Page 23 of My Cosplay Escape
I try to swallow, but my throat is too dry. “I had some health stuff followed by some personal stuff.” Or was it personal stuff, then health stuff? How do you sum up your unexpected pregnancy, miscarriage, and depression without saying anything about any of it?
“And life got real,” Janet says, looking up from my transcript.
“Yeah. I lost my scholarship and… dropped out.” One of the fluffy clouds rolls across the sun, and the light dims. “But I’m working now. And I think I can afford—I mean, not all at once. But I think—”
Janet smiles. “Have you applied for admission?”
“I was accepted at one point, a few years ago, but ended up somewhere else. My plan is to apply this year, but I was hoping to take a class or two this fall. You know… ease back into it.” Somewhere in the distance, a leaf blower starts up. I twist the strings of my hoodie around my fingers. “I just needed to know, what would it take?”
“What would it take financially, academically, or timewise?”
I stare down at my torn-up Asics. “All of the above.”
The leaf blower wails louder as Janet clicks around on her computer screen. She swivels her monitor so that I can see it. “Have you heard of Open University?”
My mouth is once again bone-dry, and my tongue will not move to form intelligible words. “Uh. Um.”
“It’s $281 per unit. The good news is, you don’t have to be admitted the old-fashioned way. The bad news is you get lowest priority when it comes to enrolling in classes.”
“But the credits?”
“Would be added to your transcript.”
“And I could retake some of my failed classes or W’s?”
“If there is availability.” Janet grabs a toffee from her dish and unrolls it. “You know, based on your grades freshman year, you’d qualify for a scholarship.”
“What about all my F’s and W’s from sophomore year? Won’t they haunt me forever?”
“Not if you retake them and pass. We do course forgiveness here. If you earn an A the second time around, we drop the F like it never happened.”
My mouth opens, but nothing comes out. Janet swivels the monitor back around.
The cloud rolls past, and the office is once again bathed in afternoon sunshine. I find my voice. “Do I need to retake my failed classes through Open University or somewhere else before I apply?”
“What’s your major?”’
“Business.”
Janet smiles and shakes her head. “You’ll be fine, but let’s see what kind of damage control we can do now while you’re applying and waiting to be accepted. You failed four classes and withdrew from two classes the fall of sophomore year and then retook but failed a class that winter and took another two W’s.”
“I could retake my GEs,” I say.
“If you get lucky and a spot opens up. I mean, with the physical fitness course, sure, there’s a lot of room in the independent study fitness courses, if you’re not choosy. That’s definitely an option to look in to. Let’s check this econ course. Aha! That’s your best next step. Econ 101. We’ve got at least 10 different sections. And our Econ 101 is equivalent to this bad boy on your transcript. There’s a section that meets every Wednesday from one to four p.m., with an optional lab Friday morning. That, combined with an online physical fitness class and an English class next term, should solve half of your transcript problems. If we can find you a marketing class and an equivalent for this geology class next semester…” She looks up and smiles. “You’ll only have three W’s left to deal with. And they’re nothing to worry about.”
“They’re not?”
“A few withdrawals never stopped anybody from getting a scholarship.”
“Are you serious?” Two part-time semesters, and my transcript could be in scholarship-worthy condition.
“If you’re interested in attending through the summer months, you could snag a scholarship sooner.”
“I can really do this.”
“Yes, you really can.” Janet leans back in her chair. “Working through school can be challenging. Many students struggle to balance the demands of work, classes, and their social life. It’s important to be honest with your friends, family, and employers about what you’re trying to do. Hopefully, they’ll understand and be supportive.”
Janet scribbles something on a Post-it Note. “This is me and my contact email. Come find me if you need anything, and definitely if you hit another speed bump.”
