I need to process this - on one hand I am outraged, on the other filled with mortification.
I submitted my last two assignments for my Post Grad Diploma at the end of Feb, as my regular readers will know. I thought I had written them all but it turned out more pounds of flesh were needed. In order not to bugger up my 'Big exam/Masters' progression I used two questions from the dissertation as the basis for the last two assignments.
Still with me? ... good.
As these were being submitted for Diploma they needed 'Short Titles' on the 'Front Sheet' - a piece of paper that gives details of stage of training, word count etc. Having been vaguely aware that trainees have been urged to 'invent' short titles to simplify the process of categorisation (if the assignments are not the 'official' titles given after each topic training) then I condensed the titles and (as I thought) duly obliged. Turned out I should have written 'BigExam'1 and 'BigExam'11. This MAY have been communicated through the medium of a dusty edict issued when the handbooks were given out ... but to be honest it was news to me.
These two assignments are critical for my graduation in May.
Hello??? ... still there? .. OK last bit.
I got a snotty letter today which filled me with alarm - enclosed were two amended front sheets that had been photocopied.
The first three paragraphs of the letter outlined my transgression, outlined the consequences of my transgression and the fact that I would not have my assignments marked in time ... hence no graduation. Cue the shaking hands, ashen features and general palpitations. I was told in no uncertain terms how pathetic/lazy/wicked/ criminally insane I was.
Then, at the bottom of the letter (which if it could have combusted and burnt me to death would have done) was this little paragraph ... see what you think
"However * has found the time to help me fill in the necessary information on the front sheet. Please do look at it and note what is needed for future work. I am not promising to do this in future. It may be that if I get more work from you without a correctly filled in front sheet you will get it back for completion and so miss the marking point. I do hope this will not happen."
Well f**k me! I was livid. Talk about I'm OK You're NOT (OH NO MOST DEFINITELY NOT) OK. Am I over reacting? Or was that anally retentive, jobsworth, big bullying teacher stuff. The assingments had been sent for marking after all, and all that was required was a 10 second ammendment to the short title. I felt and still feel about 4years old, humiliated and shamed. I may as well have wet my pants.
