They say that sophomore year would be a total slump, but for me it was…at first. Ten months of triumph, heartbreak, strength, laughter, and sweat all rolled into a ride of the lifetime. What turned out to be a prospective year for my majors became what became a year of rediscovery. A lot of “what if’s” surrounded the decisions I made, but in the end I didn’t have any reluctance for any of them.
Ten months, three terms, hundreds of people came to my life. This is AY 2012-2013.
1st Term: Between those three months, I had a lot of bonding moments with my brood: shopping trips, my first two visits to Shangri-La Mall (I mean ever) to watch foreign films, photoshoots, and procrastinating together at breaks. Sadly, these times alone would have to be the only bright part of May-August 2012. My advanced enrolment privilege ended up to be more of a curse than a blessing for I got some of the college’s most feared professors grade-wise most especially in INTFILO (Introduction to Philosophy). Can you imagine sitting in a classroom on the first meeting only for the person standing in front of you to introduce us as one of the most nerve-wracking yet influential professors in the entire Philosophy department? I was there on the day Miss Velasco warned us about her infamous reputation among her students before proceeding to the Eastern and Western philosophy battle. Being in the class paralleled to mission impossible but hey, miracles do happen! At the end of the term, I survived Miss Velasco’s INTFILO in one take! I would have to say it still stands as my lone crowning glory of the 1st term because I was entrapped to her subject mortality rate.
Then the qualifying exam for Literature majors happened. Sadly, it was not a storybook ending pictured by a carriage to carry me to the sunset. I sobbed over the news for the rest of the term. I was happy for my old blockmates over their success but deep inside my world shattered into tiny pieces as I would not be smiling next to the Lit department faculty. In addition to that, I tried out for The Lasallian and got a no. Can my life get any worse than that having experienced two failures in one term? Fortunately those experiences turned out to be blessings in disguise as I got the biggest turnaround of my life to be shared later in this post.
Verdict: Definitely this was the worst term ever. Initially I thought I was a bust due to things not getting in my way. My grades unexpectedly sank at the bottom of the ship. The doors closed on me for every opportunity I chased. There was disappointment all around. My parents, especially my dad, shook their heads in disbelief. The whole world just witnessed my fall from grace. My ship hit the tip of the iceberg. Overall, the odds were not in my favor.
The term was so awful even Big Show and Lebron James shed tears over this dreckitude. My fortunes dramatically changed when September rolled around all thanks to new classmates and professors.
2nd Term
The bad and ugly: I was implicitly grounded for my poor academic performance the previous term. Talk about bad timing - there was little to no sympathy towards my hard luck despite all the sleepless nights I endured. Worse, my parents initially disapproved of my shifting plans so as they insisted on trying my luck in the qualifying exam for the second time. The situation was so shaky I received this warning, “I don’t mean to be harsh but if you keep your grades like that I would have to take away your Blackberry and replace it with a phone with no Internet capability. I might as well cut off your Internet connection." Boom! Once you hear those words, you know you are one step away from emotional oblivion. The situation was so bad I was tasked to write a script to read to a member of the Lit department in a hopeful attempt to get accepted into the program. As expected, it didn’t come to fruition so as a result I didn’t enroll yet in any majors the succeeding trimester. Nonetheless, it was the only flaw of my second term so as afterwards the tide turned to something good.
The good: First grown-up job as a student telemarketer in the Development and Alumni Relations Office. First time to get a salary. Scoring 3.5’s and 4’s which three months ago was something I didn’t do so often. All of my classes in those months from GENDERS to GREATWK. Met lots of fantastic people from all walks of the school. Finally got the greenlight by my parents to shift to my desired course. The entire Luntiang Tadhana play experience. Tasted the delectable Jamba Juice over a mall trip with friends. Celebrated Tisha’s 18th at Makati Shang and GB. All of my grades skyrocketed like I took a trip back to. Suddenly the beauty of life was embedded in my heart and bones once again. Everything was turning out like I planned. Before the year ended, I assumed that the 2nd term was the best ever in my entire stay in Taft.
