There are two "serial" numbers (the product number) that came on the product packaging.
The software is Adobe Flash Professional CS5.5 Student and Teacher Edition, purchased from Amazon.com and needed student verification to obtain the license.
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^ [ I figured out what was wrong, but I'll just leave the information here for anyone in the future that may have short-term memory as well 
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I have just went through my records that I recovered from my laptop and it seems that the serial number on the product package DOES IN FACT have letters in it. But I think that I had to register it with Adobe and verify that I was a student before Adobe would give me my legitimate serial number that contained only numbers. So this is why there are tons of these threads about this that never go answered because the people asking and the people helping are both right and wrong at the same time. The students are trying to use the only serial that was provided to them, but it isnt the true serial. Maybe Adobe could be more clear that it isn't a serial number for the product underneath it? "Product Code" is synonymous with "Serial Number" to most people.
You use this code (the code with letters in it; the "product code") to contact Adobe and verify your status as a studen/teacher and then they give you the true serial number that is all numbers. Search your email for mail from Adobe to find your serial if you have already done this. I had completely forgotten how the process worked since it was a while ago.
Thanks for the help Mylenium, I hope this helps whoever comes across it in the future.
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