Adjusting Entries of a one month-old Economist

here I am experiencing once again the hardships of a stranger trying to adjust in his new environment. I can list 2 entries by which i am trying to adjust as I experience my first month in AB.

Culture

It seems that AB is really different from AMVCoA. The lifestyle and personality of both colleges are quite that far with respect to other colleges inside UST. As what Arch said, "Welcome to the Liberal Arts" and i was then asking in my mind, "how liberal is liberal arts?" Ma'am Ailil even told me not to be swayed in the artlets' culture, thinking that she also experienced both environments as an instructor in AMV and a student in AB.

Being a faculty gifted with many branches, each program under the Faculty of Arts and Letters have their own unique characteristics. In my case as an irregular student, I enrolled in courses under 5 MAJORS: Economics, AB-BSE, Literature, Political Science and Sociology. Wrong move perhaps.

Examinations are also different. Hello to 60-item pure identification, Essays and to the other types such as True or False, Multiple Choice and Matching Type. Major Examinations (Prelims and Finals) are done in a different manner, taking up 2 exams in 2 different minor subjects simultaneously in 2 hours. So as for us irregular students, sometimes we have to be aware of the time and be able to run fast to another classroom for the next exam.

But come to think of it, I appreciate the radical lifestyle of AB, i even realized some thoughts about being independent, having a strong personality, using your rights to express, being flexible to different fields and a lot more.



Classmates and Professors

I find my first day in AMVCoA so smooth, being approached by my classmates and they are the ones to befriend me. But in AB? culture shock striked, its that hard to relate with my classmates, define strong personalities. I even have a female classmate who raised me an eyebrow, wooh.. tough. Though there are some who are nice, i guess i just need to know them a bit more. Thankful I have 5 Co-Shifters from AMV who I can easily relate with.

"Accountancy Majors in Economics!", Dr. Manapat shouted upon calling us shifters from AMV at the back of the class, i never thought that the four of us can get his attention as we were just discussing about the lesson. But sometimes come to think of it, its an advantage being shifters for we can be easily recognized by the professors.



I am trying to get a hang of everything, but i guess these adjustments will not just be for these two issues for there would always be that part in everybody's life that one must cope up.


"Consider the wasted years in Accountancy as Liabilities, by which later on your knowledge in Accounting will be your advantage as an Asset in the field of Economics."
- thought coming from Dr. Manapat (Eco5: History of Economic Thought)

A Yellow-colored Thought

"Am I part of History?"

This is a time wherein our nation is recovering from a hero's death. Have you noticed that many of the youth today just consider this event as to their advantage of "being part of history", yes, i've thought of it for quite a few times but I realized then that I am part of history in my own way.

The late president Cory Aquino is an example perhaps of how can we be part of the bigger picture of history, she had been an ordinary citizen before the people gave her the lead for our country. And even after her term, she returned back to as a simple mother to her family. Taking part in history is a wrong note, for every living human being is part of the process of shaping the history. Only some are given the opportunity to be part of the bigger picture, but majority are witnesses to such events in our country's timeline.


"Our past directs our present to what will be then our future"

This blog wouldn't be published if not for Cory Aquino and the People Power Revolution - true perhaps, for the freedom of expression and the democracy that we are experiencing are the fruits of what they had sacrificed for the nation. I guess history was tired enough of seeing the Aquinos to save the country in such time, by which I thank them, but aren't there any other filipinos aside from the Aquino family? There are few who managed to make the scene, but as what i have said its just a bigger picture of the history.

We have to partake not just in history but in nation-building. This 2010 Elections is a big opportunity for us to make a change, this is the time to participate and share in the fruits of People Power and late Pres. Cory's "Laban" back in 1980's. We have to learn from the past and be able to cherish what we have right now. This is a big challenge that "Tita Cory" left our generation. Thank you Tita Cory.

What I've learned and realized upon the death of the mother of the Philippine Democracy is that I can help in the process of nation-building in my own simple way. Humility in every sacrifices and do every deed with the guidance of God.



"At this point, all i can do is to wear a simple yellow ribbon and live in the ideals of the late President Cory Aquino."
- mikagiyasuo02



picture courtesy of hirokada.deviantart.com