When I started in U.P. I was skeptical. I felt that I was undeserving and that I wouldn't be able to face the challenge of being with the best students from all over the Philippines. But I was a fighter and I bravely took on whatever challenges that lay ahead even if it meant sacrificing my (then) non-existent social life.
I was right about the challenges, right to be afraid of being with the best, and right to be scared out of my wits to fail my expectations and people's expectations of myself. But I fought on and I surprised myself by having FUN in the process. I made great friends with my blockmates, went to every rock concert the school's organizations /sororoties/fraternities held, and went to every possible event there was in the college world in and outside the University.
But before I elaborate more on the FUN part, I want to talk about academics. My father said (not once but twice) that the REAL heroes are the U.P. professors as well as other public school teachers who share their knowledge to their students even if they are underpaid. The REAL heroes are the U.P. professors who still choose to teach despite being offered by prestigious/elite universities with big fat paychecks and benefits to boot. The REAL heroes are the U.P. professors who have pledged their loyalty to the University even if there are other opportunities to teach abroad. And I couldn't agree with my father any better. I was a witness to the heroic deeds of my U.P. professors. I can't tell you how much I think they're brilliant, awesome, spectacular, and everything else because they they're just....BRILLIANT. I like how everything wasn't spoon-fed. I like how a lecture would only seem like they're telling stories of history or how they seem like they're talking about the most interesting thing in the world even if they're talking about somewhat "ordinary" things. Their enthusiasm for what they do and what they teach is overwhelming and infectious. While there are "terror professors", each one of them left a mark on me and I still learned a lot from them. Not just in academics but in other aspects as well. I learned so much from my professors during my stay. I enjoyed every single bit of sem and even if I hated math with a passion and how it almost ruined my life, I only laugh about it now because EXPERIENCE IS THE BEST TEACHER.
I miss my UP professors who know so much about current events that they'll make you ooh-and-ahh on every trivia or conspiracy theory they know of. I loved my Econ series: ECON101, ECON114, AND ECON115 and made sure that I picked the particular professor who made my last few sems in the University worth the stay. You can't come to class without studying. You can't come to class without participating in graded recitations, everyday quizzes, and everyday trivias. Everything was graded but the learning experience wasn't like being dictated by a Nazi. It was a fun learning environment and because all the current events and topics in development studies interested me, I did well in his class. I learned so much from those last few semesters. While I was warned that I had to be prepared for "toxic" workload because of the materials we had to read, the prescribed readings, and the graded recitations, I'm glad I still enrolled in his classes because all the hard work was worth it. Not because I got the grades that I wanted but because of the amount of knowledge I was able to absorb.
Happy Centennial, U.P.!
UP 100 na, Congratulations! =)
There's a SMS quote that says: UP does not accept THE BEST, THE GREAT, OR THE WISE...U.P. MAKES THEM.
I wasn't able to go to the kick-off celebration of UP 100 the other day but I did get to see photos and photos of the spectacular fireworks display. Sayang.
I can go on forever and ever and gush about how much I love UP, how much I grew, and how much I learned from my education there. I'm braver now and I'd like to think I'm wiser too.
If there's one thing I can be proud of, it's the fact that I AM A MAROON. I GRADUATED FROM U.P. =)
