Author: elyssebejar

Embrace it.

In this final Blog 6050 entry, I look back with a wonderful and grateful heart on the previous assignments and tasks we had. Honestly, I was floored with how challenging it devcom was, and is, for me. I didn’t like how I struggled and cried and almost lost all the energy I once had upon entering the college. It is very different and very distant from my comfort zone.

College is a war zone, a fight with yourself. You have a chance to be survive by putting in little effort, but that would be like hiding yourself in the middle of a battle while everyone else fight with their whole might. That way, you will miss the chance to grow and to be strong.

That is what I’ve learned so far. I have missed the exciting parts because I was so taunted by my weaknesses and frailties. But I won’t let that happen again.

This semester, I began with assessing my skills as a media writer. I have a very poor organization ability with data, and I can’t really tell a story in a fluid way. I am all over the place. Data gathering is what I dread the most. But as the sem went by, and with all the exercises we had, I could say that I progressed in this difficulty. I grew my knowledge on where to get better information, how to get an interview, and what questions I should ask. Of course, I do not have it all together, but I am glad to have experienced it and picked up lessons along the way.

One of my career mentors, Ms. Melinda Ramo-Baylon, enlightened me about media writing. She gave me tips and practical techniques on how to begin a story, and I was really refreshed. Things began to feel a lot easier and simpler to do, and I felt excitement again.

This semester, I had a high wall to scale, and until now I am in the process of overcoming it. When and how I will finish, I am still uncertain. But I am positive and I want to keep going. I am looking forward to the next experiences and challenges, and I will do my best to put up a good attitude, discipline, and outlook as I embrace my becoming as a Development Communication practitioner.

    Una sa lahat,

    First sem is almost over! What are the top things you wish to tell yourself from this semester?

      https://drive.google.com/open?id=16EAcpZmYH-ni5_JZL99-H0sGy9zLrpLz

      December na, ang bilis ng panahon! The end of the semester is just right around the corner, and it’s getting tougher and tougher by the minute. Sabay-sabay na deadlines and exams, plus SEA games, tapos traffic pa sa SLEX, ang dami pang readings sa PI 10, portfolio sa ARTS 1… may idadagdag ka pa ba?

      “To cram is no longer an available option.” In fact, it should never be. At ‘yan ang unang-unang sasabihin ko sa aking Freshie self. Sabi ng Prof namin, pwede lang mag-cram hangga’t splendid ang output na maipapasa mo. But in my case, that is impossible. I can never work in my best within a time pressure. So, Elysse, do yourself a favor and do what needs to be done ASAP.

      Ay, nag-set ka ba ng goals ngayon? This is the second most important thing that I overlooked. One day, nag-iisip-isip ako kung ano na ang nangyayari sa buhay-kolehiyo ko. Bakit ganito ako mag-effort, parang joke time. Dun ko naalala na wala akong tina-target na goal, may it be a grade or a characteristic. Kaya ang ginagawa ko na lang ay come-what-may at nagiging mediocre ang mga outputs ko. Ang daling mawalan ng gana na magsikap sa panahon ngayon, but that should not be an elusive mindset over any of us. Show some grit and resilience. Sabi nga ng kuya ko, kapag babato ka, ibato mo na ng malayo. That way, hindi mo man maabot ang target mo, malayo pa rin ang narating mo. Elysse, hindi ka nag-sha-shadow boxing. Put up a good fight.

      Ang hirap pumorma, no? ‘Yan kasi, ang daming dala na damit, hindi naman makapili. Pero now that I’ve gotten my feel of Elbi, napag-desisyunan ko na magbawas ng damit. Ang hirap din kasi iuwi. At since aesthetic trend naman ngayon, why not go and try to have a minimalist lifestyle sa dorm?

      Oo nga pala, baka nakakalimutan mo: ‘wag kang judgemental. Ang dami kong nakilalang tao na hindi ko inaasahan yung personality nila. Not in a negative way, just not how I expected. May mga tahimik na kwela pala, may mga boisterous na ang soft pala ng feelings nila… Guard your heart ang keep an open mind. It will be good for everyone to be friends with everyone. Learn from others, befriend their souls, grow together.

      Remember why you started. I had to do this multiple times, more than once in a single day, lalo na kapag nakatakip yung ilong ko pag dumadaan ako sa Sperm Bridge at iniisip, “Bakit ba ko daddito.” There are times when you could answer that right away, confidently and surely, but there will also be times when no answer is true and concrete. Kapag ganon, imagine yourself as a practicing devcom in your desired field. Visualize yourself in the future, your family, and the people you want to reach or the problems you want to address. Isipin mo yung sweldo, if thet will make you feel better. Isipin mo yung lugar kung saan ka kinatagpo ng pangarap mo. Isipin mo yung pikit-matang pagsasakripisyo ng pamilya mo para pag-aralin ka. Diba, napabangon ka. Kaya tapusin mo ‘to.

      God is with you, acknowledge Him. Mawala na ang lahat, ‘wag lang ikaw sa will ni Lord. Mawala na ang lahat, ‘wag lang ang delight ni God. Bata ka pa lang, nababasa alam mo na ‘to: Trust in the Lord with all your heart and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight. Makalimutan mo na ang lahat ng sinabi ko dito ngayon, ‘wag lang ito.

