Sad emails...

[j4]

... say so much, about hopes and dreams and education and privilege and the uselessness of what I do for a living. Emails like this are probably the most depressing thing to fall into the webmaster inbox:

Dear : sir
Im so pleased for corresponding you , I hope to having your consideration , I appreciate your effort ... time as to help me . Really will be so kind if I have excelent opportunityat your standard academic . So Iog on the web site and again asked for scholarship , therefore Isubmitted before this an application under term ( MT 2005 .. No xxxxxxxx .... ID No xxxxxxxxx .... under course MA in Applied Linguistic ) . But unfortunately I held back , for too much competition , Could you please considering me .
According to my knoweldge your University is intersted in education , which encourage me to write to you .So I change my course to ( MA in Communication & Negotiation ) .
Excuse me to intrduce my self ; Im from Darfour State ... El Fasher City ; I graduated and I have BA in English Language & Litrature .Thereby , for current position my country side is badly needs of interaction learners ; becuse to foucs on peace and a ccomplished communication . Even through African country ; with consultants ...awerness proposition .Could you please reply my situation ... I need fully
thankyou for your time ...... Miss K------

And all I can do is point her at the relevant clauses in the Graduate Studies Prospectus and, if I really want to drive the point home, end the email with our standard boilerplate "Thank you for your interest in the University of Cambridge." Sorry, but we've just shattered your dreams. Have a nice day.

Comments

Not impossible

[anat0010.livejournal.com]

Where there is a will ...
Ok its difficult to get a scholarship, but not impossible, and its a hell of a lot easier with the internet than previously. There are scholarships out there, they may be hard to get, a single one may not cover all fees and living expenses for a course.
http://www.acu.ac.uk/enquiries/lib_enq_afrawards.html
is a place to start. Lots of persistance is required, plus the ability to take countless refusals without loosing hope. Writing countless letters for the hope of attending a British university is a far more honourable way of pulling yourself out of the gutter, than pathetically advertising your services on one of the many 'mail-order bride' websites, which never fail to bring a deep sense of dispair to my heart.

oh sod it

[anat0010.livejournal.com]

Send me the lady's email address if you would, and I'll see if I can't at least try and make a difference to someone's life. There's no point buying organic museli and paying your Amnesty subs if you aren't willing to get up off your comfy sofa and try and do something once in a while. Even if it is futile, at least increasing the amount of hope in the world is not a bad thing.

martin_g_lee [at] 'blah-de-blah' [dot] com
where blah-de-blah = hotmail