Author: Cherry Baguilat

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Studying for exams can be stressful for students. However, remedies can be done to reduce these “stressful moments.” Here are some tips when studying for the exams:

•  Find an appropriate studying technique for you. 

Knowing what study technique is best for you will help in your studying process. It helps a lot in understanding and absorbing what you are studying. 

•  Manage your time.

Have a study schedule. Allot time for each subject that is needed to be studied. Consider also activities given by other subjects. Make sure to have time to accomplish them. Also, include breaks and rest times in your schedule for you to have time to absorb what you are studying.

•  Reduce Cramming

Do not wait for the last minute for you to study. Cramming is never advisable as it promotes a shorter period of retention of what you have learned. Scan through your notes a week before so you’ll be ready for the “real review.”

•  Mind over Matter

We want to get a high score in the exam, which can put a lot of pressure on us. Mind over matter! Since allowing yourself to get pressured will affect your concentration and sometimes result to mental blocks. 

•  Pray

Some students say, “Mapapadasal ka talaga tuwing exams.” It may seem to be a funny statement but it’s true. There’s nothing wrong with asking guidance from the Lord. As a famous verse says, “Do your best and God will do the rest.” 

Going to college meant separation from my family for the first time. New environment, new sets of people to interact with, new school environment, everything was new thus, I had to adjust. I had to change some habits, practice time management and many more. It was hard, I always felt homesick. However, even though this one month has been stressful, it was also enjoyable. It was the start of new adventures.  Studying here at UPLB also changed my perspectives and made me realize a few things.

1. Know your goals and priorities. Sticking to your goals will help you carry on since there will be times that we feel down/not good enough. You should also master self-motivation since you won’t always have someone by your side. Knowing what is more important will also help you in managing your time and avoid procrastination.
2. You need to make an effort to learn. “Bukas nalang, bahala na, tinatamad ako,” some of the usual phrases we say. In college, this kind of attitude won’t do. Lessons won’t be spoon-fed; thus, you have to work hard and grab every opportunity which will help you grow. You good at the subject? Good, but always remember that there will always be room for improvement. So, learn, learn learn! 
3. It’s okay to ask for help. You were an “achiever” when you were in high school? That won’t matter once you enter college. You will encounter difficulties as days go by like being hard up at a particular subject. However, always remember that it’s okay to ask for help. Some organizations conduct tutor sessions; even the OSA offers tutorials; attend if you must.  Some may say, “Nakakahiyang mag patutor.” But you know what’s more embarrassing? Knowing that you are lacking but denying the chance to improve just because of pride. You need help? Ask for help.
4. Take Care of your Health.We can’t avoid getting sleep deprived and not eating at the right time especially during heel weeks, which is kind of every week. However, never sacrifice your health for your Acads. Rest if you must. And besides, being healthy is linked to better academic performance.
5. Enjoy.We are all pressured to pass, sometimes forgetting to enjoy our university life. You should find time to relax, find time to unwind. Join extracurricular activities rather than devoting your time solely to your Acads.

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As development communicators in training, we can’t avoid going from one place to another just to gather data. Be it through observation, document search or interview. We got to experience this in our third activity.

Our group was assigned to go to Barangay San. Antonio to gather data and make a community directory. Our group (Babala) used interview as our method of data gathering. Aside from the basics, like being respectful, patient, and the like, here are some tips when conducting an interview.

1. Be prepared. While the people being interviewed are surprisingly accommodating, don’t forget that these are people with very important jobs. Their time is precious, so don’t go causing any unnecessary delays that could have been avoided if you’d have looked ahead.

2. Don’t be shy. This is an obstacle that many people face, but DevCom students will have to break out of their comfort zones if they want to have a chance to survive. Not only that, being shy may slow things down when interviewing people you need information from.

3. Be observant. While in this situation interviewing is the primary source of information, not every little thing has to be asked. Some answers can be found around one’s vicinity, so don’t go wasting someone’s time asking them questions whose answers can be found elsewhere.

Without proper self-evaluation, failure is inevitable.

John Wooden

In this activity, we were given a chance to evaluate ourselves if we posses the qualities and skills of a media writer. Rating myself from 1-5, my results were:

Among the qualities listed, which quality would be the one that you need to work on the most? Why?

I need to be more industrious to be able to become an effective media writer. To produce relevant content, researching, validating and organizing reliable information. Thus, being industrious is needed to carry out all of these tasks.

