Loyola's Lousy Job of Planning

This afternoon, I was just about to leave my apartment to catch the CollegeTown Shuttle to the SuperFresh in Towson to pick up some much-needed groceries, when I realized that the shuttle isn't running this weekend.  Why?  Because Loyola decided to start their semester a week earlier than all the other colleges in the area.  It just keeps getting earlier and earlier every year.  My freshman year, we didn't start until after MLK day, but each year, we've been starting earlier and earlier.  This year, we started the second week in January, which is the earliest it's been yet.  Using the NFL playoff schedule as a baseline, it's the first time that I had to go back to Loyola during Wild Card weekend.

Frankly, I don't understand why Loyola feels the need to start earlier than everyone else.  It's just throwing everything off.  The shuttle doesn't run this week because none of the other schools are back in session, so I can't go grocery shopping because I don't have a car and none of my so-called "friends" are willing to lend a hand.  Loyola students who are taking classes at other schools are probably going to be thrown off a bit by having one of their classes start and end a week later than the rest of their classes, which could pose a problem when finals week comes around, meaning they might have to miss classes to take their finals at Loyola, not to mention the hassle it's going to cause for graduating seniors.  It also means our Spring Break is a week earlier than everyone else's, which really means nothing to me, since I'm not really of the partying type, but for those who do head for the beaches during Spring Break, I'm sure it's gotta suck that most of your colleagues are still in school and can't celebrate with you.  It's not just the other colleges in Baltimore that start later than us, but most colleges anywhere, it seems; my sister, who goes to Ithaca, is still at home for a few more days, and she's still going back earlier than the rest of her classmates.  Furthermore, if Loyola started and ended when everyone else did, we wouldn't have to worry about having our graduation on the same weekend as the Preakness, as it's been for the last several years.  It was convenient four years ago, when they had Bob Costas as the commencement speaker, but for relatives trying to book a hotel for the weekend, it's going to be a biz-atch.  What's really irritating is that Loyola even acknowledged that they knew about this on the letter they sent to parents of graduating seniors a few months ago. 

Okay, I think I'm done ranting for now.  I was just a bit p.o.'d because I was planning to cook dinner this evening, but can't because I couldn't go shopping for the ingredients I needed.  I can always order groceries online, but I have to do it a day ahead of time, and it costs an extra $10 that my broke ass really needs to save right now.  Whatcha gonna do?...