First of all, I've gotten another letter from UND saying that the year is now filled for law students and that I will be getting a few things in the mail very soon.  One of those things will be a text that has to be read before orientation.  I'm more interested in getting my housing applications done and a financial aid package.

I applied for a Stafford loan already, but I don't even know how much I need yet.

The there is the scholarship information.  I've been using FastWeb to collect applications and I just had a thought after getting the latest.  So many are competitions based on making a video.  Well, what if you can't afford a video-camera, etc, to make videos?  I certainly can't.  20K would be incredible for law school, but I'm not able to make a video about anything when I can't get a camera.  I suppose I could rent one somewhere- but I can't really afford that at the moment either and there isn't a rental place within a few hundred miles of my hometown.  Argh, just feeling a little bitter that so many people who have a real need for money for school can't get it because they don't have the money needed to apply.

I received another short letter from UND, giving the dates that new student orientation begins and when regular classes start.  I am hoping to get a registration packet soon, with financial aid details.  I think I need some actual numbers before I can apply for a student loan (so I don't get too much one year and can't get anything later when needed.)

I've pretty much decided to apply for the residence hall and meal plan, but have to wait until I have enough cash to pay the application fee.  Sad.

No word yet about the job but they needed to wait for the background check and drug test results.  I didn't tell them about going to UND in fall.

Nothing new for the Law School track really- I did get a user id from UND now so I can log into the student pages for my account.  I haven't really explored it very much yet.  Bringing info with me about housing tonight when I see my father.

I had a job interview at Wal-Mart on Friday and am being offered a part time position in the deli, starting at 9.40/hr.  Not too bad, but I have to find out what the hours of the shifts will be and how many hours per week.  I've heard that Wal-Mart gives employees some sort of discount, but no confirmation on that yet.  I'm just hoping that the hours they offer will be near the times I can carpool so it won't be an issue... I have no car, and live a few miles outside of town.

Today is Father's Day, so I am taking my father to see a movie; The Happening.  We're both fans of action/adventure, sci-fi and horror, and good drama films.  Hopefully it will be a good film (I'm a M. Night Shyamalan fan though so I suspect it will be pretty good.)  The he wants to grill, so going to his place afterward and I can show him the University info I've gathered so far to get some opinions on it.

My acceptance deposit was received by UND and they've given me an account number to access the on-line student information.  So things are moving along, but still a bit slowly.

Thankfully I had submitted my FAFSA several months ago, so I'm hoping to get a packet of information with a possible financial aid offer shortly.  I hope I get that anyway; I really need to get the money situation sorted out to do anything.

I've been looking over housing options and there are two main ones to consider.  I can apply to live in a residence hall for grad students, and that comes with a meal plan that can vary between ten meals and unlimited access.  That is billed per semester, and from experience I would say financial aid is applied to costs for sure.

The second option is to apply for a one-bedroom campus apartment, which has a kitchenette but no meal plan, and can be furnished or unfurnished.  There is only about thirty dollars difference between getting furniture or not.  The cheapest, furnished, is about 399 per month.  Apartment is cheaper at the base rate, but I have to add in the cost of food, and is a monthly payment instead of by semester.  I'm not sure if it is covered by financial aid at all.  If money were not an issue I would go for the apartment because it has more space and privacy; and cooking isn't a problem as I've cooked/baked professionally for about eleven years.

I printed the applications for both types of housing, and will go over the info with my father since he might have a better idea of the financial side of things.

Scholarship applications still ongoing, and now I have a sheet of them specifically for UND to apply for as well.  Gotta get it done quick.

This is to be my new start to keep focusing toward my fall plans.  There is a lot to get done, and I have the poor habit to procrastination.

I can't wait any longer though.  Yesterday I got my letter.  I had taken the LSAT last December, wrote to professors from my undergrad days and got letters of recommendation, transcripts, registered for the LSAC service.  And then I applied to the University of North Dakota School of Law.  Yesterday I got my letter. 

It was a very slim envelope and I tore it open as I walked away from the mailbox.  I started bracing myself right away as I crossed the yard; I'll try again, I'll figure something out.  But then I read the letter and it was totally different from what I had pictured.  I was accepted!  I grinned like a fool for several minutes before racing inside to call my father.  He has been the one pushing me the most; it's something I've thought about doing since high school and I've been in University for plenty of years already but had taken a break to help family and got stuck along the way.

But now I that I've been accepted and my "acceptance deposit" is on it's way to the Dean's Office... there are so many other things that I have to do, that I couldn't do without any official status.  Housing application, applying for more student loans from UND specifically, telling my mother that I will be moving (she doesn't want me to go.)  It's a bit overwhelming even though I had been collecting links and forms to start sending when I was able.  I'm a bit scared- what if I can't come up with the money needed?  What if my mother holds this against me?  What about my cats?  Why can't I win the lottery and sort this out the easy way?  Lol.  If only.