On the day Office of Student Housing (OSH) meddled in the admission of residents in all 10 graduate and undergraduate dormitories of UP Diliman, we all faced one-way ticket to misery. What used to be an efficient, decentralized process of accepting deserving students to their dormitory of choice became a very chaotic and ineffective, not to mention unpredictable, procedure of admitting residents (randomly, I guess).

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Photo Credit — PhilMoney

In commemoration of one hundred years of excellence and service by the University of the Philippines, Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas has issued an uncut series of four one hundred peso bills bearing the logo of the UP Centennial. The special bills are Bangko Sentral’s tribute to one of the most influential institutions of the country.

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I have always looked forward to graduating and getting a job.

Right now, I am six semesters away from graduating. That is if passing my majors is just a walk in the park. Well, assuming that I am capable of being exceptional, I’m still not close to getting halfway through college. So I resort to daydreaming.

My bumming has brought me to euphoria. Thanks to my very talented imagination, I have created the perfect life-after-college story line out of the many figments from the past. But before I could even ‘come to terms’ with this bliss, it had to crumble down to the ground.
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I am about to put my head on the chopping board. And guess how I’m spending my remaining time? Surfing the internet, eating and slacking. What better way to panic! If I were a GC (grade conscious) person, I would have buried myself in books and acted as if the exams were the only thing that mattered in the world. Luckily, I’m still a normal one. I have recreational needs. Yes, you read that right. While on the eye of the storm (instead of preparing and getting this all done), I have the nerve to unwind and have fun.

I have four final exams on the 25th. Math 55, ES 21, ES 26 and ChE 2. How on Earth could I possibly get through that day? No amount of optimism in my body can suffice to neutralize this oh-i’m-gonna-fail feeling. I am feeling hopeless for two reasons: 1. I have a very poor memory and so you can’t expect me to memorize all the concepts, formulas and theorems. 2. My exams are continuous. So no breaks for me. Whew! For the information of everyone, Math 55 is the last in the Math series which is Calculus, ES 21 is Mathematical Methods in Engineering, ES 26 is Computer Programming and ChE 2 is Elementary Chemical Engineering. ChE 2 is a not-so-great subject. I’m telling you, it sucks bigtime.

Anyway, I am just bitter.

There, the truth has surfaced. My doom’s day is the day of my brother’s high school graduation. I remember reading his wishlist way back in January. I was on top of the list. All he wanted was a complete family on graduation. It frustrates me that I can’t be there on his very memorable day (of escaping the walls of Pisay). Andy and I even thought of saving for a plane ticket to Davao. Haha Futile move!

But then again, we will be attending the same school this June. Wahoo!

***
Looking back.

Two years ago, I was on the same situation as my brother. I did and did not want to graduate. Pisay was a microcosm of a perfect world and I feared of stepping out. But hey! I lived.

I feel as if I am turning away from the life I have been living for 17 years.

I attended Catholic school for 5 years. I thought that 5 years was enough to keep me spiritually healthy and aware. School taught me the prayers, practices and teachings of the Roman Catholic. And my parents did a great job of putting the teachings to action. We spent every waking hour and the last minutes of the day praying to Him. We dressed our best and went to church on Sundays. Our family somehow built a sturdy foundation on God. And for that, I pride myself of a spiritually-enriched family. Now it seems, everything is just a memory.

Holy Week used to be a remarkable holiday. Not until I went to college. Everything has lost its sense. Good Fridays weren’t as solemn as they used to be. And Easter Sundays weren’t as festive either. My Easter Egg has cracked, spilled and made a mess. I miss my old life. I miss my family and the things we used to do together.

I hope next year would be better. Until then, I’ll be toiling for a better, more colorful Easter Egg.

Another semester is about to end. And after spending almost 4 semesters in college, I have realized how odd I have transformed. Here are some of the general things I believe I have been practicing since college.

1. 6 AM is sleeping time, not waking time.
2. I have mastered the art of cooking noodles.
3. I have memorized the hotlines of all the fastfood chains along with their schedule, menu and price list.
4. In college, any class that starts before noon is early.
5. An average of one full meal on weekdays, two on weekends.
6. Allowance doesn’t always suffice.
7. Breakfast, if there is any, consists of cereal or sandwich and anything with caffeine.
8. 4 hours of sleep in bed is too much.
9. Going to the library is a social event.
10. I skip a class to write a paper for another.
11. I stay up late to finish problem sets then sleep through the class in which it was due.
12. I never realized so many people are smarter than me.
13. I never realized so many people are dumber than me.
14. I have met the type of people I thought only existed in movies.
15. Printers and laptops break down only when I desperately need them.
16. Life without Piscine(laptop), my phone and Viridian(iPod) is unimaginable.
17. A canceled class is almost as exciting as Christmas!
18. Class size doubles on exam days.
19. An hour and a half of Philosophy or Chemistry class seems like forever.
20. You have to be street smart to survive. Diskarte=success.