Late UP Freshie Tips

1.Pag nagbigay ang instructor ng readings o references, basahin mo. 

Kahit na 'suggested' readings ang tawag nila sa iba, readings pa rin yan. Malaki ang role ng readings sa recits, quizzes at exams. Para sa mga GC, ito ang daan mo para sa mga uno. May maeencounter kang mga tanong na mismong galing sa readings, bonus pa kung given na ang sagot sa likod ng libro. Mas bonus kung isa pala itong example sa libro. Hindi sapat ang magpaphotox, kahit pa ipabook bind mo, kung hindi lang rin ito mababasa. 
(Noong undergrad pa ako, excited akong bumili ng makakapal na pirated readings sa SC, pero hindi ko talaga ito natatapos basahin. Hindi rin ako mahilig humiram ng libro sa library para sa references na nakasulat sa syllabus.) 

2. Itago ang mga iningatang photocopied readings at notes (kung mahilig kayong magnotes) kahit na tapos na ang sem. 

Kung maaari pa'y ipabook bind ang readings. Kung ito ay galing sa majors nyo, maaari mo itong gamitin bilang reference sa mga susunod sa pang subjects na kukunin mo. Kung sisiw lang sa iyo ang subject na iyon, pwede mo itong ipahiram sa friend na nasa lower batch na kukuha rin ng subject na iyon. Pagkakataon mo nang maging OT (old testament; n. lumang notes, exams, problem sets.) master kaya go! 
At dahil itong sem na ito ang ultimate GE sem n'yo, ilandaang piso rin siguro ang nagastos n'yo sa mga photocopied readings. Hwag mag-alala, pagkatapos ng sem, pwede mo itong ibenta! (Syempre sa mas mababang halaga wrt original price sa SC) Kung mag pagka-OC ka, mas malaki ang halaga ng notes mo. Ang maganda rito ay malaki ang market mo kaya malaki ang chance na mabibili ito. Kung hindi naman palarin sa pagbebenta at may orgmates ka na sa , ipahiram mo ito sa kanila, to establish camarederie. Sayang naman kung sa junk shop lang mapapapunta ang mga ito. Kung wala kang pang org, 

3. Sumali sa org. 

Ang college life ay mas makulay kung may barkada kang kasakasama sa pag-aaral, pagluluksa sa singko, pagfoofoodtrip sa Maginhawa St. at pagtambay tuwing breaktime. 
 Isa kang maswerteng nilalalang kung 10 kayong magkakaklase noong high school ang nakapasa sa UP. Mas maswerte kung iisa ang college o course n'yo para sa matitinding group study sessions sa McDo Katips o Philcoa o kahit saang 24hrs na fastfood chain. 
 Pero kung wala ka nito, malaking tulong para sa iyo ang pagsali sa org. Hindi lang sa kaibigan marami ang org - nandyan ang matutututo kang makitungo sa iba't ibang klase ng tao. May weird, nerd, emo, super wild o forever horny--- halos lahat ng klase ng ugali makikita mo rito. 
Isa pa, magaganda ang tambayan ng mga orgs dito sa UP. Kung puno na sa Casaa o sa canteen sa iyong college, itakeout mo na at gora na ang lafang sa tambayan. Malaki rin ang oportunidad para maenhance mo ang leadership skills mo, existing man ito o hindi. Pero,

4. Unahin pa rin ang pag-aaral. 

Corny?  Itanong mo kay Ginoong Ramon Bautista, hindi ako nagkamaling i-tip ito. ;)  Ok lang ang maging BS Org sa mga may schedule ang buhay, pero kung 'go with the flow' person ka, ah, mahirap 'yan. Bawal pa namang madelay ngayon, 1k na ang isang unit. 

5. Alamin ang freebies sa buong UP at i-avail ang mga ito. 

Dahil freshie ka, hari ka ng freebies brought to you by USC at marami pang orgs. Noong freshie ako, naka-avail ako ng libreng C2, dirty icecream, isaw, planners, sakay sa ikot/toki at nakatatlo akong libre concert (check out for Giniling Festival). 
Pero hindi nagtatapos sa pagiging freshie ang freebies. Maraming libreng sine sa UP FI para sa lahat, may mga free rides ding sponsored by UP orgs, at libre pagkain pag nag-open tambayan sila. 
Marami ring seminars, talks at lectures sa bawat college o department na libre; maging mapagmashid lang sa bulletin boards para sa schedules. 