Given your ratings, what keeps you from getting that 1.00 self-rating?

I couldn’t give myself a 1.00 since I am really not that confident when it comes to writing. I don’t usually exercise all of these qualities in my daily activities; only when the situation asks for it.

Among the skills listed, which skill have you developed the highest competency? What contributed to the development of that skill?

I think gathering data is a skill I can perform less burden. It also adds up that information can be accessed easily because of our gadgets and the internet. However, it is still up to the researcher to filter whatever data is accumulated.

Among the skills listed, which skill would be the one that you need to work on the most to develop? Why?

I need to work on my writing skills more. I read but I don’t really write since I’m not that into it and I want to change that. I want to learn how to write effectively and be able to produce relevant reading materials.

Inexperienced, the best adjective to describe me. I never joined activities that involved writing and if not required I wouldn’t be writing right now. Thus, I’m undeniably lacking these qualities and skills to be called a media writer. However, this activity helped me realize my weaknesses; a stepping stone in progressing and become a “media writer.”

               From the highlands of Kiangan, Ifugao is a girl, who at a young age, opted to study at the respectful institution of the University of the Philippines, Los Banos. Her dream started during her younger years when she’d always spend her summer vacation at her aunt’s house in Los Banos. To maximize her vacation time, she loved to bike around the perimeters of UPLB, sit at the benches while enjoying the scenery and take pictures of her summer escapades in the university. Mesmerized by the rich vegetation surrounding the university which reminded her of her hometown, she told herself that it was the perfect school for her to study and be able to reach her aspirations. Then, the time has come for her to pursue her dreams; she took the UPCAT and thank God she was able to pass.

              It was a dream come true! She was finally going to leave her beloved hometown and study at UPLB. Thinking about it made her nervous yet delighted with the given opportunity. She needed to get used to her new home. Thus, she came to Los Banos one month before the first day of classes. Since the academic year hasn’t started yet, she spent her time wisely working as a medical secretary at her aunt’s clinic, who was an Obstetrician-Gynecologist. While working as a secretary, she encountered health issues that people not far from her age are experiencing. However, one particular issue caught her attention; the rising cases of STIs. Coming from a conservative community, she wasn’t exposed to these kinds of issues. She wasn’t sure if it was because STI cases are not common in her hometown or it was because these kinds of issues are discussed behind closed doors. Maybe even worse, because these issues are not addressed in her community which is what she didn’t want to happen.

             She is Cherry Marie N. Baguilat, a proud Iska taking up BS Development Communication which she believes is a degree that can help her in reaching her aspirations; one of it is her goal of raising awareness regarding STIs among her fellow youth. To help promote Reproductive Health and be able to fully exercise being an “Iskolar ng Bayan, Para sa Bayan.”

Efforts and courage are not enough without purpose and direction.

John F. Kennedy

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Development; where everything seems to revolve for a DevComm student; lectures, exercises, and the like. From the very first week in this course, we were asked to choose our news beats then come up with our own development-oriented topics. I asked myself, “Ano daw? Development-oriented? Paano?” I wondered how exactly should I come up with my own topics? So, I did what most would do, search the internet for online references and was able to have an idea. Moreover, I was also able to catch some from our lecture class. To sum it all up, here’s my criteria if a topic is development oriented:

1. Purpose-driven

Topics for our works should have a purpose. This allows us to determine who we particularly want to reach and send our message to. It will also determine how we should construct our composition to align it to our audience.

2. Relevant and Stimulating for the Audience

Works produced will be useless if we can’t reach our targeted audience. Thus, we have to think of topics that are compelling to read/talk about. To achieve this, our topic should be relevant. It should be timely/up-to-date for everyone to relate to and to stimulate reactions or response.

3. Geared Towards Community Upliftment

A development-oriented topic should be geared towards community upliftment. It should be able to address issues in our community. It should also spread awareness and promote social mobilization. And, another statement I always hear in our lectures is that “it should be able to help the marginalized people in our community.”

To sum it all up, We should understand that we are writing “to the people and for the people.” Thus, we have to make sure that we produce significant outputs. However, as we are still development communicators in training, I hope that I may grow more and be able to produce these kinds of outputs. Having these three characteristics as only my starting point since further engagement to this educational program may change or improve these criteria.