Verdict: By the end of 2012, I was walking on the right direction of the yellow brick road once again. My grades went back to being fantastic while my social life was blooming than ever before. Phew, life is well-balanced once more. Following the turn-out of my 2nd term, my family and I went to a well-deserved Christmas vacation in KL.
But wait, there’s more in store!
3rd Term: Expectations were low for me since I only had five subjects this term. Two of my classes were downright challenging namely PHILOPE (Philosophy of Person) and STATLIT (Statistical Literacy) as I would have to deal with the complicated human mindset and numbers for the umpteenth time. Other than that, it was also my last chance to successfully shift to Communication Arts or Psychology to determine the course I’ll be majoring in for the rest of my college tenure. In spite of the vindications I had to think carefully, I was still able to make sweet serenades out of this term after a slow start. More friends came and clinched their rightful positions in My Bible of Magnificent People. My classes turned out to be both delightful and worth the bucks. PHILOPE was better than I thought as I was able to learn and enjoy the lectures and activities all in thirteen weeks. It was also in the same class where I earned the moniker "The Strange” after telling the class my childhood experience with cemeteries and was among the top three best presentations for our final project.
University Week, which was held last February, was soooooo much better than last year! I was able to attend Finally Free Friday complete with a concert in the Henry Sy grounds and I could conclude it was one of the most memorable days of my life along with all those times spent with my college friends.
On February 28 of this year, after six months of my future up in the air, I formally took my talents to South Beach and joined Communication Arts! Also dubbed as “The Decision”, I did not come from Cleveland and the special was not aired in ESPN in contrast to the one involving a certain NBA superstar who received his first ring last year. Finally, redemption was right through my eyes from the downfall I’ve went through in the first three months of the school year. From that fall, I learned to put together the broken pieces scattered around, put on my brand new wings, and spread them to lift myself to resurgence. Just like the past trimesters, sleep continued to fade away from my dictionary as I sacrificed those hours to keep up with my academics. Accolades were not just the purpose of my persistence to attain those marks. Basically, it was also all about personal growth - something to live with until my twilight years.
When it came to opportunities, the last term was a complete reverse of the first two. In the past, I was denied opportunities by The Lasallian, LAMB (Lasallian Ambassadors), and AB-LIM. However in the first four months of 2013 alone, amazing grace happened: I became a member of Creatives Pool in DLSU Green Giant FM then I got accepted into the literary committee of Green and White 2014 even though I was not feeling well during the exam. The best of them all would be when I learned I successfully shifted to my childhood dream course AB-CAM. These things further imply that you can have it all but not at once. To be honest, I didn’t expect any of these to happen all in ONE TERM. Despite this, I am still thankful to God for making me realize that there are things planned for me. I may not be for Literature but I am destined to grow and graduate in Communication Arts. The Lasallian may not have a spot for me but at least I can write for the yearbook and work on my creative juices with the campus radio station.
Verdict: Arguably it was my breakout term. For the first time, I fully comprehended the feeling of earning the distinction for seeking my newfound glory. Nobody expected me to reach this level of ascendance following those moments when I almost gave up on the cross I carried along the way. I missed over 300 test points and a hundred opportunities in my entire Lasallian tenure but had it not for them I would not be where I currently stand.
Without the guidance and support of God, my family, and all of my friends including the ones I’ve met the past school year, sophomore year might have been worse than freshman year. Thank you very much from my head to my toes. On May 27, I will enter the campus as a bonafide AB-CAM major. I know things would never be the same time after that as I am about to enter the new chapter of my magnificent college life - majoring. Every time I look back, I cannot believe how far I’ve gone from the moment I received my high school diploma and confirmed my slot to study in Taft. I have never been this happy in my life compared to what it was three years ago.
Now I’ve shared about my school year, it’s your turn!
