letter of Rec(ommendation) Nightmare

Youstop your professor after class ends. Yeah,you’re nervous, but it can’t be that bad, can it?
You: Hey Professor!  Um, I waswondering if you co—
Professor:  I’m sorry, I haveto go to a meeting.  Could you just stop by my office hours?
You: Um, yeah, sure.  When arethey—
your professor has already left theroom.  Yay.
 
Letters: 1, you: 0

You go to your professor’s office hoursat 8 in the AM to ask him to write you a letter and notice a sign on the door.
Sign:  Office hourscanceled—family emergency.
Great.

Letter: 2, You: 0

Well you sure aren’t about to ask him inclass again and he doesn’t have office hours today. You realize you have to getup at 8 in the AM again.

Letter: 3, You: 0

It’s 8 AM again and here you are, sittingoutside your Professor’s office.  He’s not here.

Letter: 4, You: 0

Your professor finally shows up(late)  but it’s OK because here is your chance!
Professor:  Come on in, how canI help you?
You:  Hi professor.  Um Iwas just kinda wondering if you could, um, like, you know, right me a letter?
Professor:  A letter for what?
You’re kinda of nervous here.  Whatif he says no?  Then you’re really royally screwed.
You:  A letter of Rec…theprofessor looks at you kind of odd.  Clearly he does not understand thefine art of slang…a Letter of Recommendation.  I’m applying for gradschool (medical school?  Law school?Some other type of school that needs stupid letters?  Take your pick)
Professor:  Well, let mesee.  What’s your name again?
you’ve had this professor for the lastthree quarters and he still doesn’t know your name.  great.
You: (insert name)
The professor just sort of looks at you for a second.  You wonder if youhave syrup on your face or something.
You:  I’m in your History139 (insert some smart sounding class) class.
The professor continues to stare…geez really?
You:  And I had your History150 (insert some other really smartclass) and History 142 (yet anotherbrilliant-sounding one) before.
Clearly, he doesn’t remember you. Well this is just getting better and better.
Professor:  Right, I thinkI recognize your face.  Do you have a sample of your writing for me to lookat (woops reads all over your face)? How about information on the programs you’re applying for (well shit I didn’t think of that)?  A list of accomplishmentsor things you would like me to highlight (ohmygodare you serious?  You needed that???)
You:  Um…(you need to think quick here) no, but Ican bring all that stuff to you if you’d like.
Professor:  That would begreat.  I have office hours on Monday, could you drop it off then?
More office hours.  Does he notrealize that my first class isn’t until 11 and his stupid office hours are from8 to 9?
You:  Sure, I’ll do that.

Letter: 5, You: 0

Yup, this is a Friday.  No office hours.  Got to wait untilMonday.  Holy crap…you’re supposed to give them a month to writethem.  It’s already been a week dealing with this guy!  He better notwrite me a bad letter because of this…$#!^$@

Letter: 6, You: 0

Saturday…all you did was lay aroundand had a party.

Ok…I had to find all that stuff hewanted.  It’s a good thing I kept my old papers from his class.  It’sa bad thing my roommate threw up on it last night because of the party.  Iprinted a new one…hopefully he didn’t need the corrections from it (whichwere far too harsh if you ask me)

Letter: 7, You: 0

Alright…today you give him the stuffand it is out of your hair for good.  Youshow up at his office with all of the material you needed:  You have your transcript (definitely not asgood as it should but, but you’re passing, that’s a plus!), your list ofaccomplishments (ok, yeah, it’s lacking a little, but, dude, you’re only anundergrad!  And it’s not like you can putdown that you throw the best party this side of the Mississippi), information on the programsyou’re applying to (well, what you could find at least.  Those websites are poorly designed), and asample of your writing (the only essay he gave you a decent grade on).

So what next?  You show up at 8 in the morning to hisoffice.  Thank God he’s there this time…thatwas annoying.  However, there are fivepeople waiting to talk to him.  CRAP.  You forgot about the midterm tomorrow. Youtake a seat on the ground down the hall.  Of course there are no chairs…that would betoo convenient

Letter: 8, You: 0

The last guy in frontof you has finally left and it’s your turn.  Despite a numb butt from the tile floor, you’reready to go, so you take a seat in the office.
Professor:  It’s good to see you again.  You were here about getting extra credit forthe class, weren’t you?  Did you do theresearch paper?
Crap.  Clearly he doesn’t remember you…again…and youlook like a failure.  Things are justgoing greeeaaattt.
You:  Um, no, I asked you about writing a letter ofRec…ommendation for me.  I brought thestuff, er, papers, you asked for. (youhand them over)
Professor:  Right, right. Of course.  What was your nameagain?
You: (insert name…again)
Ok, at this point theprofessor asks you a serious of questions like “what do you plan to do afteryou graduate?  What do you like mostabout each program, etc, etc.  It’sreally quite boring and You B.S. the entire thing.  You also have to justify giving him less thana month to write you a letter even though it’s HIS fault!  Oh well. Then you leave, realieved you got that over with.

Letter: 8. You: 1
(Thank GOD…that wasgetting pathetic.)
 

You get two more professors to agree to write you letters…ok,there were a few bumps along the way, such as forgetting about the miderm again(Letters: 9, You 1), and going to office hours at the wrong time (Letters: 10,You 1), but all in all, you got your three letters of Rec taken care of.

Letter: 14, You: 3

 

You hear from theschools you applied to.  REJECTION x 4…all 4 rejected you.  No, wait, that’swrong.  You got waitlisted at your safetyschool. #$%^%*#!$#@