college's group for the people who were already Christians. The big meetings were open to all who wanted to come, but I think they strayed away from certain important talk topics so as not to offend anyone (both my junior college and my current school are fairly liberal). Eventually I just stopped going to the meetings and tried to avoid being seen by the people sitting outside for the small group study for fear I would be judged for not participating in the group anymore.
So basically I need a lot of prayer.
Second is finances. For some reason, I have yet to be packaged for financial aid, even though I filled out the FAFSA by the school priority date. This is supposedly because I did not have my other required non-FAFSA paperwork in by May 1st, so I am not "priority." (However, I looked through my school e-mails and I received no e-mail specifically saying "You must have your paperwork in by this date to be priority for packaging"). I signed up for a tuition payment installment plan to buy me time, and was told I could cancel it once I was packaged for aid. My mom doubts whether this will be as easy as it sounds and worries even more that the plan is run by Sallie Mae, who she herself has had issues with. If I am not packaged for aid by September 1st, I will have to pay my first installment payment, which is around $630. It will be difficult to come up with that kind of money, and I knew that going into the plan; but the people at the Financial Aid office made it sound like I had no other options. The strange thing is, I have attended my current school for two years (after transferring from a junior college) and I never had these sorts of problems with aid before for a regular semester. (I did have aid problems for a couple summer classes I took, but that's different; there was a misunderstanding there).
Third, when my brother was down here recently he said that some people are looking to start a Campus Crusade for Christ chapter at my school, since my school does not currently have one. I am interested in checking this out, since my brother has had some good experiences with CCC at his school up in San Luis Obispo and also because the only other Christian clubs on campus are InterVarsity (which I got burned out with in junior college), Priority Christian Challenge (which I think is targeted toward international students), and Catholic Club. Please pray that this will be possible; I have no Christian friends at school at the moment save for an old friend from the InterVarsity at my junior college who I talk to sometimes. Also, I have not been to a mid-week church program in a long time; at first work interfered with my church's college group, and then I kinda outgrew the college group, and I haven't had a chance to try the group for people in their late 20's.
Oh and btw the reason I got burned out with InterVarsity was that I felt I didn't get anything from the homilies/talks they gave at the regular meetings and the small group Bible studies; I did, however, enjoy the more intense Bible study we did at the retreats. I know InterVarsity's main goal is evangelism to the lost, which is a great goal. But I wish they had done more in my junior college's group for the people who were already Christians. The big meetings were open to all who wanted to come, but I think they strayed away from certain important talk topics so as not to offend anyone (both my junior college and my current school are fairly liberal). Eventually I just stopped going to the meetings and tried to avoid being seen by the people sitting outside for the small group study for fear I would be judged for not participating in the group anymore.
So basically I need a lot of prayer.
My mom has suggested I apply for low-income housing (since I can't afford a normal apartment around here on my current income, not without multiple roommates) and has said if I live on my own with my current income I might have to get food stamps, and both of those are good programs, don't get me wrong, but another part of me hates to think that I'd have to go on welfare to live. I'm a hard worker; I just have had difficulty holding jobs (except my current one, which I've managed to hold onto for just over 3 1/2 years). I do want to move out though eventually, and part of me wants to yell every time my mom says she wishes we had a casita (like a guest house) that I could live in. Like, thanks, but living in a guest house on your parents' property is NOT moving out.
Is there a church nearby with a good college ministry? Being connected with others your age and perhaps going through the same thing you are and encouraging each other to follow God can be a lifesaver. Also, you might find people who can help you out (my mother-in-law lives alone, so she rents out rooms to college age women inexpensively as a ministry). 
