One Month at U.P.

What a blunt title, right? Well, I couldn't title it any better now.

One Professor admittedly told us this TRUTH!!!

It's been more than a month for me - as evident as paying this month's dorm rent, shopping for my grocery, evaluating my personal and academic routine, and keeping my sanity.

I'm not going to write a regular entry on my UP Life, or will I?
It just happens that I got hundreds of reads with my prior entry about U.P. and I guessed that some of you might still be interested about 'me' or just my 'UP Life' perspective, OR "UP" alone. Regardless, CONSIDER YOURSELF AS PART OF MY JOURNEY NOW! I might as well take you into places, but you have the freedom to stop reading my potential blogs re my take on my college life.

So what has happened in the first month of my stay in Diliman? (Though I regularly go back to Los Banos every weekend because ELBI IS HOME - always has been, always will be)

Exhausting

Having a no-break/no-vacant schedule means running from classes to classes, building to building. Even there's an Ikot (jeepneys that only travel inside and around the campus), time is not enough
sometimes to be on time in class.

IKOT Jeep (HILA MO, HINTO KO)

The first weeks were so tiring but eventually, most of the professors started to dismiss their classes 10-15 minutes before the supposed dismissal. This gives me time to run to jeepney stops, to buy some food nearby, and to arrive before my next professor arrives.

My first-semester schedule

Though not every professor shares the same generosity. There are those who strictly start on time whether the class is complete or not, those who would only arrive after 15-20 minutes (I favor this one! Hahaha!), and those who do not meet the class as frequent as other professors (I wish they attend as much because these are the best professors).  Just my bias~

Yup, I started to have a different meal time, but I still have three meals a day though. I always try to bring snacks with me to class.
There's a lot of places to eat at inside the campus and I discover new places from time to time whenever I wander. I'm fortunate to stay near AREA 2, a food lane that cooks and serves various food. It's only a block away from my dorm therefore I walk; saves me fare expenses.

To add, my room is on the 5th floor and going up and down stairs ain't easy. They say I might not gain weight with this kind of class schedule and dorm set up. Let me disprove that.

When I say exhausting, I meant physically - not yet mentally and emotionally. My academics is still light and not yet draining, isn't it?

Intimidating

Living in the province my whole life, getting in the Metro is surely overwhelming. But I didn't have a hard time adjusting, because the environment of UP Diliman resembles that of Los Banos: numerous trees, no skyscrapers. I still get to feel the nature. Yes.

Even Los Banos isn't as rural as it was before, an urban area like Diliman is still intimidating. Commuting to places I've never been requires Google map and a lot of asking questions to security guards. Viewing the metro and the skyscrapers outside the campus still intimidates me.

People aren't intimidating but I feel intimidated. My fellow students are entitled but I feel I am not. 
Professors say that we are studying in U.P. right now because we are picked as the best among the best. But for students, a freshman like me, think that we are the least among the best.
There are people who speak more fluent than you, who are more socially and politically inclined, and who are better at what you just do well.
But hey, I don't think less of myself. I just can't help but feel intimidated.
I'm trying to establish myself since I got to own it, right? I got to own my purpose of being in this University.

Student activism is so active particularly in the College of Mass Communication, the college where my degree program (BA Film) is under, which makes it surely intimidating as it is. It isn't my first time to witness such because we also have it in UP Los Banos. It's just more apparent and prevalent than the other campuses, I think, considering the population and location of Universities.


It is true that studying in such a school will make you socially and politically conscious. "It can't be helped." From orientations and speeches to online protest and demonstrations, you will be 'woke' about your country - its social injustices, manipulation, and oppression. And I learned that the University of the Philippines per se is indeed a microcosm or a reflection/small version of the Philippine society - with its own flaw and unjust system. Yup, U.P. is far from perfect but it serves as one of the HOPES of our nation. That I can assure with pride.

I think this is one of the traits of UP students - never getting intimidated no matter how intimidating the environment and the people are. And I am yet to learn that!
I also think this is the reason why UP students are shaped the way they are because the University serves as the reflection of our reality.

Liberating

Sure! FREEDOM! Does U.P. equate to freedom? The answer is both YES and NO. There's academic freedom, but I am yet to understand its limitations. U.P. has no gender nor religion, thus freeing people from confinement (not that gender and religion cage people, do they?).

Aside from starting to be independent - being far from home - which is somewhat liberating, the environment and opportunities that the University has to offer truly set you free.

However, the University, like any other, is still a box. It has its own cage hence restrictions. There's no absolute freedom at all inside and outside the University. Do we have absolute freedom at all?
There's curfew; there are house rules; there are boundaries to mind with regard to authority and facilities. (But people will call these natural, of course. These are the norms of our societies and of any system.)

In spite of these constraints, U.P. still liberates its people - having excellent faculty, constant innovations and respect to tradition, freeing environ, and a plethora of opportunities inside and out.

Being stated, I recently received opportunities inside and outside. For one, I was offered a tour by an ABS-CBN editor in his workplace. (September 7, 2018)

Lobby

Technical room of TV Patrol

One of their News studio

I saw Rey Valera doing an Online show (not sure though)

One of the studios of It's Showtime

One of the studios of It's Showtime

I was able to meet and even converse with the cast and crew of SIGNAL ROCK. (September 4, 2018)

Movie poster - standee at Cine Adarna

Q&A with the cast and crew

With Mr. Nanding Josef (Actor)

With Mr. Christian Bables (Actor)

With Mr. Chito S. Rono (Director: Feng Shui 2, The Healing, The Trial, Bata Bata Paano Ka Ginawa?)

With Mr. Rody Vera (Writer: Die Beautiful, Boses)

With Ms. Elora Espano (Actor)

I got to attend a forum of Pista ng Pelikulang Pilipino 2 - Special Features Section (August 6, 2018)

Directors and Actors of the Features

Ms. Tara Illenberger (Writer & Director - HIGH TIDE)

L-R: Dylan Ray Talon, Actor; Maki and Dennis, my coursemates; Ms. Dwein Baltazer, Director of Gusto Kita with All My Hypothalamus

Awarding ceremony of Gawad Plaridel 2018 that conferred Ms. Jessica Soho as an outstanding journalist. (August 29, 2018)

The UP Gawad Plaridel is the sole award in the UP system conferred to outstanding media practitioners in the country.

Credits to UP College of Mass Communication &  Mr. Alex Tamayo of the Office of Research and Publication

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So far, so good. I survived the first month. Will I surive the first semester? Hopefully, I will.
Indeed, COLLEGE IS A MIDDLE FINGER TO OUR HIGH SCHOOL. I couldn't agree more with my professor.

My next blog entry for my U.P. life is probably after the first semester, then after a year after year. Literary works and other posts will still be published from time to time though.

You may also like reading Welcome to U.P. (formerly U.P. WILL DESTROY ME)
U.P. OR NOTHING, Back to Square One (First Semester in UP)

For my Filipino literary archives,
WIKANG FILIPINO (2010-2017)
Filipino sa Piling Larangan: 2017

For my English literary archives and other works, you may just click the side bar (triple line icon at the upper right corner)and browse to the general archive tab.

Scroll down to view my top blog posts!!!

HAPPY READING, STUTTERS!