6. Ikutin ang campus. 

Inikot ko ang campus noong graduate na ako, at nanghinayang ako dahil marami pa pala akong hindi natatambayang libraries na may free wifi, hindi pa nakakainang siomai stall (e.g. sa FI. Hindi pa rin hanggang ngayon), at hindi nakikitang magagandang CR (ehem University Hotel) na dapat ay noon pa lang ay nalaman ko na para sa mas masayang stay sa UP. Kaya go na kasama ang blockmates at hanapin ang heartbreak hill at AIT.

7. Umattend ng ACLE (Alternative Class Room Experience).

Hindi ito inorganize para makapagTrinoma ka. Umaapaw sa knowledge ang kalahating araw na ito kaya sugod ka d’yan. (Malas lang kung nirequire kayo ng instructor/prof n’yo na umattend ng ACLE ng org/dept. n’ya - hindi ka makakapamili.) Sa ACLE ko narinig ang mga payo ni Jon Santos, at d’yan ko rin dapat nakita sina Brilliante Mendoza, Ramon Bautista, Jim Paredes, at Kryz Uy kung nabalitaan ko lang agad. 

Mula sa pagtuturo kung paano magmake-up (plus make-up freebies), hanggang sa panonood ng mga indie films at Zeitgeist, hanggang sa pakikinig sa mga powerhouse speakers, hanggang sa kung paano gumawa ng DIY rocket, nandyan lahat sa ACLE.

8. Sagarin ang pagkuha ng PE hangga’t libre pa. 

'Holistic being' ang status goal natin, kaya  magPE every sem! Isa pa, 'freshie' = priority sa CRS. Kaya piliin mo na ang pinaka-in demand na PE (masaya ang floorball :]) habang may chance ka pang makuha ito.

9. Magsummer class, kahit isa lang.

Maganda ang UP campus. Mas maganda ang UP tuwing summer (fire tree at cotton invasion). Saka mas madali (raw) ang ES (Engg Science) subjects at mas kakaunti ang readings sa GE subjects pag summer mo ito kinuha. Plus plus pa kung may field trip. Libre bakasyon care of allowance whattup.

10. Sumama sa GE field trips. 

Sobra ang panghihinayang ko dahil isang GE field trip lang ang nasamahan ko sa buong college life ko, at whole day lang siya. Sayang ang pagkakataong magtravel galore para sa karununganchos at habang may allowance pa, kaya go lang nang go. Plus points din yan, kaya GC alert din ito.

Eleventh tip to UP Freshies

11. Hwag magpaka konyo (kung hindi naman talaga konyo).

Don't make pilipit your dila when it's not natural naman to you. Don't eat isaws of Mang Larry's if you don't wanna. Don't drink milk tea or coffee eight times a day when you're gonna make utang pa. You know. Just, like, leave them to the real konyos.

On why we have to study 'Life and Works of Jose Rizal'

It's not the first time that I heard it; actually, most of the college students complain about taking history and Rizal courses. They question the use of these subjects on the career that they will be pursuing after graduation, how their money is wasted on those units, and how their time is consumed just to earn good grades for the subjects. 

Truth be told, I felt just the same when I was in high school. We were made to report or dramatize Noli Me Tangere and El Filibusterismo per chapter, and every five chapters, there would be an exam covering names, places and dates from those sections. Their importance were not explained deeply, and they were forgotten when exams were over. 

But college came and I took a different perspective because of one thing: my Rizal professor told us that they teach those courses because it's a law. The Republic Act No. 1425, An Act to Include in the Curricula of All Public and Private Schools, Colleges and Universities Courses On the Life, Works and Writings of Jose Rizal, Particularly His Novels Noli Me Tangere and El Filibusterismo, Authorizing the Printing and Distribution Thereof, and for Other Purposes, commonly known as the Rizal Law, mandates all educational institutions in the Philippines to offer courses about Jose Rizal. 

