Hey everyone,
This is my first post on my DCP blog. I guess I can use this post to discuss what to expect from this blog and also what I have gone through already. I apologize in advance for the length. I want to get as much information about the past month as possible. I promise they will be less excessive in the future. Well, here we go. :)
Today is March 13th, 2014. Exactly one month since I started on the rollercoaster ride that is the Disney College Program. Technically I began earlier, but I thought nothing of it until I made it to my phone interview on the 13th. I applied for the program on February 7th and within a few hours I was sent and email to move onto the web based interview. At this point I started to get excited since I learned from my research that most people don't make it past the WBI. As soon as I finished filling it out, a congratulations message popped up on the screen telling me that I was a strong candidate for the program and letting me know that I would get an email to schedule a phone interview soon. At this point I lost it. I cried, and cried, and cried, and cried some more. I debated calling my mom at midnight when I found out, but decided that could end badly and I just waited.
The day of my phone interview (and the days leading up to it) I over reacted. I booked a library room and went down nearly 45 minutes early and paced. I walked circles around the room, checking my phone every few minutes and doing some last minutes research. I downed a few chocolate bars to try and calm myself down, it worked. I sat for a while and relaxed until the moment when my phone rang. I answered the phone and my nerves disappeared. My interviewer was nice and made me feel calm and I was able to be myself. I slipped up on a few questions and I one point I thought I made a complete fool out of myself, but I was overall confident about how I did and again cried after I finished, before having to clean up, turn in the room key and head to class.
Now I start the fun part (or not so fun part). I spent the next 2 weeks going back and forth from my dashboard to my email to the DCP Facebook page constantly checking to see if I made it in. Part of figured it was a lost cause since only about 1/3 of the people get in. I annoyed my mom and sister who put up with my constant complaining and met sooo many nice people while waiting to see if I made it in. I feel like I have made many friends before even getting into the program and couldn't wait to meet them if we all got in.
March 1st, 2014. A day that will forever be etched into my brain. It started the same way as everyday for the past two weeks. I woke up and checked my email. The only difference this time was that I had a congratulations email from Disney. I was given a custodial position from May until January. I cried for the third time since this journey started and began shaking uncontrollably. I realized that my phone was still up on my bed and I needed it to call my mom, so I climbed onto my chair still shaking to grab it from my loft bed. A dangerous thing to do, but at that point I wasn't thinking straight. I called my mom, still crying and at that point all I could get out was "I'm going to Disney." My mom was happy and surprised at the same time. Little did I know that one day was going to cause me so much stress in the coming week.
After getting accepted, I had 7 days to complete 3 steps. The first one was to simply accept the program, the second was to pay your fees, and the third was to select a date. I had to wait until my 6th day to pay the fees once I got paid, so I used that time to get things figured out. I was bounced around from my academic advisor, to the financial aid office, to career services and back again as I tried to make sure I was cleared to leave. It was my understanding that as long as I take 6 credits, my loans don't have to be repaid and I can use them to pay for the classes and if I take 12 credits I can still use my scholarships that semester, and if not I get them back in the spring. I still have a long road ahead of me before I figure everything out, but the way I see it, I am a test dummy for my younger sister who because of my acceptance now has the dream of getting into the program as a character performer, her friends, and many other people. By the time they get to that point where they can apply, I will be ready to help make things less stressful for them.
Well, that brings everyone up to date. Now I have the fun of trying to find roommates, getting supplies and of course buying Disney bedding (Who is going to pass up the chance to have Disney bedding without being judged. Lol.) I apologize for the fact that this post is so long. I am writing this blog not only to keep my friends, family, and other interested people up to date on my daily experiences, but also to help me remember every detail of my program. In order to get credit for the internship from my school, I have to write an 8-10 page paper on my experience and I want to include as much detail as possible. It is my hope that after I check in on May 19th, that I will keep up with a daily blog post to keep their size down and also include some pictures to keep them interesting. I am going to get back to enjoying my spring break while I have the chance to relax before my classes start again. Congratulations to any other accepted applicants, Good luck to those waiting, and to my friends and family thank you for your continued support!
P.S
I plan on using a new Walt Disney quote as the title of each of my posts depending on which ones I feel fit with the contents of the post. Some of them may end up being repeated throughout the time of my program.
