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I was not prepared.

I was so busy with the idea of what career path I should take in the future that I forgot there was a bridge that connects my dreams to its fulfillment. I was fighting my way through a thick mist of doubts and uncertainties that it left me mentally, psychologically and completely unprepared for college. But after the first 5 months of the school year, I learned that you can never be truly prepared for whatever college may throw in your way.

College is not all about academics. It is a training ground, preparing you for the real battles ahead. More so, it is a journey of self-discovery. What I am now and what I have achieved so far is the product of my actions and decisions in the past. I do not regret any of my doings, however, I wish I could have said several things to my old self sooner.

I have indeed found myself here in college. I have a lot to thank for. Friends and family allowed me to embrace the woman in me. As a matter of fact, the nuggets of advice that I would like to impart to my old self are wisdom taught to me by great women who marked and changed history.

ONE STONE AT A TIME

All strange and terrible events are welcome,
but comforts we despise.

Cleopatra (Shakespeare and Dickens: The Dynamics of Influence”. Book by Valerie Gager, Valerie L. Gager, Cambridge University Press, p. 266, 1996. )

A fact about the great queen Cleopatra is that she was not Egyptian, and this marked the start of my first lesson. The first piece of advice that I would like to tell my old self is to DO THINGS, ONE STEP AT A TIME. Expect a lot of paperwork and projects. Cramming is an option but quality work takes time. Besides, doing a lot in a single moment can exhaust the mind, body and spirit, and can affect your state of health and thinking in the future.

As I have mentioned earlier, Cleopatra was not Egyptian, however, she climbed to the top of the pyramid slowly but surely. She was patient as she embraced Egypt’s culture and was the first member of the Ptolemaic line to learn the Egyptian language. From Cleopatra to me, carefully mind every step and don’t be discouraged when little work is done. Slow progress is still progress. What is important is that you have a clear vision of what it is you want to achieve.

OFF WITH their heads

Fear not, we are of the nature of the lion, and cannot descend to the destruction of mice and such small beasts.

Elizabeth I

To be off with their heads does not mean to rid yourself of the people around you, instead rid yourself of negativity from this people. It is important to know that NO ONE CAN DECREASE YOUR VALUE. Do not stress yourself with whatever people might say or think about you. What is important is YOU DO YOU and you do what you do best without stepping on people.

This is wisdom from one of history’s greatest queens, Elizabeth I. By birth, she was not destined to rule England. She was despised and shunned even by her father and sister. However, she did not mind all of these and continued to survive even in prison. Ultimately, fate took a sudden turn and made her queen. So, heads up and be proud. Believe in yourself as much as others believe in you. You may not know it but there are people out there rooting for you. You are not always alone in your battles.

COLOR YOUR WORLD

Feet, what do I need you for when I have wings to fly?

Frida Kahlo

The world is not black and white, nor is it a dull shade of grey. Everything is brimming with color and life, so my next piece of advice is to UNLEASH YOUR CREATIVITY and always SEE THE BEAUTY IN EVERYTHING. Life can be hard and college can prove to be difficult so its best to have a positive outlook in life. Even in the most trying of times, there is hope. So do not limit yourself, explore and expand your boundaries. With imagination comes freedom.

Frida Kahlo was diagnosed with polio at the early age of six leaving her right leg thinner than the left. She also suffered from spina bifida. Her painting career started at the age of 18, after she was nearly killed by a bus-accident. Her recovery took over a year and it was during those cold sad months that she tried to paint in her hospital bed, creating her very first portrait. Eventually she came to be known as the master of self-portraits. Kahlo’s experience teaches us that in the worsts of times, we can find and be the best version of ourselves.

GOOD. BETTER. BEST.

Don’t expect a pat on the back for merely doing your job,
but know that you’ll get one for doing it exceptionally well.

