Realizations I Would Not Have Had if I Didn’t Study at UP Manila

1. Cramming is a routine so every U.P. student has mastered the Art of Cramming after four years of stay at the University.

2. Floors and Corridors are your best friends especially when the library, lobby, and caf are full.

3. Cutting classes are necessary.

4. Four years of love-hate relationship among college friends are healthy. Friends can surely be your college enemies once in a while, but in the end, they will still be your friends. You’ll cry and smile together over class cards, unending projects, and bipolar professors.

5. It is easy to please anybody--- except the professors.

6. You will be thankful if your professor:
1. Is only a part-time professor
2. Has an allergy of some sort

Note: Though for A and B, if it is the thesis adviser, it will make the students literally die.

3. Forgets the time of your class or best even forgets that he or she has a class
4. Is young or young at heart at least
5. Has at least a cute smile

7. You will suffer from anxiety attack when the professor starts shuffling index cards with your names on them. It does make you alert though; you will not be able to go to sleep in class.

8. Hallways and Girls’ Restrooms can also be a place where you can dissect animals. ATTENTION: BIO MAJORS

9. Bringing alcohol or hand sanitizer is a must… plus Baby wipes because of the shortage of water.

10. It is always wise to volunteer the same person as the class photocopier so that nobody else will suffer the long lines that can rival that of Enrolment Week.

11. Drinking sometimes help--- especially if it is the Deadline Week—it full-blasts one’s adrenaline. Neon Cactus, anyone? Dencio’s perhaps?

12. It is very fast to have your X-Ray taken because U.P. Students are prioritized at PGH. You are just not 100% sure that it is your chest’s x-ray. After all, the results arrive in five minutes after you had just been x-rayed.

13. Bad words are expressions; they are not taboo.

14. If you take all lessons seriously, you will just make life hard for you.

15. Being grade-conscious makes you paranoiac.

16. Attending the awarding ceremony for College Scholars (with 1.75 to 1.46 GWA) and University Scholars (1.45 above) will be responsible for unending teasing from batchmates.

17. Being rich and belonging to the ‘In-crowd’ matters the least. So it isn’t a necessity to flash your designer clothes and fast cars. After all, where will you park?

And you will just get curious stares and open laughs from other students if you dress like you have just arrived from one of Greenbelt’s bars.

18. Slippers, shorts, and shirts are the most comfortable study clothes.

19. Walls, chairs, and even blackboards can be diaries. My favorite so far: ‘PUSH THE BUTTON TO EJECT PROF’

20. Oblation run wears out on you after two years. But boasting about it to students from ‘others’ is never tiring.

21. It will definitely make you paranoid if Bomb Threats are on the news.

Main Reason: Your school is surrounded by famous bomb target places: Supreme Court; DOJ, Court of Appeals and Robinson’s Ermita.

22. When you have been warned that you should not bring out your cellphone when you are in Taft; BELIEVE IT AND TAKE IT SERIOUSLY--- no matter what your cellphone unit is.

23. Always anticipate for a surprise quiz. Professors’ minds are hard to decipher. So expect for the worst and hope--- hope that your seatmates are always prepared. Or hope--- hope that your professor forgot that you even have a quiz and that he/she even announced that there will be.

If you forgot to anticipate, use your diversionary tactics. It always works on professors. Comment on their clothes or mention a film you think they would love.

Voila! They’ll never notice the time until the bell rings.

24. It is useful to have at least one Grade-conscious or studious friend. Especially when you spent the night getting wasted instead of studying.

25. Cherish every college moment--- even the cats’ nuisance behavior--- it will not be everyday that a cat will share your lunch.

26. Substance is really more valued than form--- both in written and in oral requirements.

27. The real meaning of Brain Drain and Nose Bleed.

28. There is no need to be scared of Frat Wars. In fact, instead of fleeing from them, students find them entertaining. A kind of stress relief from school work. If a frat war is announced, students flock to witness it.

29. Rallies are common occurrences as heavy traffics.

30. U.P. is for the masses only--- 95% UNTRUE.

31. You will swallow your pride and ask the help of ‘others’ especially for research.

Others’ libraries let you enjoy the benefits of modern facilities and fresh books. After all, they rarely open those books.

32. T-shirts from U.P. Manila are more creative than t-shirts from other UP campuses. (Eg. ‘U.P. Ako, Ikaw?’ or ’I think therefore I am… from U.P.’)

33. Library cards are most important---- ONLY before graduation. A classmate with a library card is more important than the library card itself.

34. You are unlucky if you have a laptop. It means Public Property.

(And Public equates to your classmates and block mates)

35. There are more female students than male students. By form and by heart.

36. You really need others again --- when looking for a boyfriend or girlfriend because all the good and straight ones are taken here in UP Manila. Although there are not so many to count in the first place.

37. The Ultimate Paranoia: HAVING YOUR NAMES OR CLASS NUMBERS POSTED IN THE REMOVAL LIST OR FAILED LIST OR NOT HAVING YOUR NAMES ON THE PASSED LIST.

THE WORST THING: NOT HAVING YOUR NAME ON THE CLASS LIST.

38. U.P. stands for University of Pila.

39. It is Hard to deal with government people. You need to have lots and lots and lots of PATIENCE and also a big amount of ka-PLASTICAN.

40. Never lose your form 5. It’s as important as your life. It literally saves you from Emergencies like when you forget your IDs.

41. Speaking of IDs--- You can forget your ID as long as your friends have their IDs. You can always borrow.

42. AN IMPORTANT REALIZATION: Even though almost all U.P. Students are liberated; most PARENTS ARE STILL NOT.

43. FOR ORCOM MAJORS: TOXIC means: T-he O-rcom X-perience of I-ncreased C-ompetency (Barrientos, 2005)

44. The best time to do a reaction paper or any type of short paper is: the night before the deadline. ADRENALINE REALLY RUSHES.

45. Never lend your White Board Marker to your prof. It will never find its way back to you as there is scarcity of White Board Markers (with ink) in all departments.

46. Most professors just ‘hocus-pocus’ grades.

47. You will learn the Art of not-Breathing by passing PGH--- that is because you learn how to hold your breath for a while or to do shallow breathings--- unless you are so generous to entertain something like Mr. Salmonella.

48. There are only two types of students who usually get tired in the years they spend in U.P.--- the ones running for Cum Laude, Magna Cum Laude, or Summa Cum Laude…

And the ones running…… after their professors.

49. Those who know ‘U.P. Naming Mahal’ by heart can be counted in one’s fingers--- and most of them got to memorize the school hymn because he or she attends the UAAP games (I am one-- Guilty as charged).

50. Leaving U.P. Manila is the hardest part of it all.