So, my name change has been accepted and I'm waiting for the certificate to get here. With it, I'm suppose to be able to change my name in the college's date base and be stealth, or at least make it so no one knows my birth name. The thing is, I'm not sure when I'm going to get my certificate. It should be between the 9th and 15th of August. But, I'm leaving for college on the 15th and starting school on the 25th. School told me they could have it changed in 10 days once they get the certificate, but how is going to work for ID cards and stuff? There's no way I'll get my ID card if can't have my real name on it. I really don't want to be penalized for a matter of days. My only wish was to be able to change my name before college, and it's so close that I don't know if I'll actually be able to make it:bang:
Check and see if your school has a sort of preferred name thing going on. I know with my college there's a way you can set a preferred name other than your birth name to get put on your ID cards and on roll sheets and stuff. And really, from the way it sounds you're only going to have to tough it out for a couple of days and school wont even really start yet so you're not really going to be referred to by your birth name in class and stuff.
I'm not sure how it works in Quebec (I'm in the US), but have you tried calling the court (or whatever agency is issuing your certificate)? In the US you can often put in a rush order for an extra fee. If not, perhaps they could mail a copy straight to your college, which would cut out a few days of it having to go to you, then the school. The other option would be to plead your case with your school. Many colleges will change non-legal things (student id cards, roll sheets, email address, etc) before or without a legal name change. Perhaps they could "get the ball rolling" by putting your preferred name in all non-legal places, and then finish the change once they get your official paperwork. Emphasize to them that this is a matter of civil rights and is also a safety concern (whether or not you're actually concerned about your safety if you're outed - just say you are to get their attention).
Worst case scenario and the form doesn't get there in time for you to get everything changed officially by the first day, you can always email your professors and ask that they change it on their roll sheets and let them know that you are in the process of changing your name through the university as a whole but you would be more comfortable if they knew what to call you on the first day if that doesn't come through in time. Good luck and congrats on the name change! I know the bureaucratic hoops are sucky sometimes, but sounds like you're off to a good start!
I'm not even sure you need to explain anything to the profs. Just say it got recorded wrong. Same last name, right? As for the ID card, isn't that just issued when you go to get your pic taken? Can you leave it a few days? I'm sure they're all used to name "screw-ups". They'd have to be with the thousands of students they must go through there.
Thanks for the replies, guys! I sent a message to my college and I'm waiting for a reply. I want to know exactly what to do with the certificate and ask them for the changes they can do for now. Might ask them if the government can send them a copy, too if necessary. I would call, but I don't remember who I have to talk to about this. They told me what to do back in April when the name change would take place, but at that time I just began the name change procedures and I figured I'd ask back when the time would come. It's just that I'm completely fed up with those legal procedures (started the process in February in hope that it'd be completed for college). I guess I'm also bitter because the people in charge of my highschool completely screwed me over, there's no way I'll let it happen again. ---------- Post added 4th Aug 2014 at 08:51 PM ---------- Well, I was supposed to have my pic taken in May, but because of the name business, they preferred to wait. I can have it taken the week before college starts, too, so I decided to do that. To have it changed on the card, I need to have it changed in the system, which is the system used by all colleges in Quebec (Hence I don't know if the school has control over that one). Though, when I'll receive the certificate, the things related to governement should be changed already.