Lea Salonga

My fourth piece of advice for my old self is wisdom taught to me by one of the greatest Filipinas of all time. At an early age of 18, she won the first ever Tony award given to an Asian followed by the Olivier, Drama Desk, Outer Critics and Theatre World awards. However, Maria Lea Carmen Imutan Salonga did not stop there. She continued honing her God-given talent and was proclaimed a Disney Legend after providing the singing voices of Princess Jasmine in Aladdin (1992) and Fa Mulan (1998).

ALWAYS DO YOUR BEST. Once you set yourself to work, commit and do a 100%. Bringing out the best in you might be exhausting but it is worth it. What our future holds depend on our present actions. So, never stop striving for excellence. It is not intelligence that gets you to places. It is drive and perseverance. Never settle for less and always bring your A-game.

EVERYBODY SAY LOVE

If you cannot love yourself, how in the hell
are you gonna love somebody else.

Rupaul

From a queen of true charisma, uniqueness, nerve and talent, my last piece of advice is wisdom from one of the most prominent gay icons in the world. Rupaul Andre Charles have saved many lost and confused souls and provided a platform to elevate the LGBTQ community. Her love for others started by accepting his own truths.

LOVE YOURSELF. That is my last piece of advice. Accept who you are and never forget your dreams and purpose. Take care of your physical, mental, emotional, psychological and spiritual needs. Learn to rest and avoid overthinking. Treat yourself and bond with family and friends. Most importantly, don’t forget to smile.

I first entered UPLB with a heavy heart because I did not have any trust in my self or to my skills and I didn’t know exactly what college life has in store for me. I was very anxious at first because of that.

On the second week of our weekly writes for our DEVC11 blog, different categories were given to us and we were asked to rate ourselves based on our skills for that category. I rated myself objectively and I realized that, unfortunately, I have a plethora of things to improve.

After how many months of travails and hardships, the semester has finally ended. Looking at myself and to my skills, I can say that I improved in some categories such as in being industrious and intelligent. If I were to rate myself again at this point of the semester, then I can give myself an uno (from two) for those categories. I also kept my passion in reading books. Although we were bombarded by many readings, I still managed to read my favorite stories when I have the time. The semester did not kill my love and passion for reading, instead, it made me more eager to read books.

There are many things that I need to pass through in order to be a great development communicator in the future, and, if there is something I am hoping for the future, that is for my skills to improve. As I move to another higher level, I know that the things that I learned in DEVC11 will be of great help. Some of my skills will be polished and I will learn new, important things. In the future, my new set of learnings will be vital for me to get a perfect rating (hopefully) for every skill or category.

https://drive.google.com/a/up.edu.ph/file/d/1-IA3SOw4HaFxNNP_d-CT2BB56cqVkXFk/view?usp=drivesdk

As the semester draws to a close, I find myself breathing and alive against all odds. I’m definitely not the same person as I was before. I’ve laughed, I’ve cried (a lot), I’ve lost sleep, and I’ve learned. Learning in university is beyond the classroom, and were I able to go back in time, these are the tips I’d give myself.

I’ve been sleep deprived before. I feel like that just comes with the territory if you’re a student. But college sleep deprivation is a whole other level, I found myself working on a documentary and a portfolio at the same time on the same night. If I had worked on that portfolio when it was given, I wouldn’t have had to do that. Time management really could have saved my sleep schedule.

I knew that going into college, it’d take some time for me to adjust not living with my family anymore. But I didn’t expect just how expensive it could be. From course materials to just daily products, I’ve found myself losing money faster than I’d like. I’ve eaten more cup noodles in the last few months than I have my entire life, I think. So yes, I still need to learn how to manage my money properly because at this point my body would thank me for it.

As a DPWAS passer who had no idea what DevCom even was, getting used to the subjects was probably one of the most challenging parts of UP. Not only was I in an entirely new system of education, I was also in a program that was entirely unfamiliar to me, and well beyond the skills I had.

I had to quickly learn, and had had some close calls when it comes to my grades.

