I QUIT!

It’s been quite a while since I blogged. Blame it on my favorite tv shows (new seasons of House, Heroes, Prison Break, Pushing Daisies, and Lipstick Jungle) and on the unbelievable workload I had since September. Now that things have slowed down a bit, I finally have the time to write.

I made a drastic life-altering decision last week. A decision which surprisingly wasn’t that diffiult to make.

I decided to quit school.

It’s a long story and rather than dwell in the circumstances, I’d rather look forward. No, it’s not because of my grades–I was doing well. It’s not because of finances or any personal dilemma. It was mainly out of frustration with the system which disrupted my future plans. I’m a neurotic planner and I react violently to anything that falls out of place. My studies “fell out of place” in such a way that I had to re-think my priorities and ask myself if it’s all worth it.

Apparently, it’s not. When I finally made my decision, I felt like a weight was lifted off my shoulders. I know I would have finished my masters if I wanted to, but I didn’t WANT to anymore. After all these years and all the sacrifices I’ve made, I just quit.

And it felt good.

I can’t say anything else without dissing my beloved university. UP and I parted ways not in the best of terms but I have no regrets. I learned a lot from my classmates and the experiences I’ve had in that masteral program. I may not have reached my ultimate goal (which sucks) but that in itself is a lesson– there comes a time when we have to weigh our priorities and learn to let go.

10 Things I Love about UP Maskom

(This is in response to the invitation sent to me by Prof. Danny Arao. Since it’s a few days before our grand alumni homecoming, it seemed like a good idea to write about UP Maskom. I tried to write something more “witty” and “serious” but I kept getting flashes of mascom images which were completely unrelated to each other. Rather than try to make sense out of them, I just came out with this list. It’s a tired blogger’s last resort.)

1) The noise. This college is always full of life. It’s palengke day everyday.

2) The fashion. This actually deserves an entire post. We used to successfully classify students according to their majors depending on their clothes:

• normal UP attire (tshirt, jeans) — Comm Res
• the “nerd” look; high waist pants, tight shirts, thick glasses — Journ
• trendy; branded; those who look like they’re going to a party instead of class — Broad Comm
• mga mukhang bagong gising — Film

3) Fishballs. We have one of the best fishball stalls in the entire campus. Ask around and they’d usually tell you that the best fishballs are either at the College of Music or in Maskom.

4) The orgs. They fill every nook and cranny of the college. Org members always seem to enjoy each others’ company and are eternally busy. Students in weird costumes are a common sight during org initiations.

5) The staff. Some of the staff who were there when I was still an undergrad have moved on. I will always remember Aling Suming’s kindness (and how I mistakenly thought of her as a longganisa vendor) and the tireless assistance from the people at the library (they’re always nice to me). At kahit masungit minsan si Kuya A., love ko pa rin sya!

6) The people. Being Catholic-schooled all the way, I had a mild case of culture shock when I first arrived in UP. Later, I realized that the broad range of people I met in school actually prepared me for my professional career. I met people from all walks of life with all kinds of points of view. Let’s just say I don’t shock so easily now.

7) UP-MCO. A list about the things I love in Maskom won’t be complete without mentioning my still very active organization. I think we lived up to our slogan, “Shiny, Happy People”. I can still remember one of the questions during my final interview as an applicant; “Which do you prefer? Fleshy or hollow armpits?” Go figure.

8 ) K2. Although we had our own sets of friends, we were a solid bunch (we used to cut Math 1 as a block!).  How can I ever forget Raz’s silver pants, Vanny’s long, flowery skirts, RG’s vests, Kristel’s dancing, Bea’s boybands, Patz’s Spanish, and Forsyth’s impressions? Who could ever forget Sir Neil Garcia’s “Fettleworth”, the magical 2-door Rav4 which can fit 12 people, and that trip to Enchanted Kingdom with Senora Ventanilla?

9) The teachers. Biases aside, I think I was lucky enough to be taught by the best media teachers. Ma’m Jo, Sir Rondina, Ma’m Betsy, Ma’m Armi, Ma’am Elizabeth (who retired na), Ma’m Rachel, Sir Danny, Ma’m Shirley, Sir Mike, Sir Nic Tiongson, Sir Rolando Tolentino, Ma’m Portus, Sir Gerry, Ma’m Malou…the list goes on.

