[Oyvind]

I'm going abroad to the US this August to study for a couple of years. But I have a problem.

I have everything sorted out, booked plane tickets, I have a place to live from the 15th of August, I arrive in Denver on the 4th.
I need to register for classes though, and I was JUST told that I need to register early in order to get the classes I need. However, in order to register for classes, I need to take an academic placement test and speak to an academic advisor. Both of which I must do on site, at the college.

So I am faced with a few options here:

• Option 1: do nothing, and try to register for classes on the 4th of August or later. In response to my questions about this, the international student recruiter peeps said I could do this but I needed to do very well on the test so I could get into classes with strict requirements. Even if I am able to finish this test with such good results, I do not think I am up to the task of taking these (probably hard as hell) classes. And even if I am, I do not think I am guaranteed to get all the classes I need anyways.
• Option 2: cancel my flight, if possible, and go there in early July (have to be after the 4th, not allowed to go earlier on my student visa). I would have time to register and probably get all the classes I need, however I would have to live in a hotel for over a month. Where am I supposed to get that kind of money? It's not part of the budget and I may have to take out a much bigger loan to do this.
• Option 3: I do not cancel the flight. Instead, I book an additional flight earlier, say the 6th of July, I stay a couple of days at a hotel, I take the test, speak to the advisor, register for classes, then I go home. Come August I then travel back. This would also be really expensive, I do not know if I can scrape together enough money for this. Crossing the Atlantic is not the most affordable of trips.

This is really stressing me out. I haven't even mentioned this new problem to my parents yet.

I feel like drinking now. Forgetting about it for the day and postpone dealing with it until tomorrow :/

[kaliope]

it is just a thought, i dont even know if they are available, but have you thought of checking into a hostel or maybe camping at a camp ground for the time it would require to be there early? or maybe contacting some churches and see if there is a family that would take you in until that time?

[Oyvind]

hmm, I haven't, actually. That would really suck though, expecially for a hygiene freak like me. I also like my privacy.

At this point I've come too far to let anything keep me back, so I'll have to do whatever it takes.
I've posted to the facebook page of the college asking for advice from fellow international students, but no reply yet.
I'm going to give it a few more days and get a little more perspective on it. Just hope it doesn't all unravel because of this.

This is really stressful stuff and I wish it hadn't been sprung on me this late in the game, after I've booked plane tickets.