Reminiscing my First Year of College

it's been almost a year since i wrote something here.. so now i really want to make up.. :)

i still (or should i say only) got 2 days before school..

2 days to have fun,
2 days to spend lots of time with my friends,
2 days to sleep and wake up late,
2 days to feel free and not be bothered by my academic burdens..

yup.. 2 treasured days that must be used wisely..

I really didn't miss school that much although I can really say that my first year of college in La Salle was really good. It was a tough yet memorable year. It was a year of pressure combined with laughter, which somehow makes it balanced.

For all freshmen (such as I a year ago), college is a new chapter in our lives. It was a door for changes, adjustments, experiences, and many more that you can name.. And so, I grabbed this opportunity of having a change. It may sound weird but I found myself feeling more comfortable and at ease with myself when I entered this new stage of my life.

My first visit in the university as one of its official student was during our Orientation, or what we usually call LPEP. It was a 2-day activity organized to welcome and orient the Froshies. I remember joining Engineering students as they explore and get to know our university. I was not able to attend my college's orientation (College of Business and Economics) as I chose to attend our church's annual youth conference which were both held on exactly the same dates. This activity made me realize that I am now officially a college student. It was a funny orientation! really! We had games and activities that made us know each other, and also a tour for us to appreciate the beauty of our school. Actually there were lots of activities, but I won't be mentioning everything.

Okay, so here comes the first day of classes.. Scary isn't it?
It actually was scary for me.. Man! I had no idea of who my blockmates are! I just saw their picture in Multiply but I don't really know them! College jitters as we call it.. I think it applies to everyone.. :)

I arrived early in class. I was wearing a white shirt, an army green pedal shorts (im not sure how to call it), and slippers. My first class was in Andrew Building, room 710, and the subject was Introduction to Anthropology,as I can remember I believe my professor was late. Honestly, first day was a bit boring. At first, I had no idea of what my professors are talking about in their mini stage which was supposed to be called a platform, but I think they were giving some sort of introduction on the subject while mentioning as well the things we should be expecting from them. Another reason of why I find the first day boring was because of the environment. Room 710 is the place where my first two classes were held, it was also my least favorite room because of its gloomy environment (by gloomy I meant sleepy). I remember it was drizzling that day, which means that the sky was gray in appearance and the classroom was cold -- imagine how would that feel! a perfect atmosphere for sleeping! In addition, i think the room was a bit huge compared to the other rooms, and outside the window is a clear view of Razon Building, another tall building of our school meant for P.E. classes - implication: darker classroom.. no bright blue to sky to enlighten me up.. :(

First term was my adjustment period. It was my get-to-know-my-school-term. This is the term when I realized that college means more freedom, but by that it's not only the students who enjoys liberty, but the professors as well. Flexibility was one thing I loved and hated. As I have mentioned, the professors are also entitled to certain freedom - which means that they can give special classes if they want to. Although us students are not required to attend these special classes, am I left with other options?! of course not, and so if Friday was supposed to be my day off, I would have to go to school and travel for hours in order to attend a one and a half hour class. That was the disadvantage of freedom and flexibility, the up side on the other hand is mostly seen during course card distribution day - when you realize that your professors suddenly turn to magicians. Well I'm not saying all, but I have these categories for my professors: the strict ones, the 50:50's , and the loose ones. Usually the strict ones are those who require tons of paper works, they are those who base your grade on the papers you submit, your quizzes, midterms, finals, and other paper works, and they are those who usually dismiss the students late. The strict professors usually teach the major subjects, they're not really a terror.. they can give you extra credits if they think you deserve to, but most likely your grades will be based on your performance. The next category, the 50:50's are those who are not really strict and not really loose. They teach, but they don't really cause you stress - just in the middle, just right. The down side of these professors is that it's hard to guess your grade (personal opinion). The loose ones are those who are really flexible in a positive way. They teach (but there are some who dont), then dismiss the class early - even 30 minutes earlier. Usually these are the professors from whom you can expect a grade of 3.0 to 4.0.

