What a UP Student Is Not

UPians are known for their skills, abilities, talents, brilliance and expertise. We are known for our successes and honors we brought for our country. We are also very much known for our very opinionated spirits and very liberal thoughts. We are best remembered as activists or rallyists that really stood for what we believe in, and those who stood bravely for what we think is right.


Being in this very prestigious school is somewhat like a suicide for me. Why? First, our lessons are of no doubt very advance and are for college. Next, we really have to strive hard and give it all our best or else we're going to end up a quitter or a loser. Third, laziness has no place in the UP world. I mean before, I used to just sit around, play around (though I don't critique my old school) and seem to just tale things for granted. But for now, never!


Damn! I also have to sleep late unlike before, when its exactly 8:30, you can already hear me snoring and dreaming chocolates. Now, you bet I would still be awake even after 11:00 pm. That's very tiring. Also, I have never felt such pains in the neck and super stress in my school life. The assignments require great analysis and the projects really takes a day or two or more.


Nevertheless, I know that my future here in UP is bright. I know I have just enrolled in the very best school. This, I think is the closest to getting myself a Harvard degree. I plan to be a pediatrician and replace my pedia. With all these benefits, I noticed that the outside world really has this impression that's so weird that really makes UP isolated and somewhat like a superior.


People think that we are so brilliant and that we are already superiors to them which is a BIG NO! UP students are not superiors of the human race. We're still humans like them and we commit mistakes too. Perhaps, we're superior in specific fields say Law for example. But not to the extent that everyone's afraid of us and our inferiors next to us.

Secondly, they also think that we're so hot-headed and liberated and that we think everything we do is right because of our knowledge. NO WAY! UP is a school wherein its students are encouraged to voice out their feelings, opinions, and reactions. We are not trained to hide in our shells and suppress feelings even if it hurts us. We are trained to speak up for our own rights. Maybe, they think we are like that because they know that we are so active in rallies and demonstrations which is somewhat good (if the agenda are reasonable).


So what if we join those exhausting rallies for a cause? Are we a democratic country? If so, why can't they make a stand too? Next, they think we're already Gods and that even if we commit mistakes, they won't correct us because we always debate and defend our answers and views. Yes. We do defend our answers and explain why we think so because we're trained to do so. Like I say, UPians are also humans. We commit mistakes! And oh, we also want to be corrected. We don't have that high kind of pride that isolates us from them.


Then if we contribute ideas, they feel left out and hopeless and won't contribute ideas because of such beliefs that we're like Gods. NO! We are not Gods. We are nothing less but humans and creatures created by God Himself. We don't mind if there's out there better than us? Do we UPians? But one things for sure - we are Jacks of all Trades.


So the next time you see that oblation, think twice, maybe you want to enroll, or maybe what I'm telling now are facts. The next time you witness an oblation run, think if it has a purpose, or is it just a form of ritual, art or something other than these?

Reflections on Teachers and Teaching

Teaching is not just an ordinary word. It maybe a verb, a noun, or an adjective but it has some significance. For how do we learn and teach others when we were not taught ourselves? What's the first step of learning? Understanding. What's the key to better understanding? Keen Listening. Whom do we listen to? Teachers play a very important role. Its because of them that we get to take the very first steps. Imagine life without school. How would we invent, innovate and interact?

Know Your School Day, or KYSD gave us a chance to feel what is it like to be a teacher, and how much pressure does it take to be one. Here, we are like the teachers' substitutes. In this way, we could sharpen ourselves to be more sensitive because we know that it isn't easy to teach advance lessons to a very stubborn class. Also, the interview with the teachers themselves gave us chills. We knew we couldn't be that witty and professional, but luckily, everything went good.

Teachers teaching us is a custom for me. But students teaching us seems a bit odd. It gave me a challenging and sarcastic character when this happens. I thought I could always challenge them, after all, they're just students. I'm a teacher for Social Studies II. Last year, I was a Science C teacher. Mrs Logarta gave us a very challenging activity. No matter the case, I was ready for some action. The story goes on...

I thought everything will go just the way I wanted. Tomorrow came and its time to show some action. Honestly, I couldn't wait for the Social Studies challenge! Finally the awaited time came and I was so much nervous and excited. We were to discuss about the ASEAN Summit. Its follow-ups, people involved, effects and of course its accomplishments. Wow! This is going to be tough!

I think there were six of us. We expected complete cooperation of the class. But the first, say, 15 minutes was like a football match with only 70 watchers in a big stadium! I was so discouraged and I was like nuts. We had to do something. Luck poured on us when the class seems to show some interest. They started sharing and giving out ideas and insights. There was a big and good interaction for the last minutes.

We discussed about the broken and imported lampposts which costs almost eighty thousand. We talked about the energy conservation and hit the lampposts issue. We questioned about the CICC's use now that the ASEAN is over as well as the building's reported leaks. We acted like we were in a courtroom debating on a very intriguing case.

Everything was so fun and we learned a lot. We were teachers but it seemed we were like the press, paparazzi and journalists interacting with the crowd regarding the issue. Only, it wasn't clear though who we were siding. Nevertheless, we have brainstormed everything we felt and thought. I thought I would want another day like this.

Through that opportunity, I learned not only the truths and possibilities but also values. I realized that we should respect the teacher discussing because its never easy to be one. When you go up the platform and look at the class and then you start discussing but nobody's listening, you feel insulted.

I also learned that we should greet our teachers politely and treat them with utmost respect because they are so pressured and tired. We owe them a lot. They sacrificed almost everything just to make us knowledgeable and ready for the world. I can't imagine the stress and sweat! Its just too much for me. The activities, the agenda, the lesson plans and progress reports... ah, I give up!

Its really heating the hell out of me and I would never in my entire life want to be a teacher. Its not that I disrespect being one its just that I can't take it and I pretty had enough of school so why add the bulk up? I mean I even feel like giving up being a student how much more being a teacher?! I just can't but I admit that when you're one you're definitely strong, patient, understanding and of course, just like a parent!

I may not be a teacher and it sounds unfair 'cause you wouldn't be able to teach others yourself, but there's something I can do.. I could help others. I could prove to them that my teachers didn't waste their time on me and that thanks to them, I am like this.

KYSD really made me grew more mature. I believe that teaching is a responsibility. Its something good you can give to others, but its the most difficult especially when these teachings hit you back or when you don't even made it or had it. This reflection is not really my point of view, but more of an essay why we should and why should not.

We have thank our teachers so much but are we just up to that? Or are we still going to show them that the failures are worth it for a change? Are we going to see them how good we are right now because of them? Or are we going to show them the values that may somehow helped us?