      Play, Pause, Play.

      It’s November! The fourth month of the first semester of my first year as a college student. And yet, here we are talking about taking a break. Here I realized how demanding Devcom is – physically, mentally, and socially. Since it is like a mix of social work and media, everything you do counts. There are a lot of things to consider like putting premium on accuracy and truth, staying true to your advocacy, and a whole lot more. Devcom is a very general discipline indeed.

      As a freshman, I realized that rest should already be on my schedule. It’s easy to forget to breathe and just keep rolling, but that attitude will only make things worse. So, here are few things I do after a long week at school.

      1. Sit Awhile. I love this phrase. Do you still remember a time when you just sat with someone or even alone and just breathed freely, unwary of all the cares of this world? Elbi is a wonderful place for that. Just you and your soul, in sync. No phones, no distractions.

      This is my favorite hack when I feel tired. There are days when I will really drop what I’m doing and sit awhile. I pray or lift a melody, talking to God and to myself. Drinking in my surroundings and the other things that I have missed due to busyness. It’s a wonderful experience, letting God speak to me and show me things. Sitting awhile opens our eyes and our hearts make room for something that we really, really need. So make time to be still, everyday. Let it be your kind of rest.

      1. Converse freely with friends. Dorm becomes a home because of friends. One thing I look forward to is to talk to my dorm mates about the day. Sometimes, we will just catch ourselves talking and laughing for hours. It’s so fun! A live and personal chat is better than Messenger. I love how you can be open and honest to a friend about any particular topic. We often share insights and opinions about the future, about our dreams, our irritations… anything.

      So be sure to make friends. Don’t be afraid to be known, because that is what we are made for. We are made for communion with other people. But also, choose who you share your heart to. You can be everybody’s friend, but not everybody’s best friend. And as an iron sharpens iron, so a friend influences a friend.

      1. Go home. Dorothy said it. Going home to my province, to my city, to my family makes me feel like myself again. The travel time is also wonderful and relaxing (except the traffic). I like sitting on a bus, unmindful of the time and just taking in the surroundings. I like looking around while doing nothing. Hehe. But nothing beats the sense of familiarity of being in my own territory.

      It takes me off the role as a student and gets me in the role as a daughter and a sister. I miss the free food! And so I make it a point to always go home every weekend, even if it’s costly. Besides, I have other responsibilities. And taking a break from school every week is a must. Even God rested.

      Keep it in mind – play, then pause, before you hit play again. Rest is not just for the tired or for the exhausted. It is a necessity, like water. It replenishes us and keeps us alive. Rest, regardless if you are beat or not. Rest, because your body, mind, and soul needs some time to be still and breathe.

        https://scontent.fmnl10-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-9/33126618_10155719111898721_7164013661705469952_n.jpg?_nc_cat=101&_nc_oc=AQkdX1DgVQzyLd9NvprCUIBDMJiltbgbVy27soNdnNZGORi-9Zlx3aTfWtJWlXlhALE&_nc_ht=scontent.fmnl10-1.fna&oh=d9e643f5e172683967fd8f1c0cda02bb&oe=5E1CD933
        Living the dream and the calling.

        Being a development practitioner, there are two paths in front of you: the profession and the calling.

        Genny Rose Marcelino

        I was sitting in my development class. First class on my first day in the university. Our professor entered the room and easily discussed the course syllabus and all her requirements for us to pass the subject, without introducing herself. But before she ends the session, she shared an idea that until now became my anchor why I believe in development programs and walk on this path until now. Being a development practitioner, there are two paths in front of you: the profession and the calling. Also inclined to it are the financial stability and the financial contentment.

        My professor said that we should make up our mind before we exit the university – on what to walk on and pursue in our lives as a development communication practitioner. Now, I’ve been to five different kinds of work – researcher, field worker, communication specialist, training coordinator and program coordinator.

        The first three paid well. I remember my pay days where I was unsure where to put my extra money even if I support my family. I was capable to buy the things I need and even for things I only wanted. It was satisfying but not fulfilling. There were nights on those days I ask myself the purpose of what am doing, and who benefited from my work. I travel to and from office, staff house and home, but there were times when I felt so empty and it seems that someone or something was calling me from an unknown place.

        Then I remember my professor, my first class on my first day in the university. I job-hop and found myself in child rights and protection, even just the first day I felt fulfilled on the things entrusted to me. We trained government workers on child rights and protection, we discussed cases and played scenarios on children’s’ situations and ways to protect them. My days spent on that job will always be treasured, I left with a heavy heart because as much as I want, I wanted to stay but time can tell that it’s the end of my journey on that path.

        Who would have thought? It was far from my consciousness that I will be in a media organization that have programs on humanitarian response. It was surreal the first day I was called in for an interview, the manager who interviewed me scanned thoroughly my curriculum vitae and asked me every details of it. That interview series of wonderful and exciting moments lead me to where I am now. A media organization that focus on empowering communities through community radios and encouraging them as well after a disaster hit their areas. It’s not an easy job. It is a demanding one – there were endless nights of phone calls and continuous coordination with people on the ground and decision makers. There were holidays that can’t be enjoyed with family due to the need to know the situation of the affected community after a typhoon made its landfall. Because I need I to travel to communities for capacity building, going home to my province was very rare.