An exaggeration sure, but there’s a grain of truth there. No matter how different college is going to be, I’ve learned that it is still leagues away from what you expect. It’s been a mental, emotional, and even physical roller coaster of a few months, and I’m still not used to it. But everyday I’m learning. Here’s to less breakdowns in the future.

I’m not the most outgoing person out there. I find it difficult to approach new people, and can’t even bring myself to talk to waitstaff some times. With that in mind, college absolutely terrified me because I thought I’d find myself alone all over again. Loneliness, true loneliness? Is excruciating, and I never wanted to experience it again.

Thankfully, I didn’t have to. Over the course of the last few months, I’ve met and made friends with more amazing people than I could have ever hoped for. From classmates to superclassmates, to people I’ve fallen in line with and gotten the chance to befriend, I feel truly hashtag blessed to have them in my life.

The semester is about to end soon. I can’t believe one semester passed that quick. After spending one semester in UPLB, I definitely learned a lot of things which I hope I knew sooner. Here are the top 5 tips I wish I could give myself about 4 months ago.

You will learn these things. You were part of the school publication in Senior High School but as a layout artist. You might not have a background in writing but you’ll definitely learn these things. Don’t overthink and just do and enjoy every activity in your devcom classes. The harder you work, the better you become.

No to procrastination. Please do not procrastinate. Start your requirements as soon as possible so you won’t cram and get stressed. It’s better to finish your requirements earlier so you can peacefully have time for yourself. Start now, not tomorrow.

You’ll be needing a lot of courage. As someone shy, I find it hard to approach people. Since this course involves a lot of interaction with people, I hope you can overcome this challenge and successfully do your requirements.

Rewrite your notes ASAP. Make sure you organize and keep your notes that you have written on a paper. Then, please rewrite your notes ASAP so you won’t have a hard time when quizzes and exams come.

Rest and reward yourself. Don’t stress and overwork yourself too much. Learn to rest. At the end of a long tiring day, make sure to reward yourself with something that you really like. You did great.

There are more semesters coming. This is just a start of our long journey in UPLB. I hope I can keep these 5 pieces of advice as I enter another semester.

Sure ka na ba?

There’s no turning back.

Right now, you’re most likely to be experiencing multiple emotions at once. Scared, excited, nervous, panic, doubtful, relieved, and a lot more. It’s totally understandable but please do try to ease yourself. It’s not that scary after all and I can attest to that.

I know you’re scared about meeting new people and keep on wondering if your introvert self will be able to meet new friends. Well, guess what, you’ll get to meet some of the best people in college who will help and support you in tiring times and will make college life a bit more fun than expected. So, don’t worry about meeting new people, it’s actually quite exciting.

Second, please eat on time or at least don’t let yourself starve. You’ll probably think that you were able to survive Senior High without having lunch sometimes but you definitely won’t be able to handle skipping at least 2 meals a day- it sucks.  Also, don’t forget to bring your water container with you always, you’ll definitely need it.

Another piece of advice is don’t leave your dorm without double-checking if you have your valuables with you. There are times where you may leave your umbrella, ID, powerbank, homework, and even your room key (which is completely not advisable because waiting for “rescue” takes a long time) which coincidentally happens on the day you definitely need them the most.

Lastly, let go of the pressure or don’t overthink about the pressure you think is on you. Yes, you’re in UP, but it doesn’t mean you have to be the best at all times. It’s okay to fail, you don’t have to prove anything. Don’t worry that you won’t meet some professors’ standards or that you won’t live up to other people’s expectations about you, this will only make you more stressed and distracted. Your failures will even help you learn and improve for the next time.

They say that college is definitely not easy- and that’s true. However, don’t underestimate yourself that you can’t do anything well because there are times when you can. Just go with the flow like you always do.

Sincerely,

Almost done with the first semester freshie Alex

Another semester’s finished! Looking back, it was a very challenging one, but I’m glad we all somehow managed to survive. Here’s some tips I like to tell my old self, maybe it can help you as well!

