Hey, I'm Kristine! I'm a BA Behavioral Sciences student. I like to write, do podcasts, and read books that makes me think and reflect a lot in life. Let's be friends!
When I entered UP and realized that I am studying for Development Communication. I really did not know what I was getting into. With not enough knowledge with news writing and editing softwares, I am like a sore thumb among many. During our week 2, it is clearly seen that I did not rate myself high not enough, but somewhere in the middle.
The reason behind that is because I know that I have been doing these things but I am certainly not giving my best shot. I am still working on my own enemy which is procrastination and habit of saying “okay na yan” up to this day. But as I progress through the semester, I did not expect to learn a lot and work on these skills that I rated somewhat low before.
I learned a lot of things for the first time. There are some skills that I have sharpened and I learned a lot in using media tools since I was required to use them in my weekly write outputs. From where I am now, I must say that I am now at a uno standing, but not exactly at a flat one. I am thankful for the experiences and activities that helped me sharpened my skills throughout the semester, and truly excited for what’s in store for me in the coming semesters.
I wish you would have been able to see what I have become right now, after experiencing a semester here in UPLB. Maybe you have still been clinging to that tiny hope of getting into your dream school and never would have thought that you would be studying here, but here I am, and I gained a lot of learnings.
I know that entering a new university is scary, with being far away from home, but eventually, you will get used to it. Sure, you’ll shed a few tears or so, but always remind yourself that you will meet a lot of people who you will consider as family. You’ll get into an organization that will make you feel at home and meet friends and super classmates who will always be there for you.
Although you might feel small at times, pressured to do well because you are in a top university, and you feel like you’re the dumbest person in the room, it’s okay. There will always be people who are going to be better than you and more experienced than you because this course was really their passion. Sometimes, the ones who don’t know the most learn the best.
You might feel discouraged, because you literally have no idea how to write news, edit videos, and you don’t really have a choice with this course. But you’ll learn to love it eventually, especially when you realize how broad and diverse this course is even after you graduate. Those things you don’t know how to do now might become an asset for you later on, and you’ll thank yourself.
You would even experience heartbreaks of almost failing your exams. But I wanted to remind you to take that as a motivation to do better. It’s still the first few weeks of the semester girl, you still have plenty of time to get up back to your feet and try again.
Lastly, be open to opportunities along the way. Meet more people, get out of your comfort zone! I wish you would be able to go out more and have more time with your friends instead of just going back straight to your dorm. Always make time for your friends and family, and never forget to always pray. Always go back to Him whenever you feel tired and weary, and He will give you all the rest that you need.
But no matter how hard the semester was, I’m still proud of you. I know you worked hard, and this journey isn’t over yet. Can’t wait for the next few years we would go through this roller coaster of a ride called college.
As a person who literally has no chill, I am having a
hard time to write this because I really don’t even know how to chill myself.
Every time I do something that entertains me, I get nervous or anxious that I
have a schoolwork or org work that was assigned to me and I forgot about it
completely. But I guess, I do have some things that help me ease my mind in the
midst of a very stressful week.
Sleep
Okay, very basic, I know. But let’s face it, sleeping
is something that most college students lack nowadays, and basically my coping
mechanism for everything. If you don’t understand a lesson you are
self-studying or a homework assignment, take a nap. Sleeping refreshes your
mind and I can assure you that you can think better and feel better once you
start studying again.
Hobbies
In case sleeping didn’t help that much, I find spending time with my hobbies a great way to chill. As a person who is from a musically inclined background, I spend most of my time listening to music, playing instruments, and singing, so at the same time, I am honing and practicing my skills. I also read books and write some literary pieces when I feel inspired. I also try to learn new hobbies because it’s fun.
Friends and family
Staying connected with your support system is super
important! I really want to stress this so much. That’s why I always try to
make time meeting with my friends and spend time with my family at home. In the
midst of college stress, the only way to vent out rather than social media is
the people whom you are close to. Plus, it’s healthier and human interaction???
(yay)
Netflix, anyone?
This is just my personal coping mechanism to chill myself for the rest of the week. I do watch Netflix all the time, even during hell weeks. Netflix keeps me grounded. I don’t even know anymore. I multitask all the time and I couldn’t even focus anymore if I don’t do two things at the same time. Netflix is my guilty pleasure, and I don’t even know how to function without watching an episode or two from the TV show I’m loving as of the moment.
In celebration of the 101st UPLB Loyalty
Day, we were tasked to interview UPLB alumni and the key lessons that they have
learned from the university. And what is more better than to ask our alumni who
came from the college I am part of, the college of development communication
itself?
Ms. Trizia Apolonio Abaya is a Bachelor of Science in Development Communication graduate from the class of 2017. Unlike many others, Ms. Trizia balanced the life of attending pageants, being a part of the UP Community Broadcaster’s Society Inc, and her academics. When I asked her the 3 key lessons she learned from the university, she told me that they were courage, perseverance, and hard work.
Courage is one of the things she learned is because she wouldn’t have gone far in the university if she wasn’t brave enough to move forward despite every obstacle in her academic life. She learned perseverance because she never gave up, especially with her thesis and the challenging subjects she took. Her goal kept her going. Even though she feels tired and there are failures along her way, her rule is to never give up. Di pwede na sumusuko ang isang UP student. Lastly, she learned that hard work is really something you need.