        Still, I will continually smile and say to anyone who will ask me if I love my job or if I’m happy with what I’m doing that, “Yes, I love every bit of it.” People might find me crazy to hear that answer, and I admit that it takes a crazy one like me to embrace the realities of this calling. I am a development practitioner, and I am called to be one.

        Genny Rose Marcelino is a batch 2007 graduate of Bachelor of Science in Development Communications. She currently practices her expertise as a Broadcast Operations Assistant for Far East Broadcasting Company (FEBC) Philippines. She is also a blogger and a mentor to young development communication practitioners.

        I met Ate Genny in RightNow, a community of media practitioners and enthusiasts under the New Media Department of FEBC Philippines. She has inspired me to take Development Communications here in UPLB and has influenced me to love media, social work, and volunteerism for the purpose that God has called me to be.

        Bakit UP?

        (Embedded) Featured Photo: https://drive.google.com/open?id=1uOC0WtLTVBDhmZg8VLaQ5qIHKpYhEWM8

        Sa kabila ng kahabaan ng trapiko, ng magulong lansangan, at bigat ng kinabukasan, minabuting kumuha ng UPCAT exam si Gyl. Kasama ang kuya at kanyang ina, hinarap ni Gyl ang isa sa mga tinuturing rite of passage ng mga kabataang Pilipino – ang UPCAT.

        Ang kuya ni Gyl ay mag-aaral ng UP Los Baños, College of Forestry and Natural Resoruces. Para sa kanya, hindi madali ang mag-UP, lalo na sa UPLB. Una dahil malayo sa pamilya, at higit na mahirap ang Mathematics and Science courses sa campus na ito. Isa si Gyl sa mga tumitingala sa pamantasan bilang may maganda, maayos, at mataas na kalidad pagdating sa larangan ng edukasyon. Ang mga natatanging propesor at ang libreng tuition fee ay nakahimok din sa kanya, dahilan para subukan ang UP. Alam ni Gyl ang katakut-takot na sakripisyo na kakaharapin niya sa oras na maging kabilang siya sa mga bagong Iskolar ng Bayan, pero hindi ba’t normal ang pagsasakripisyo sa buhay? “Ang makapag-aral sa UP ay magiging malaking tulong hindi lang sa akin, kundi pati na rin sa aking pamilya dahil ang pag-aaral dito ay libre – iskolar ng bayan.”

        Ang ina naman ni Gyl ay masigasig din sa pagsuporta sa kanyang anak. Sa pamamagitan ng pagbibigay ng motibasyon at gabay, magkatuwang nilang tinataguyod ang kinabukasan ng kanilang mga anak. “Ayaw kong pagsisihan na hindi ko ginawa ang lahat ng makakaya ko para sa future ng mga anak ko, at ganoon din naman sila.” Dama ang pagkalinga at pagmamahala niya sa anak. “Ano man ang resulta, nandito lang kami lagi para sa kanya.”

        Masaya at buong loob na umuwi ng Angono, Rizal ang mag-anak. Taas noong haharapin ang mga pagsubok upang makamtan ang pinapangarap na kinabukasan.

        It doesn’t end with UPCAT

        • Oblation. In reckless abandon to pursue what you dreamed for from the beginning.
        Photo owned and captured by: Elysse Bejar

        Exam tips for the following years

        Currently, I’ve only had three examinations. I used to dread them, because I thought the UPCAT was the last thing I’d worry about after passing it. But now that it’s over, it wasn’t that bad of an experience.

        Though I’m not really sure if it was easy, or maybe I really understood what I studied and reviewed, or it’s just that I couldn’t care more whether or not I did well.

        But to help you for next time, here are the five things I think you should do before any exam.

        1.Listen attentively to class. I figured that the way that I learn is by paying undivided attention to that discussion because I remember and understand better that way. Unlike when I try to write down notes while listening, I pick up better when I’m not busy. Try to do that during discussions, or just simply figure out how you learn best so that when an exam comes up, you won’t have to review and teach yourself every single thing.

        2. Explain to yourself. When reviewing, explain the concepts, the timelines, the definitions, and the processes to yourself. This works best for memorizing a lot of information.

        3. During the exam, just relax and keep your mind present. Watch out for tricky directions, so always read them first. In our last exam, I answered the enumeration part immediately so that I won’t have to think about it and as I might forget what I memorized. Be strategic in answering the test, and also make sure to answer those with the highest points given, if ever you think that you won’t finish everything.

        4. After the test, relaaaax. There’s no point worrying about it until the results come in.

        5. Take notice of how the professor designs the exam, then use it to your advantage for the next time. AND: Be grateful first, before you complain about it.

        Examinations are the turning point of our school life, but we should not be afraid of them. Just enjoy the test, learn your lessons, be grateful about it, and be sure to do your best before and during the exam. Give it your best shot.

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