Don’t be too hard on yourself.
When I entered the university, I honestly taught that I would excel academically the way I did in high school. Well, joke’s on me; college isn’t high school! I used to be very frustrated before when I got low scores on quizzes, especially on the exams. Add to it the anxiety I feel every time I took an exam that I found difficult. I used to rant about it to my friends and family like it’s the most important thing in the world. That’s why, to my past self, don’t be too hard on yourself. There’s always room for improvement. It’s not the end of your life so instead of frowning on it, use it as a motivation to do better next time.

It’s okay to rest and to reward yourself once in a while.
I was so overwhelmed with the amount of school works I had to face weekly in college that it came to a point where I can’t really enjoy my weekends or times where I regret sleeping or having some time doing my hobbies. It felt like someone inside my head is nudging me all the time to do school stuff whenever I’m starting to rest. It was so exhausting and I believe college shouldn’t be like that. That’s why to my past self, I am proud for your achievement but please don’t forget to spare some time for your personal growth and mental and physical rest.

Study wisely.
Different subjects, different professors, different ways of teaching, different resources, and different types of exams. College isn’t spoon feeding so being resourceful and strategic in studying would be very helpful. I learned how important it is not to cram studying like what I did in high school. Secondly, relying on the power point presentations alone isn’t enough. Hence, to my past self, the beginning is always challenging but I am glad that you have learned the importance of studying ahead of time so that you can be able to maximize your time in using various resources as you prepare for your most important examinations.

Befriend people.
Among the many unique things in UP is how we don’t have a consistent set of classmates, hence, you’ll really be able to meet a lot of people from different walks of life, especially in GE subjects. It’s nice to be able to get to know a lot of people but at the same time, it’s challenging as well, most importantly during group works. I learned how valuable it is to make friends and build strong relationships with them because sometimes, they can lend you their ears and time as well. That’s why to my past self, don’t be so shy in socializing! It’s never too late to widen your circle and to get out from your comfort zones.

Trust yourself.
This is the most important tip I would tell to not only my past self, but also to the present, and the future. Amidst all the doubts, pressure, and stress, trusting yourself should come first. Without believing in what you can do, everything you have prepared would mean nothing. Keep in mind that the motivation you need the most is the one that’s coming from yourself. To my past, present, and future self, keep this in mind!

Here’s to surviving more semesters, iskx! Padayon!

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WARNING: WALL OF TEXT. NOT THAT LONG BUT LONGER THAN CAN BE LASTED BY THE AVERAGE ONLINE READER WITHOUT VIDEOS OR IMAGES TO HELP THEM.

It’s been a wild ride of a first semester. In approximately 5 months I accomplished substantially more work than I have for all the years prior. Was it a drag? A bit. Was it a taste of reality? Of course. I did put Development Communication as my first choice, so now I face the difficulties that are to be expected with what I’m supposed to be doing in the future. So far it seems I can still manage things, although looking around I see others have put in a lot more work than I have, and have subsequently accomplished much more.

I’ve spent the past few blog posts half-heartedly filling space, mixing in my humour to create something I think others would enjoy reading. It’s more attractive, I reckon, for the readers who might wander around and see what I’ve created. For once I think I’ll actually write something a bit more meaty, even at the cost of viewership, if there is any. Blog6050 as an exercise of media writing has proven to be one hell of an exercise, but even now I’m still convinced that, aside from your blockmates, only a few others actually see the things you’ve written. That’s fine, I don’t expect anything else. Still, at least one person has to be spending their time reading these things, and as a distant message from a student I hope you don’t lose interest.

If I could tell myself some advice, with what I’ve learned so far, I’d like to tell myself these.