Moving on, I hated second term because of its tight schedule. This was the term when my class starts at either 8:00 or 9:40 in the morning, and ends at around 6 in the evening. It was a busy term. I usually reach our home late.. and I really hate it.. It was a burden I have to endure for 14 weeks, but gladly I made it! :)

This term was the term when I discovered my little gift (or talent) in writing, and my passion for reading. I'll begin with writing. During this term, we have this subject called englcom which stands for english communications ____ if i am not mistaken. In this subject, they required us to write 4 or 5 essays, each being unique in topic and type (e.g. descriptive essay, compare and contrast essay, argumentative essay, and etc.) I found my first essay really good (I'm actually proud of that..), it was an essay describing my father's funeral and the struggles that happened to our family after it. Yep I really have to admit that it's a dramatic essay, you might even get bored for reading it.. but what can I do i love that essay! :) hehe! Because of that essay, or the subject which is more appropriate, I found my ability to express myself in writing.

Next is reading.. Second term was the term when I discovered this series of books entitled "Twilight". I bet you're all familiar with it -> The story of Edward and Bella's love for each other. Everybody knows them.. Okay, so I hated reading!! Way back in High School I was never a fan of any author or book, I've never finished reading a book without being required by my teachers not until college when my friends started talking about this vampire named Edward Cullen and how "kilig" they feel for his lines and his sacrifices for Bella. And so, I got curious of the book so I decided to purchase a copy and give it a shot. My mom never trusts me in these kinds of things, she thought that after reading a few pages, I'll get bored and keep the book in a place I couldn't see it. That was what I was expecting too during that time, but then after being thrilled and excited with their story, I was able to finish the book and share the story to my sister. Now, I've read the entire series and have developed a passion for reading novels. Not to boast, I've actually read some of Mitch Albom's masterpiece which are "Tuesdays with Morrie" and "The Five People you meet in Heaven". I have to say that these are really good books - one that I would have to recommend to people. I've also read some Bob Ong books and I admire him for the way he thinks as well as how reasonable and sensible he is. He's good! Right now I'm currently finishing this novel by Gabriel Garcia Marquez, the title's "Love in the Time of Cholera"... it's a love story as from the title itself and I've been reading this for a long time now! I'm looking forward to reading the novels of Nicholas Sparks and Paulo Coelho.. Maybe this coming school year..

Moving forward again, third term was my most stressful term - and as you can see things are getting more difficult. This is the term when sleeping late became my habit. Here I've got loads of paper works and other stuff which caused too much stress not only to me but also to my classmates.. This is the term when I really felt the disadvantage of being enrolled in a school that is trimestral. It's awful for me to see people enjoying their summer while I am still enduring the pain caused by my academic burdens, it's awful to see yourself being the only student riding the lrt, and it's awful to see my sister getting up late while I still have to wake up early for school. However, despite of the pressure caused by my academics, I still managed to enjoy my personal and social life

College is hard yet it is fun. I can't hide the fact that college was an adventure for me. Here I learned to ride the lrt, here is where I learned to save and budget my allowance, here is where I discovered the streets of manila, here is where I learned to explore divisoria and appreciate the low prices it offers, here is where I learned the basics of judo, and here is where I learned to mingle more with people I do not know. My first year of college was indeed a year of learning. I am happy to have met new friends who never stopped supporting and listening to my stories, I'm grateful for the trust they gave, and I am grateful as well for all the good times we shared.. :)

I am now entering my sophomore year. I'm not really excited but I still look forward to this school year. I'm actually expecting more paper works and presentations, but even though I am still hoping that this school year would be a great year, just like my first year. As I enter my second year of college, I know that I will be gaining more experiences and lessons that will help me as I walk on life's humped road. I hope that I'd be ready to face new challenges that would strengthen my character and my perception of how life works. :)