10) Last but not the least, my BC 121 class. I love, LOVE everyone from this group. This was my video production class under Johnathan Rondina and I had such a great time with my classmates. We spent an entire weekend in Batangas shooting our final video and we definitely learned a lot more than video production:

• I learned how to keep awake after two straight days of almost no sleep;
• Jules learned to make coffee;
• RG learned about choosing the right make-up foundation;
• Macel found out the hard way not to fall asleep anywhere (specially on set while we’re shooting a scene!)
• We all learned that eating Lucky Me Pancit Canton for breakfast, lunch and dinner is bad for you.

***My college days have come and gone but as the cliche goes, the memories live on. As I near another chapter in my life, it’s fun to reminisce; a lot has changed in ten years. I wonder if Raz still has that pair of silver pants…

The True Iskolar ng Bayan

Fellow blogger Jester asked me my thoughts about this comment in one of his recent blog entries. Here’s what I posted on his site as a reply:

It’s true though that most companies prefer graduates from the top schools. Contrary to one of the posts by our favorite new era boy, the university/college is something the prospective employers really look at. Graduating from these institutions is an advantage. I should know because when we screen applicants in my company, it’s one of the first things we look at. Yes, it sucks but it’s a fact of life that we should stop denying.

BUT Elsie’s comment was an exaggeration. Although I know of a certain major company that only hires graduates from UP, Ateneo and Mapua, I have yet to encounter a company or an employer who would blindly choose a mere UP graduate over other more “awarded” applicants. First of all, graduating from a good school may help put in a good foot forward but it’s not the end all. Most job applications go through a scientific process–we have IQ/psych exams, get interviewed and go through the usual six months probationary period.

My company had to “let go” of a UP graduate just recently because of her attitude problem. All of us, her immediate superiors, are UP graduates but school “loyalty” or whatever you call it didn’t come into the picture during her appraisal. Graduating from a good school isn’t enough. A person has to prove that he has the skill for the job AND the right attitude that comes along with it.

The problem I have with some UP graduates is that most of us leave UP with a huge chip on our shoulders. We’re just so “proud” of the fact that we came from UP. I think what some of your readers failed to see in your previous post is that being a graduate of UP doesn’t necessarily make one deserving of the monicker “Iskolar ng Bayan”. The real test is in the real world so to speak–when you get tested in the waters and survive. Alumni sometimes forget that we don’t really have bragging rights–we actually owe the country our education and we are burdened to give back something to it.

It’s a noble cause but I always believed this is what UP really stood for.

Sorry if it’s a bit long. I just had my morning coffee.

I have a 50-50 stand regarding UP’s tuition fee increase. Part of me balked at the idea that students now have to pay 300 times more than the amount I used to when I was an undergrad. As a National University, it seems unthinkable. On the other hand, I look at my beloved school and see the facilities that need work–it can’t be denied that UP is in need of major upgrades. We are losing good faculty to other schools who can afford to give them better salaries. Teaching may be a vocation but professors are people too–they need to survive. If the government is unwilling and unable to increase UP’s subsidy then the Board of Regents probably had no choice.

The tuition fee increase is seen by some as enough reason for UP students and alumni to stop calling ourselves Iskos and Iskas (a less than average blogger actually sparked a controversy by resorting to flamebaiting. Honestly, how desperate is he for hits?!?).  The staunch defenders of UP rose to the occasion–some tried to debate intelligently while others resorted to insults and name-calling.  Emotional outbursts aside, the most common defense was that UP, despite the exorbitant tuition fee increase, is still subsidized by the government which therefore still makes it fair for UP students to use the monicker “Iskolar ng Bayan”.

If we simply want to reply to new era boy’s rather shallow arguments, then I guess that would suffice.

Jester’s been taking a lot of crap on his most recent post about UP.  He could be bitingly harsh sometimes (admit it sweetie ) but he does drive his point home. I took his post as a reminder that we shouldn’t take our education in UP for granted. Fine, we passed the UPCAT and proved ourselves worthy to be in such an institution but that doesn’t necessarily mean it made us worthy to be the State’s scholars. Our education is partly paid by the people’s taxes. Basically, we owe everyone registered in the BIR. Like what I said in my reply to Jester, the real test comes after graduation. How many of us graduates have been willing and able to give back to the State? How many of us were able to keep and foster the lofty ideals that UP tried to ingrain into us year after year?

