Bureaucracy
You know you’re a grownup when you encounter the joys of bureacracy. Today I received a letter in the mail stating that my request regarding my scolarship for 2001 – 2002 can’t be progressed because the wrong person signed the request.
This is the second time in all those years it can’t be progressed, for the same reason! I figured the first one could be a mistake from my part, or even the university’s part or a mix of both. So after it got returned to me the first time, I made numerous phonecalls to the university and the authority in charge of scolarships to find out who had to sign it instead.
The people at the university did their best to help me find out who would be allowed to sign the forms and eventually told me to take it all the way to the managing director, which I did. She was kind enough to sign my forms and return them to me rather quickly so I could hand them in for the second time.
But unfortunately the scolarship authority didn’t find it good enough, I have to get it signed by a dean. That’s what this letter today told me. Of course this second refusal is pissing me off, but after having calmed down again I immediately picked up the phone to make the same phonecalls again.
First I called the scolarship authority, maybe they enjoy pissing about a bit and aggravating people for a few years. But no; they were serious, I had to have it signed by a dean. Great, I’ll call university to see if they can figure out who the person in charge of these kind of things is. And slowly but surely there seems to be a solution in sight. After having the administration lady tell me she didn’t know who I needed for that, she gave me the number of the student desk. They were kind enough to make an appointment for me with a dean next week; let’s hope this is the right person for the job. I wish they all could have told me this the first time I asked for it, it would have saved so many people so much trouble…
Let’s hope the third time really is lucky!
Plugged: Amanda, Amber, Kat, Nan
7 Comments on "Bureaucracy"
Just thinking about it makes my blood boil..
The first time I asked who I needed to talk to for signing the forms, I got told to go to the year leader, he signed it and that was it. Nearly a year later (or even longer!) it got returned to me saying someone else in charge had to sign it which eventually let me to the managing director, and now after another long time of not hearing from them they want me to find a dean to sign it..
This better be the last time they mess about. Unfortunately I can’t leave it because there’s money involved.
I think the fourth time is lucky because three is odd. And, um, I hate odd numbers. 
I find it something typically Dutch. You have to run after everything or you just don’t get it. It seems like they hope people will find it all too much of a hassle to get it done.
You know what really gets on my nerves about filling out forms and applications? People that wait patiently for a reply wait the longest, it’s the people that keep harrassing the company or organisation in question that are being dealt with first.
Also if you do call any of these companies or organisations you get to talk to person #1, who connects you to person #5, who gives you a whole other number. When you call them you get told to call the first company again and then the whole thing starts over until they find out that person #1 was in fact the right person to talk to.
Sorry about this comment being so long 
.
Bureaucracy is a big problem here in the Philippines.
You’d think they could improve the system after years of following the same old process. They claim it works – and maybe it does – but they could at least find a way to make it better because in the end, it would be to their own benefit. Oh well…
Anyway, I hope everything works out for you hun! *hugs*
Wow. That’s very tedious.. I never knew it would be so. A dean? That’s serious..
But yeah, I can’t believe they didn’t tell you it the first time.. I hope it will be progressed this time..
Aw man, reminds me of the time I tried to apply to the University of the Philippines and they woulnd’t accept me simply becuase my first year high school grades were from London and the grading system wasn’t the same so they couldn’t computer for my average. It’s ridiculous!
Leave a comment
Before you post be aware that first-time commenters are moderated and anonymous comments will be deleted.
Wow – I can imagine that I would have exploded – picked up the phone and start yelling. Why in the name of all things didn’t they state it the first time they didn’t wanted to process it! It’s similar here and it pisses me off.
I went to China once and the bureaucracy was like 100 times worse there – I tell you I would have exploded! BOOM!