Firstly, I’d like to tell myself to be more active. I can’t stress enough how much I notice how fast my batchmates have adapted to the environment, churning out work for the UP Website and the Los Banos Times while I’m stuck here twiddling my thumbs, shouting this and that as excuses for why I couldn’t do what they did. I’m sure they have their own excuses too, ones more worthwhile and legitimate than the reasons I can come up with. Regardless, they accomplished something, and I didn’t. When I see their works, I feel disappointed in myself, partly because while inspecting their creations (aside from the Filipino articles, bless their souls because I can’t make text like that) I find that I could have written those. I’m good at writing, I believe, but so are my peers. What use are my talents if I can’t even use them productively?

Secondly, I’d like to tell myself to be less shy. Connections, connections, connections. Christ, I haven’t even made an effort to actually know my fellow DevCom practitioners. So many opportunities to introduce myself, to make friends and acquaintances, missed because I couldn’t be bothered to overcome my social anxieties. Imagine if I did though. Would I be working with other people creating articles? What memories, experiences, and opportunities have I missed by taking this route of mine instead of that? We will, quite literally, never know.

Thirdly, I’d like to tell myself to be more hardworking. Pardon me for what may seem like a humblebrag or a display of arrogance, but I have confidence when I’m say I’m at least a bit smart. Not supremely intelligent, just smart. The examinations that the Professor gave us were a test for our memorisation abilities, and I know I could have done better. It’s just grade on a paper, I suppose, but when others are excelling I know that these excuses don’t hold up. Even though the Professor herself said that these grades don’t add up to anything in the long run, I know that this doesn’t justify not reviewing days in advance.

Fourthly, I’d like to tell myself to be less hard on myself. Did you know the activity I hated the most was the Man-on-the-street interview? Jesus Christ, being rejected sucked. That happened at the beginning of the sem and I’ve been a bit wary of approaching people in public (though the Expert Interview went as smooth as it could.) I made an article for Banamos that could have been published at the LBTimes. I sent it and everything, only to realize days later that I had missing information. Needless to say I was incredibly disheartened. You have one opportunity to accomplish something substantial and you mess it up? That’s the thing though, it wasn’t one opportunity. I need to have thicker skin and handle these problems like a pro, not like a little bamboo stick that bends according to the wind. There were countless other opportunities afterwards, and I didn’t take them for… reasons?

Lastly, I’d like to tell myself to have a bit more fun. I’m not sure if it’s really something I can do, per say, than as something I should try to do. The semester so far has been a struggle, but maybe with a bit more push and enthusiasm could have made it just a little bit less bothersome. If I could put in as much interest as I have in other things into this, I’m sure I could have been an excellent student. Instead, I end this semester as another face in the pool of students that Devcom 11 UV had.

Life goes on still, though. You’ll see my face around.

Now to think of it, these generic advices could be given to anyone, in any field, at any time. Not to mention, I’d probably be a little hypocrite and not apply these learnings to myself right now.

You reached this far? Awesome. The lecture class thought me that online viewers have little to no patience for online content with minimal pictures and videos. For having had the perseverance to survive my ramblings, the least I could do is hope you have a nice day reader. We all could use a little more happiness in the world.

Peace out.

“Pasko, pasko, pasko na naman muli!“

It’s Christmas time everywhere, and it’s more evident in UPLB as the grand display in front of the campus is officially opened. This year’s Christmas tree lighting had the biggest audience in the history of the traditional ceremony.

Kaye Galler, Cedric Katigbak, Kristina Perez, and Karen Vargas, freshmen of the College of Development Communication, show the most awaited Christmas event in UPLB on the 2nd episode of UPdates.

Who said that learning is static and will never be fun?

Learning can be more fun and interactive with DOST’s nuLab!

Roella Marcelle Bautista, Kaye Galler, Cedric Katigbak, Kristina Perez, and Karen Vargas, freshmen of the College of Development Communication, showcase the Department of Science and Technology – Science Education Institute’s nuLab or the new mobile science learning facility in UPLB as the 3rd episode of UPdates.