We were educated by the best school in the Philippines not to become millionaires but to help move the country forward. It’s so cliche but I think it’s the UP dogma.

**This is perhaps one of the reasons why I got extremely irritated at a certain UP graduate I met a few months ago.  For the first time in my life, I actually met an alumni who hated UP. Her reasons: she didn’t like the people and she thought her classmates were too loud. She and new era boy would make the perfect couple. Judging from her actions, I guess UP was too much of a “jologs” school for her polished ass. She gets educated at what is considered as the best university in the country with her tuition partly subsidized by the common tao’s taxes and she stood there with her nose high in the air and tells me that she hates UP simply because she didn’t have friends there. I didn’t expect praises or for her to burst into “UP Naming Mahal” brimming with pride. I was expecting a little more respect. She displays her diploma and at the same time stabs her institution at the back.

This, ladies and gentlemen, is a fine example of someone educated in UP and who does not deserve the title “Iskolar ng Bayan”.

Katorse Shorts

For too long, short films have remained the forgotten art form; a consistently underrated medium that has never been given the exposure it demands. Even with the emerging popularity of independent films in the Philippines, short films are still seen as “front acts” for full-length features or “sidebars” at local film festivals.

The Katorse Writers’ Group, a group of young writer-filmmakers who were part of Ricky Lee’s 14th Scriptwriting Workshop, addresses this problem by coming up with a full program of short films to be screened at Robinson’s Galleria Indie Sine.

On June 11-17, KATORSE SHORTS will showcase 7 short films with themes ranging from the romantic to the absurd to the tragic – a program that is meant to bring to the consciousness of Filipino audiences the short film as a form that can hold its own.

Katorseshorts line-up:

Ang Kapalaran ni Virgin Mario by Ogi Sugatan
Ambulancia by Richard Legaspi
Manyika by John Wong
Puwang by Anna Isabelle Matutina
Dead Letter by Grace Orbon
Lababo by Seymour Barros-Sanchez
Walong Linggo by Anna Isabelle Matutina

Watch the trailer:

For more information, please visit Sunshine’s blog.

This is a duplicate of this post. Spread the word. Support independent cinema.

 

Motivation

I am six units and a paper away from taking my comprehensive exam. If I pass the exam, then I can finally work on my thesis. [Unlike other schools, UP CMC's Media Studies curriculum demands that its students take a qualifying exam PLUS submit a thesis. No plan A or plan B options.]

I’ve been studying for my master’s degree for five years now. [Technically, it's more like three years and a half since I had to stop school for three semesters.] There were times last semester that I was so ready to quit; aside from the added stress at work, I felt that I didn’t need to finish anymore. I was doing well at work and I’ve also been offered opportunities to teach in a couple of colleges. I had to remind myself of the reasons why I’m doing this. I keep telling myself that it will be worth it. IT MUST BE WORTH IT.

My friends are simply wonderful about the whole thing. I never heard any of them question my decision to study. Instead, they argue with me whenever I tell them I was thinking of quitting school. “Sayang naman,” they would say, “think of all the money and the time you spent. Konti na lang yan.”

I’ve also been blessed with a wonderful partner who motivated me in his own way. He would treat me to a fancy date or buy me a gift whenever I get good grades. His best gift so far was an iPod Touch after I survived a particularly harrowing semester. “Babawiin ko yan kapag tumigil ka,” he’d say. He would scold me whenever I feel lazy and would not complain whenever I had to cancel a date because of schoolwork.

But perhaps the best motivation of all is the one waiting for me as soon as I graduate; the promise of a wedding as soon as I get my degree. We set the date to coincide with the year of my graduation. It adds a lot of pressure–hindi na pwedeng papetiks-petiks. I now have renewed energy for the semester ahead. I just need to focus…

Six units left plus that one paper I was unable to finish for my Media Research class last semester. Then the comprehensive exam, then a thesis. Then, a wedding ring.