I entered the University of the Philippines in Tacloban on June 19, 2001 as student number 91-48659. It was already the first day of classes and I was the last to enroll during that school year. Tatay accompanied me to the University while some Capuleno students assisted me through the enrollment system. I took up Bachelor of Arts in Communication Arts because I wanted to be a journalist. During my first year, I was with the BS Biology Block Section because my adviser happens to be their adviser.
I did not know anybody among my classmates who come from different provinces in Samar and Leyte and even from Manila and Mindanao. I did not speak Waray (although I could understand the language since I listen to a radio station in Tacloban) so I spoke in Tagalog. My classmates teased me about it and in a month's time, I was already very conversant in the vernacular. I was insecure because most of my classmates came from national high schools and private schools in the city and nearby towns and provinces and they have advanced curriculum. It did help that I was not very articulate in English and had a bad diction so I did not participate in class discussions most of the time. I did not even know how to use the library the first time that we were made to research on an assignment.
The UP curriculum is more on the interaction type with the teacher only guiding the learning process and not spoon feeding the lessons. Our teachers want us to discover for ourselves the answers to some of the lessons that we discussed in class so we were often doing research. We did not learn grammar anymore because they said that we should have learned that in high school. Our Communication Arts I is about composition and we were made to submit a term paper at the end of the semester. Coming from an agricultural high school, I had a hard time catching up and it showed in my conditional failure in Comm I because I was not able to submit a typewritten term paper on time.
Since it was the first time that I was away from home, I was day dreaming while my professors in Natural Science and Mathematics discussed alien theories so I got a conditional failure in these subjects. My parents were alarmed because I was on probationary status during my first two semesters in college. Thank goodness that I was able to pass all my subjects or else, I will not be able to avail of any stipend as an Iskolar Ng Bayan. I have to enroll in summer class on my first year to finish my research paper for Communication II while enrolled in Mathematics 101 (Statistics) for which I got a grade of conditional failure because I went home for the fiesta in San Luis. Again I was able to pass the subject with a lot of prayers and headache.
The first two years in college were a deciding time for me if I would be able to hurdle UP. Honestly, there were times that I wanted to quit and transfer to another school because the pressure was too much for me. Aside from the financial problem, school pressure was taking its toll on me. My migraine got worse and there were times that I did not have money for school requirements. I have to walk to and from school and have to ask my landlady for a few days extension on my dues at the boarding house.
I would not have survived UP if not with the help of friends. Since there were only few of us in the same course, we became very close. Originally, there were seven of us but the others shifted to another course so there were only four of us when we graduated.
My College Friends
Any UP student will tell you that the General Education (GE) subjects are more difficult than the major subjects so my junior and senior years were already a breeze. It was also during this time that I became very close to Enrika, Nikki and Joy who were my co-Comm Arts students. The four of us became very close and were enrolled together in almost all subjects until we graduated. There were times that there were less than 10 of us were enrolled in a subject; the four of us and six others. Needless to say, we were in the same group in Theater Arts and Literature classes. We did field and library researches, watch films for review, wrote scripts and spent late night rehearsals for theater arts performances together. At times that I did have money for Xerox of required readings, these people were at the rescue by sharing to me their copies.
UP has a very liberal environment. We were told that the entire society is our classroom so we must be socially aware of everything that happens around our surroundings. We must verify the theories we learn from books and be critical about any issues that affect not only the students but the larger community. Community immersions were part of the curriculum so we have to integrate among the different classes of people so that we will know if the lessons we learn are relevant.
Fashion is never a passion in UP. Looking from a distance, you could tell a UPian because he is wearing a backpack, a tubao (a Muslim kerchief used as headband) torn and faded pair of jeans and a UP shirt. UP students were known as revolutionary because we do not easily agree with the norm, we challenge the system especially if it does not serve its purpose. And for that we were branded as idealistic.
Classrooms are empty because we conduct classes at the botanical garden, at the beach or at the shaded areas of the campus. We did not want to be boxed in.
UP is such an ideal community that we UPians always go back to our Alma Mater especially during special occasions like anniversaries. An alumni group is even included during sports fests. There are several hangers-on in UP, those who do not want to graduate and spent several years to finish an undergraduate course. These students have to be reminded that there is a maximum residency rule in the University.
The school is said to be the melting pot of ideals. As UPians, we are molded to become Humanists and we are forever grateful of the values we were taught in and outside of the campus.
