Dear Diary,
I’m now in my senior year and, soon enough, I’ll be leaving the portals of this prestigious institution. Never did I think that I would reach this far. I feel like it wasn’t so long ago when I first filled out my UPCAT form around June 2004. I was still a senior in high school then.
It feels like only yesterday when I enrolled myself and had the usual “freshman jitters.” I used to think a lot about being a UPian. You know, people say a lot of things and, sometimes, I just didn’t know what to believe anymore. Happily, I have to say some of these things were proven wrong when I finally set foot in UP.
So here I go, looking back, hopefully offering tips my fellow Iskos and Iskas can use as they start a college life full of adventures in UP.
Tip 1: Be yourself and be respected. The nice thing in UP is you can just be yourself. You don’t need to pretend to be somebody else. People will love you just the way you are. And if you’re looking for a diverse culture, get inside the UP campus and you’ll be blown away by the many personalities UP has to offer. You’ve got the musicians, artists, kikays, happy-go-lucky ones, and many more. The good thing is that we don’t judge each other. We respect how each person wishes to dress and express him or herself.
Tip 2: The casual look is lovely! That means the jeans, T-shirt, and slippers get-up. Remember that UP has a “no school uniform” policy. Students are free to wear anything they like, as long as it’s decent, of course. At first, I thought that it would be hard since I’d been used to wearing uniforms all my life. I was afraid I might run out of clothes. I remember the first time I went to school wearing shorts and slippers, and I actually didn’t feel I was a student that day. So you might be a little apprehensive about going for the casual look, but you’ll love it in the long run!
Tip 3: It isn’t all about rallying in the streets. One thing that was holding me back from enrolling in UP was the popular image of all UPians being activists. Plus, there’s that regular Oblation Run. You really can’t blame me from thinking that way since that was what I usually saw on television. So I thought that once you became a UPian, you’d be forced to join the movement. However, I was wrong. It is up to you to decide how you are going to stand for your beliefs and fight for your rights. I do appreciate the student demonstrations, but rallies and placards just aren’t my thing. I voice my opinions through writing instead. So, freshmen, you shouldn’t be worried about this. How you get your points across is up to you.
Tip 4: Patience is a virtue. One thing I learned from UP is patience. Whether you’re waiting for your turn to photocopy materials or lining up for enrollment, you have to be patient. It was here that I confirmed what I heard from the others: UP is University of Pila. Yet, it was through these lines that I learned to multi-task. While you wait, you get to double check your requirements, chat with a few friends, or send a text message. You’ve got nothing else to do anyway.
Tip 5: Learn to outsource. It was at UP that I learned to be resourceful. Particularly in UP Cebu, where our equipment and facilities aren’t that updated or well-functioning. Thus, we have to find ways to provide ourselves with equipment during class projects. Say we have a live TV production; we bring our own cameras. We learned to make the most of what we had. It was through these instances that we learned to become creative. But, then again, I hope this serves as a call for greater state subsidy.
Tip 6: Do your best. Now in its 100th year, UP has never lost its aim of providing quality education to its students. I’ve always admired how UP is able to bring out the best in students. Back in my first year, I was actually amazed at our teachers who were real practitioners in their field. We’ve got a lawyer as our teacher for ethics and laws and a newspaper editor for journalism classes. But we, as students, should also do our part. Our teachers didn’t spoon-feed us. Sometimes, they just leave us to research and then give an exam the next meeting. Don’t worry freshmen; believe me, you’ll learn a lot from this.
Tip 7: Love UP and everything in it. You’ll never have fun at UP if you’re not going to enjoy your stay there. Whether it is the most “terror” teacher or the most annoying classmate, love everyone because you’ll probably never meet them again after graduation. Enjoy and participate in the events. At UP Cebu, some of our biggest events are the Cook-Out, Intramurals, College Days, and Crazy Day. These are parts of the year where the whole university takes a time-out from school discussions and engages in merry-making.
But things aren’t over yet for me. I still have one year to go and enjoy whatever UP has to bring in my life. I still have to work on my thesis, face more “terror” teachers, photocopy more reading materials, grand slam the cheer-dance competition, and bond some more with my classmates. I’m pretty sure I’ll miss all of this when I graduate.
Now, I’m talking as if I actually graduated already. Well, if all runs smoothly, I will be wearing my sablay next year. Time can speed by so fast, you know. Yet looking forward won’t hurt. I believe UP has prepared me for the real world. The reprimands and praises have molded me into what I have become right now.
UP, forever I will love you.
A proud UPian,
Rachelle Marie G. Dangin
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