Best intentions, worst possible outcome.

I am, the Absent Minded Man.

I'd rant and give you some critical history on my inability to keep track of dates, times, events, names, keys, glasses, money and paperwork...but we'd be here all day. Suffice to say I have the memory of a goldfish. I hate it, it lands me in all kinds of trouble, and I kick myself every time I seem to forget something important. No amount of self loathing for my memory and inability to plan my time seems to change me however, and I seemed doomed to forget important crap.

Today I petitioned the University of Toronto to let me deffer an examination due to illness. I got strep throat during my exam period, and was told I was contagious, and couldn't write it.

After jumping through all kinds of hoops to get doctors notes, university medical forms, writing a letter to the petition council, and dropping all my documentation off, did I realize that I had the original exam date fucked up... This, will cost me dearly.

You see, the course in question is taught by a VERY oldschool professor who doesn't seem to use the internet. So unlike all my other courses, whose information is easily accessible on the internet, this class required me to keep track of paperwork with important information on it. You see the disaster waiting to happen?

I was informed by the professor that I could request a exam prep document if I e-mailed him and requested it, which of course I did. Said document had an exam location, time, and date on it that I took to be the information for my OWN exam... This is where I start kicking myself.

It turns out my exam was a few days prior, and my illness didn't befall me during that time, so my petition is likely going to be thrown out, and I'll likely have no recourse what so ever. The document he sent me was the exam for the previous year...with the previous years information on it. Meaning my times, dates, and locations were all off. So while I was busy being sick and studying, everyone else in my course had already written their exam.

What does this mean, Absent Minded Man? It means I'm out the cost of the course (About $800 before books, so over a grand), the credit, and the years worth of class time and study. It also means I'll likely be on academic probation next year...

Shoot me?