Cataract Resin 3 “It's a Fucking Disgrace”I've found myself saying that on many, many occasions recently.  Why, you ask? Because recently I have encountered more disorganised idiocy than any point in my life to date.As a fully paid up member of the National Union of Students (NUS), I can expect to receive discounts on a plethora of things - movies, meals, clubs, etc.  Etc. There is, however, one caveat: I need an NUS card.During my first year of study, this was fine.  I had my card, I went to the movies for a piffling 3 and a half quid.  No problem.  When I entered the second year, I was not given an NUS card.  And so my campaign began.For weeks I went to and fro, asking about acquiring this mystical card. Time and again I was told “It should be ready for you soon.” I am now entering my FOURTH year of study, and the bloody card is still as far from my grasp as the Holy Grail.So today I went out to the University and asked about my card again. Finally, I was given a straight answer. “Sorry, we don't have any of your details on file . . . You need to see the head of your faculty and get them to sort it out. Then your card will be produced and ready for you the next day.” Great.  Why didn't they tell me this 2 years ago?“It's a fucking disgrace.”So fine, at least I know where I'm going with the NUS card. Now onto the REALLY tricky part. Getting the De Montfort University School of Design to actually communicate with the students enrolled on its courses.Now, for the most part, my degree course is a technical one, so I spend most of my time in the School of Computing Sciences and Engineering.  They are fantastic. All the lectures, labs, tutorials etc . . . are scheduled wonderfully, no clashes, plenty of leeway if you need to take a class at a different time. If any changes to the schedule should arise, you are emailed immediately with the appropriate amendments to your schedule.  Fantastic.However, this year, I have one module which takes place in the School of Design. The organisation in this place is non existent.  Usually, this wouldn't bother me.  There is beauty in disorganisation.  But not on this scale.  Oh, no. Wednesday morning was originally scheduled for a tutorial in the design school. This was fine.  I turned up.  Nobody else did.  No lecturers.  OK.  So what now? I check my email to find out if there are any amendments to the timetable.  OK, nothing there. Hmm . . .Here begins my trek around the design school to find the module leader. After a long search, I find a piece of paper taped to a door which I never use. So now, my class is scheduled for 3:00 pm.  OK.  Except I can't make that class, because I already have another class scheduled for that time. “OK, says the module leader, we'll reschedule it.”So the next week comes around and still no word on the alleged rescheduling.  I eventually managed to get into a tutorial class to which I was not assigned, but only by sneaking in and announcing it later.  The worst part about all this was, while I was waiting outside the room in which this tutorial took place, a lecturer approached and said “Are you on the Interactive Digital Entertainment module?”“Yes,” I replied.“Only I'm supposed to be holding a CAD lab, downstairs, and nobody's turned up all day . . . Nobody's told me the lab's been rescheduled, so I assume it's still on . . . do you know anything about it?”“No. It's a fucking disgrace.”So what happens when people are so disorganised that not even they know what's supposed to be going on?  I'll tell you.  People get angry.  I know from experience.  I have been the disorganised one before.  The amount of projects I have been involved with that have just fallen apart because nobody knew what was going on is tremendous.  It needn't be like that.  If you get involved with ANY project, be it homework, building a model, organising a BMX race, anything - sit down and plan it out first.  Make sure everyone involved knows what's going on. And if the plan changes, which it will, let people know what's going on. Get organized, but be flexible, and for Christ's sake, TALK TO PEOPLE!If you don't, you'll make a lot of people angry, they may well form a plot on your life, and they will most certainly walk around muttering:“It's a Fucking Disgrace”