Hindi pwedeng matalino lang sa UP. Lahat naman tayo matalino, magkakatalo na lang yan sa sipag at tiyaga.
Ms. Trizia Apolonio Abaya, BS Development Communication
On the other hand, Mr. John Timothy Buban Valenzuela is also a Bachelor of Science in Development Communication graduate from the class of 2019. The three key lessons that he learned from his stay at UPLB is that we must listen and ask questions, learn to prioritize and empathize with people. UP teaches us to look things in a critical perspective, and having one requires us to listen ask questions. By doing that, we will be able to make sense of what is happening in our society.
As a person who was a part of various organizations in
his stay in UPLB, namely Red Cross Youth, UP Community Broadcaster’s Society,
and so much more, Mr. Timothy learned to prioritize things so that he wouldn’t
be overwhelmed. Empathizing also helped him to understand people better, as a development
communication practitioner.
The last one that I have interviewed is Ms. Denise Rocamora, who is a Bachelor of Science in Development Communication graduate from the class of 2019. One of the three key lessons she learned from her stay at the university is that, your plans will not always work out but you have to find a way, no matter what. She added that sometimes, we plan so meticulously and even if we do, external factors or unexpected events can change our course. No matter how comprehensive or extensive our plan is, changes can’t be avoided. You have to be flexible and creative in finding new ways to achieve your goal. You can allow yourself to be rattled for a while, but it’s always helpful to remind yourself what the goal is. Change may not always be good, but it’s a reminder that there may be other ways to achieve something.
Ms. Denise planned to graduate on time, but it didn’t happen because of an unexpected circumstance. “I was upset, of course. I wallowed in self-pity for a while but I was sure I still wanted to finish my degree. It was difficult to get back in track after that. So I engaged with different sidehustles that made me use my “DevCom skills” to bring back the sense of normalcy in my life. I imagined a linear path in achieving my goals, not realizing that it is too idealistic. But life decided to give me a bumpy road. It sure wasn’t easy, but I learned more about DevCom and life in general with the extra years I spent to achieve my goal.”
The second thing she learned is that humility is important. We may be glorified as this and that type of person just because we’re from UP, but we are not that special. We may encounter people who do not share the same views as us, but we shouldn’t ostracize. Sometimes it’s easier to get angry, but educating people on their problematic stances have higher chances of persuading them to see the issue in a different light. We are not above anyone just because we know a little more about things.
The third one is that trying to change something isn’t easy, but it’s worth a try. We encounter this a lot with our campaigns–trying to change people’s behaviors, perceptions, attitudes, practices. Sometimes, we might feel we are not achieving our goal to change something, but this is a long process. One person or one group is not enough to easily achieve the change that we want. A lot of hard work is needed, especially if what you want to change is a system.
“Feeling ko po kasi dito mahuhubog yung mismong pagkatao ko, at bilang isang mamamayan.”
Shiena Mae Modena, UP Aspirant
It’s that time of the year again, hundreds of aspiring students, with hopeful hearts and test permits on hand, go to the University of the Philippines Los Banos to take the highly anticipated college admission test. As I was walking around, I couldn’t help but reminisce the time that I was one of them back then as well. I remember just dreaming to be studying at the university, and I cannot believe that I am still here up today. So, on October 6, I met up with my friend Daniel, so that we could interview together with the hopeful aspirants who may be a part of the freshmen batch next year. While we were walking, we saw two mothers and their children talking to each other near the REDREC building. We walked towards them and I decided to interview the other pair which I learned, later on, was Shiena Mae Modena and her mother, Marcelina Modena.
Marcelina Modena with her daughter, Shiena Mae Modena waiting for the UPCAT 2nd batch exam near the REDREC building in UPLB.
Shiena is a Grade 12 STEM student from Santa Rosa Science
and Technology High School, and just like many others, UP is her dream school. Her
friends were also a big influence to push through UP although her parents
consider it far from their home. Our ages don’t differ, for we were both 17. As
I continued to interview her, I learned that she lives with her father who is a
security guard, her mother who was an integrated micro-electronics worker turned
housewife, and younger sibling, who was just a year younger than her.
When I asked her mother, Marcelina, what she feels about her
daughter taking the UPCAT, she told me that she didn’t really encourage her to
take the exam. She doesn’t want her daughter to be far away from them and if
she studies in UP, they wouldn’t be able to see her every day. But despite her
and her husband’s unwillingness for their daughter to study in UP, they still
want to support her because that is what their daughter really wants. That’s
why she came to accompany her daughter on the day of the UPCAT.
As someone who has an almost similar situation with Shiena,
with my parents not really agreeing to let me study here in UPLB because it’s a
3-hour drive away from Manila, I tried to encourage and gave advice that she
would really grow and flourish here as a person, not just as a student. Although
it was a hard decision for our family to be far away from each other, Shiena’s
description of UP is just like the same thing that went into my mind when I decided
to go and study here.
As a hopeful iskolar ng bayan, Shiena believes that being one is to serve your country and giving back to the Filipinos with what you have learned in your education. This girl is just one of the thousands of students that are taking the UPCAT that day, and I know that a lot more people have stories to tell. I am really glad that I was able to meet and talk with Shiena and her mother. I really wish all the best to the future iskolars ng bayan, padayon!
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