Craziness...

DNs article about applying to university.

I don't get it. Everyone knows the website will crash on the last day. It's done it in the past. Heck, some of the people I know who were going to apply said 'why do I have to think about it now. The site will just crash and I'll get extra time.' I don't understand the mentality of applying on the last day. I applied on the first day and just double checked my application a few days before the final deadline to make sure nothing had changed. Then there are people who complain that they only get a half day extra and they need more time because of work and what not. Why didn't they apply earlier? A whole month to make their choice, why in the last 3 hours of the application period? They can't really want to get in then. I can't imagine the universities will be that annoyed at missing out at a few procrastinators. The ones who always put off to tomorrow what can just as well be done today.

Another question is the computer system. If it is so expected that it will crash, fix it. Announce that anyone with a personal number that end with these numbers has the last day on this day, and anyone with the other numbers has the last day two days later. Or make an announcement that says 'We expect the site to crash on the last day. Don't wait until the last day to do your application because we will NOT be extending the deadline.' And those who don't make it in before the crash can just as well apply for leftover places that those who thought the process through didn't want. Or they could fix the system so that it could handle the pressure. But that is excessively expensive for something that is only needed for a few hours.

Yes, there are reasons you'd be applying at the last second. But not everyone should be doing that! Think things out in advance! How do they expect things to work out in the real world. What happens if the printer is down at work and they can't deliver an important document to a client on time? Because they waited until the last second to try to print it?

I guess at the end I'm just glad this whole mess doesn't affect me.