But he didn't stop there. He told us how stupid we are not to want to know history, and it's evident on the way we respond to the what is happening in the Philippines. If we are learned in history, we will not still be in the society that Rizal drew in Noli and El Fili, but alas, most of their chapters are reflections of the present Philippines still. From the falsehood of the Filipino Catholic church as 'church for the poor', to usurping of lands from the indios, to mockery of too-Filipino-looking people (pango, kayumanggi, maliit). 

Padre Salvi and Sisa's family story is parallel to Bishop Teodoro Bacani and his sex scandals, Tandang Selo's family story is parallel to Hacienda Luisita's farmers' never-ending battle (I hope not) with the Aquino-Cojuangco clan, and powdered Dona Victorina is parallel to every out-of-stock condition of whitening products in the Philippine market. 

If only these were taught to every Filipino since high school, no one would dare ask again of its relevance.

In the end, nothing's changed because we don't know the value and meaning of the things that are required for us to learn. 

Click to Save: Arena Island Promo

I've never been to Palawan, the contender of Boracay in terms of most talked about tourist destinaton in the Philippines. That's why when my friend Rej Avena tagged me in FB to share this promo, I grabbed it immediately. It's the Arena Island's Click to Save Promo.

Joining is simple:

from Arena Island's FB page

Arena Island, also known as Isla Arena Turtle Sanctuary, is located at Narra, Palawan. It is a 1.5 hour travel from the Puerto Princesa International Airport. Its advocacy is to protect pawikans and help preserve nature's blessings.

The promo is extended until May 31, 2012. To join, click here. For more information on the island, visit http://www.arenaisland.com/.

6 Little Ways to Lessen The Things That They (we?) Hate in the Philippines

I watched the video '20 Reasons I Dislike _____. (the Philippines) which featured an American named Jimmy Sieczka. He has been in Cebu for three years and he enumerated reasons on why the country sucks.  And I  was all agreeing, and thinking of my own encounters.

Yes, I hate all men shaking their urine all over the country. Cockroaches in every city I went to also disgust me. And I already have a traumatic experience with a beggar (punched and pinched me when I didn't give him money). What he enumerated are almost all the things I want out of my beloved land.

The man has all the points in the world; there's no reason to hate him. What we Filipinos do is try to lessen the things that can make anyone hate our country. Here's my list of what I'm doing and  going to do:

1. Refuse plastic bags. Whenever I have my bag with me when I'm buying something, I refuse the plastic bag that the bagger is offering. It will be redundant if I put the plastic with goods inside the bag, will it not?

2. Candy wrappers. Put them in your pockets. When trash cans aren't around (We really lack them here in the Phils.), I put my trash in my pocket or inside my bag if it's big for my pocket. Why? Because no matter how small the trash is, trash is trash and is unpleasant to look at, especially on the streets. Also, they will eventually go to our waters or they will clog our drainage systems.

3. Love thy color. I honestly am using some whitening products like papaya soap, but I am not gaga over being white (I like its smell, plus it's Pinoy made,so.). I like my color and I'm working on loving the whole of me. And it should not be about just the color, it should be about loving every part of your body. The thing about loving yourself is that it is cheaper. Ordinary lotion is cheaper than whitening lotion. Ordinary snacks are cheaper than diet snacks. Surgery-less face is free. And unique. You get my point.

4. Spit on sinks. Phlegm on sidewalks is always an eyesore. If you have a cough and sinks are nowhere to find, bring tissue to spit on. I would love it if we would adopt Singapore's law on spitting.

5. Read. We would see our situation with better eyes if we see other countries' progress. TV won't suffice, especially our networks. And we also need to think critically. And where can we get it better than in reading?

6. Accept criticisms. I read the comments section on the youtube version of the video and the Filipinos there are ranting on making Mr. Jimmy go somewhere else, cursing him and trolling each other around. What kind of reactions are those? Honestly. Mr. Jimmy may not be the best critic ever (his cursing is not helping the Filipino temper), but still he has points that we can use for the Philippines to be more fun to be in. They, criticisms, are quite painful to take, yes, but they can make us grow. So. We should have the strength to hear them and do something on how to improve ourselves.


Our country is faced with piles of problems, so let's do our part. Everything counts no matter how small it is. Let's try our best to not be a part of the problem. :)