On my first day in UP, I got lost going to all of my classes. I knew it was going to happen. That’s why when I pre-enlisted last summer, I scheduled all of my classes an hour-and-a-half apart. I didn’t bother to check the room numbers of the classes I was taking; even though I knew I had a lousy sense of direction. One hundred eighty minutes would be more than reasonable time to shuffle from one class to the next.
True enough, during the first few days of the school year, it took me at least thirty minutes to find each of my classrooms.
After the first week, I could already find my way around campus without stopping for directions. Now, I have an hour-and-a-half to go from my Anthro10 class on the third floor of Palma Hall to my Kas1 class on the second floor of Palma Hall.
My lapses in judgment on my first pre-enlistment were only the first of many mistakes I’ve committed. September 18 is my 100th day as a UP student (not that I’m counting), and in such a short time, I have learned so much… from my mistakes as well as my discoveries.
Over the last 100 days, I’ve forgotten simple things such as bringing an umbrella, and more important stuff, like attending class. Each mistake has taught me a lesson. Right or wrong, the things I’ve done have enriched my first semester as a college student with learning experiences.
One of my most memorable experiences was my first attempt at joining a school organization. “Don’t join an org in your first year,” people told me. But why wait? After all, I was very active in extracurricular activities in high school. So I readily applied for an “org,” not knowing what to expect from it. The org ended up eating a lot of my time, actually becoming my life. I quit after month, more than halfway through the application process. I pride myself at being a non-quitter, so I will probably regret that moment of reality, but I know that I have many opportunities to join another group in the future.
After I quit, I happily went back to enjoying my quiet college life. Having a very light schedule has its perks. With just fifteen, all of them GEs at that, I have a lot of free time on my hands. Going from seven subjects a day in high school to three subjects today took a bit of getting used to. I’m not complaining! I was just surprised at the sudden change.
Another thing I had to get used to was the sheer size of the UP campus. Palma Hall alone is bigger than my old school’s entire compound.
People are even starting to comment that I’ve been getting thinner lately. If you have to walk from building to building every day, wouldn’t you lose weight? I could ride the Ikot and Toki jeepneys, of course, but at 7 pesos per ride, I don’t think so. For three pesos more, I could already buy a stick of kikiam. Why waste good money on a jeep when I could spend it on food? Besides, if I’m not hungry, the walk makes for good exercise.
I’m never far away from food at UP. There’s a fishball stand on every corner, and Rodic’s, CASAA, Lutong Bahay, and other eateries are never more than a jeep ride away.
Actually, nothing in UP is more than just a jeepney ride away. Everything I could ever need is already inside the campus. A theater, a church, a bowling alley, a shopping center, an infirmary, a couple of soccer fields, a gym, tennis courts, a museum – it’s an entire city inside a school. It’s mind-boggling. What other university could boast that?
UP is truly one-of-a-kind. Millions of students, 362 graduate programs, 246 undergraduate programs, 33 National Artists, 28 National Scientists, 12 campuses, 7 constituent universities, 6 Philippine presidents, 5 cheerleading championships, and one famous statue equal 100 years of excellence.
I’m a centennial freshman on UP’s centennial year. I watched the “The Great Centennial Run.” I cheered as the UP Pep Squad defended its cheerleading championship. Even my student number differs from the alumni and upper classmen. With these, it’s with UP pride that I say I can’t imagine myself being in any other university.
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Support the University of the Philippines on its 100th year. Donations can be made to the UP Oblation Fund through the Development Bank of the Philippines (Quezon Ave.)-Savings Account No. 5-01317-460-8; Land Bank of the Philippines (Katipunan Branch, QC) – Peso Acct No. 1461-2220-21 * Dollar Acct: 1464-0032-46 * Dollar Swift Code: TLBPPHMMAXXX.
For more information, visit www.up.edu.ph or http:// www.centennial.up.edu.ph.