Scholarships & Reading Lists

Dear London,

I failed to get the international scholarship, which I guess is pretty likely with the percentage they gave me on getting this source of financial aid. BUT GOOD NEWS - I can still get my loans - so that's pretty cool.

Other than that, I did also receive a brief email from the publication section of my masters program. They gave me a few more details on the course, and a bit of a reading list - an intimidatingly big bit. It was also suggested that I look at a few publications and online articles. I will have to sit down this weekend and organize all of that into my busy schedule, but of course this is something I will make room for. It seems I will not be able to take on outside projects for anyone anymore.

Maybe one would say - This is where a smarter person would back down.

Not this kid.

As my Dad once said to me,

"You're a Bergene and Bergene's are not intimidated, we intimidate."

Which has clearly become my manta for this part of my life - and every other part of my life.

Italy: 2009, Photographer: Kristin Bergene

xx, kristin

Visa - UPDATE

Dear London,

Two posts in one night, I know - CRAZY. But, after getting overwhelmed before I spent the last few hours getting super organized and trying to answer my own questions. I will be emailing the financial aid office on Monday with a few I could not figure out, but I believe I have the Visa piece pretty well sorted right now.

This is what I found:

• For the application: I need to just reference the information from my first application disaster. A few facts do need to change, but I have notes those changes on the old application which - thank god - I had printed out.
• For the appointment: I need many documents, two of which I did not realize the first time around - there is a reason for everything. Items I will need to bring with me to the appointment are: Kington's letter of unconditional acceptance, CAS, passport, two separate letters of loan information so that I can prove I'll have money to survive, the conformation letter for my appointment, the conformation of my actual visa application, fingerprints and two passport photos with my name on the back of them. SO, that is quite a bit, and as far as I know now this is all I need for that appointment. I think I am going to bring my Oneonta Transcript because I read somewhere that you might need the same information that you had to provide to get your CAS, and that was something they had wanted.
• I have also discovered that I should wait till JULY 19th to apply for the visa, so I will wait. I suppose I will also have to wait for my fingerprints to come back before I can take them to an appointment.

At this point, I am feeling more better. Much reassured. I just needed to take a few hours to sort out all the confusion that was pounding in my direction. Over the weekend, to distract myself from worrying about the loans - see last post - I will work on some web and logo work I have been employed to create. I also have a few tasks I need to create for TIME FRAME's launch party that will be happening this friday night. It is ironically the same day I find out if I get the international scholarship for Kingston, I get more coverage help at my second job and the same day Harry Potter 7 part 2 goes into theaters. Hard to say which I am more excited for, haha.

Feeling so much better, I just need to focus on what I need to know.

Oxford, England: 2009, Photographer: Kristin Bergene

xx, Kristin

Moving Along

Dear London,

Mostly because I feel the need to write, I thought it would be a good time to post an update on this pre-London struggle. Currently, I have registered for the DVL - Daily Vacancies Listings - which will help Ruthie, Stacie and myself find a place to live. The goal for this is going to be by the end of July, which will be good because we will know about loans and scholarships.

I am waiting on my CAS still, though I am planning on sending out an email on Tuesday to check on its status. Part of me is concerned that when I paused its processing, they never got it going again when I sent a second email. No one responded when I asked them if they could begin processing it again. Once I get the CAS I can move onto my Visa, which will cost me dollars and a weekday trip to Albany - I am aiming for a Monday.

That will mean, by the end of July - hopefully - I will have a flat, loans, scholarship, CAS and a Visa taken care of, leaving August for me and my friend and my family to spend quality time together before I move house. It will also mean, I have pretty much taken care of everything and be left to turn my attention to my courses, packing and a plane ticket.

Needless to say - for the moment - everything is going well, and looking up. I have ended my night job at the book store so that I may have more attention to spend on the items listed above plus a few - coughshittoncough - more. Hopefully this moment of little stress will last longer than shorter this time...

Wales: 2009, Photographer: Kristin Bergene

xx, Kristin