You. Can. Do. It.

 “Some people can never believe in themselves until someone believes in them.” - Sean (Robin Williams) of Good Will Hunting

It may be true that life has a lot of resources, people to accompany with, wisdom, hopes and dreams but all of them certainly die when someone, just someone tells you “You can’t do it”.

Gifts, they are born with us. Efforts, we live with them. Support, we seek for them for life. That the true challenge of life is to look for people who will love us, trust us and will never leave us.

 

Let’s say we are from UP Baguio. We all passed the UPCAT, some were contented to stay, some were not and planned to transfer at UP Diliman and some had to attend another university first but eventually came back. Everyone has to be critical to take the right decision for our long-term goals in order to meet the expectations from the GIFT we have. Sometimes we fail to think that 99 percent of the gift we have plus 1 percent of effort is our only fuel towards success but hell no. We also need people!

Will in the movie, Good Will Hunting is a prodigy but an orphan; he had a foster parent who abused him. He had a terrifying childhood that eventually shaped him. He was gifted with intelligence but lacked of family to support him. He feared help and new relationships because he was afraid of being left out and of being hurt. All of these hindered him to realize the significance of what he can do with his gift to the extent that he never welcomed it and be more interested of being a janitor.

In comparison to our lives of being Iskolar ng bayan, we all claim to also having a gift. While the government is helping us to nurture it, we also help ourselves and so our families because we have expectations to meet. We are playing a role of being “Pag-asa ng Bayan”. After all, this is our only purpose. We are all under training in one campus; struggling with academics and with relationships. And in the midst of these struggles, we will want to give up and even pray to God if He could just take back that gift. People will look down at you and your grades are just too depressing. I’ll tell you, the technique is easy, reload your motivators. Look for someone who will believe in you, and will say, “You can do it”. Good luck mga Iskolar ng Bayan! Kakayanin natin to para sa Bayan.

Backpack Backpack!

College life can be compared to the TV show, “Dora the Explorer”. To reach such places, you will have to equip yourself with the right items in you backpack. If you don’t, you will have trouble reaching certain places. You will need friends too, such as Diego and Boots, to make your journey easier and more worthwhile. For now, think of me as Dora.

First, we’ll have to go through at least four landmarks to reach a fantastic place called GRADUATION. According to our map, the trip to Graduation may be more difficult than you think. You’ll surely encounter lots of hurdles and mountains so it’s important to consider the things that we’ll put in our backpack in order to survive.

To tell you the truth, the four places are almost the same. Yet, the path gets harder as we move farther. So, the first set of items that we should put in our backpack is our academic skills. In college, it’s not enough that you sit in class and listen to the teacher. It’s very important to grasp the full meaning of all the ideas presented to you or else you’ll be in trouble. You’ll be needing them in the next landmarks, like a prerequisite. Moreover, I am warning you that there will be a lot of papers and reports along the way. You better make sure that you’re working on your written and oral skills. Another part of the academic skills is your good study habits. Study habits that work best for me may not be the same as yours. For instance, I may be most productive at night while you’re better off in the morning. I may not be used to cramming but you’re perfectly fine with it. Hence, it’s up to you to find out when and how it’s best to study, remember and apply the information that you learn.

Next on the list are your intrapersonal and interpersonal skills. You have to have a healthy relationship with yourself and with other people. You should learn how to deal with your professors, classmates and staff. Once in a while, you’ll be needing help from these people and besides, you’ll be seeing the same faces for quite a long time. Also, you won’t be so frustrated if you have friends to share your problems with. Learn to laugh, smile and have fun but with the right people. Choose the ones that will help you handle the pressure of college life correctly. Choose the ones that will help you grow.

The last item that we should bring in our backpack may be often overlooked but it’s equally as important as the first two. Academic, intrapersonal and interpersonal skills are nothing without practical skills. You can’t survive the college journey if you’re bad at budgeting, managing your time and maintaining good health. Do you think you’ll pass a long exam by reviewing ten minutes before? And what’s the point of studying and hard work if you’re always sick and absent?

Now, let’s have a recap. What are the essentials that we should put in our backpack? You’re right. We need academic, intrapersonal, interpersonal and practical skills. Although, I just have to say that we can actually acquire and develop more of these skills as we go along. And how many places do we need to visit before getting to Graduation? You’re right again. Uno, dos, tres, quatro! I think you’re ready now. Good luck amigos y amigas!

First Times

First time mo bang magkaroong ng haggard na ID picture? Mawalan ng payong? Maibaba sa UB ng taxi instead na sa UP? First time mo bang gumamit ng blue book? Ng syllabus? Pumasok nang hindi naliligo? Magsuot ng tsinelas everyday? First time mo bang hingalin ng sobra sa paglalakad galing sa CSS patungo sa CS? O kaya naman ay malate kasi dikit-dikit ang mga classes mo? First time mo bang “bumaba” at “umakyat” mag-isa? First time mo bang mawalay sa pamilya mo?

Okay lang yan! Napagdaanan din namin yan! Ganyan talaga ang buhay sa UP Baguio. Mahirap masanay sa simula ngunit masayang maranasan ang ganitong mga “first times”. Ito ang  huhubog sa iyong pagkatao, at dahil dito, mas makikilala mo ang iyong sarili.

Ngayong nasa kolehiyo ka na, kailangan mong matutunang maging independent at maging madiskarte. Kung dati ay may  gumigising sa’yo tuwing umaga, ngayon wala na. Kung dati ay may naghahain sa’yo ng hapunan tuwing ala sais ng gabi, ngayon wala na. Kung dati may naglalaba para sa’yo, ngayon wala na. Kung dati may namamalantsa para sa’yo, ngayon wala na. Alam kong mahirap mamuhay mag-isa at malayo sa pamilya. Wala ka nang maaasahan kundi ang sarili mo.

Nakakatakot bang mamuhay mag-isa? Gusto mo na bang bumalik sa mga magulang mo? Bro, college student ka na. You need to leave your comfort zone. Kailangan mo ring marealize na ang ganitong feeling ng culture shock at homesickness ay normal lang. Walang mali sa’yo kaya hindi mo kailangang magemo-emohan. Huwag ka ring magkakamaling magdrugs o uminom gabi-gabi para lang malunasan ang iyong kalungkutan. Hindi iyan makakaganda para sa iyong pag-adapt at pag-adjust sa bagong environment.  Kaya, sa halip, tratuhin mong opportunity ang mga pagsubok na napapagdaanan mo. Kumbaga, gawin mong adventure ang college life.  Mag-explore ka ng mga lugar na di mo pa napupuntahan sa Baguio. Makipagkaibigan ka sa mga bloc mates mo. Magtry ka ng Cordillera foods. Embrace the new culture. Soon, marerealize mo na kaya mo palang mamuhay mag-isa, and masaya ito. :)