College Etiquette

Before I start, sasabihin ko muna that this will be very opinionated, I'm not imposing anything on anyone and these are my thoughts alone, I don't mean to offend anyone. And i'm not saying di ko ginagawa ang mga masasabi ko dito, nagawa ko na ang ilan but i certainly am not proud of them. I'm just saying that these are ways on how to improve our behavior

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Okay, so wala akong laptop ngayon, at hindi ako makapagsulat at matatago sa files ko, kaya babalikan ko itong blog ko. Dito ako maglalabas ng sama ng loob.

Sa totoo lang, wala naman akong problema sa kolehiyo eh. I love being in the university. The stepping stone to where your dreams might come true. Masarap mag-aral. Masarap makakita ng classroom, may mga prof na hindi mo talaga makakalimutan, maraming experience. I love being in the university.

It's just that sometimes, it becomes unbearable for me. I must say I've been getting annoyed so much by some people. Not that I have a big problem with them, I mean they're okay personally, nice people--but it's just that they don't act like they're in a learning institution.

Take it this way: For example, you are eating out with a friend or an acquaintance, they're very nice people, good in conversation, trustworthy. But you suddenly see that they place their elbows on the table while eating, or they burp in front of you while eating. You'll notice it, it'll seem unpleasant, but you go on with your life.

So that's what I want to talk about, college etiquette, you can call it. Behavior that should be observed in a classroom or in learning places in the university (note: hindi ito kasama sa org stuff or org places). I just feel like bringing this out before another semester starts because honestly, most people these days have completely forgotten all about it. I don't want to end up scolding people in school in a sudden burst of "losing it". 


Sige, isa-isahin natin.

1. Respect the professor.
-Ang mga prof, nagtatrabaho yan, magtuturo sila, magbibigay ng sangkatutak reading, magbibigay ng madugong exam, magbibigay ng homework. Trabaho nila yan, pero hindi nila trabaho maging manhid (at napipilitan na lang ata sila). Tao rin sila, may kakayahan silang masaktan, o mabastos sa mga pinaggagawa ng mga estudyante nila sa classroom. Kung ayaw mo sa teaching style niya, ok lang, edi ayaw mo, di ka naman pipilitin na baguhin ang opinyon mo.

Pero sana lang, wag ka nang pumasok kung: a) matutulog ka lang, b) maglalaro sa laptop and/or other electronic devices, c) dadaldalin lang ang katabi mo.

Kung galit na galit ka na talaga sa prof at di mo siya nirerespeto at gusto mong ipakita ang pagkamuhi mo sa kanya, edi respetuhin mo na lang yung mga estudyanteng nirerespeto ang prof mo. Sa tingin mo gusto nilang may humahalakhak sa gitna ng lecture? Sa tingin mo gusto nilang nakikita yung disappointed na mukha ng prof mo kapag napansin niya nang hindi nakikinig ang kalahati ng klase? Ilang beses ko na yun nakita. Masakit din para sa kin. Inuulit ko: tao po ang mga prof natin; ginagawa niya trabaho niya, gawin din natin trabaho natin.

(Di ko sinasabing perpektong estudyante ako, naranasan ko nang makatulog sa klase, mga tatlong beses na, dahil sa sobrang puyat. And sorry pa rin ako hanggang ngayon na ginawa ko yun, ginusto kong pumasok pa rin para makinig. Pero iba ang usapan na sinasadya mong tulugan ang prof mo o sinasadyang bastusin siya, for that matter).

Please, respect begets respect.

2. Hindi lugar ng landian ang classroom
-Medyo conservative pa rin akong tao at alam kong nasa college na tayo at dapat maging mas open sa mga bagay-bagay katulad nito. In all honesty, when you're with friends or in a more private place, why not? They'd understand, but people youre unfamiliar with? Uhh I'm not okay with that. In a class? Definitely not okay with that. Kapag sa classroom kasi while people are learning, it's very unsettling to know weird things are happening around you. Parang nakababastos sa academic institution.

Analogy (para sa kin): kumakain ka tapos biglang nag-open up ng topic ang kasama mo kumain tungkol sa tae.

Nakakawalang gana di ba? Parang ganun din ang nakikita kong PDA kapag gusto kong matuto. Lalo na sa library... please lang. Itigil niyo na. Gusto ko magbasa, pero hindi maiwasan mapansin. Okay okay, sasabihin niyo: edi wag mo na lang pansinin... UHH HOW CAN I? kissy noises, sweet talk. And at some point, ako pa ang mahihiya na nakita ko sila, when it should be the other way around. Inuulit ko, it's more acceptable if it's in a place where no teaching/learning is happening, where people aren't trying to concentrate. It's okay to be sweet in public places, just don't cross the line. Always keep in mind that we are in a prestigious academic institution. You're here to study and let others study as well.

3. Groupwork Etiquette
-Hindi maiiwasan sa college ang maggroupwork. Okay, yan: develops interpersonal relations, gives more perspective and insights, shares the work, at kung gusto magbigay ng points ang prof niyo. Okay ang mga groupwork. Pero hindi okay ang sumusunod:
     a. aakuhin mo ang trabaho, pero sa huli magrereklamo ka na hindi ka tinulungan ng groupmates mo kasi hindi mo natapos. Sira ulo ka pala eh. Kaya nga groupwork ang tawag. Lesson: It's okay to have an idea of what to do sa project, i-open sa groupmates at magpatulong.
     b. Hindi mo sisiputin ang mga kagrupo mo kapag nag-arranged meeting kayo; without even a word to your groupmates at magpapakita ka na lang kapag isusubmit na o finishing touches na lang.
     c. Mang-OOP ng kagrupo dahil hindi niyo sya ka-course o kaibigan (at hindi mag-iiwan ng trabaho para sa kanya). Divide the work accordingly (kung mas mahirap na icontact, edi ibigay ang work sa kanya na kayang isend... kung busy ang isa, wag tatambakan... respeto lang, group kayo)
     d. Sasabihin mo na gagawin mo yung part mo, pero hindi mo pala gagawin at sasabihin mo lang kapag icocollect na ng magcocompile ang mga trabaho niyo.
     e. Kung alam mong hindi na dadating yung part na hinihintay mo in time o sadyang di mapagkakatiwalaan si groupmate, gawin mo na yung project niyo. Wag ka na maging miserable dyan at maiinis na unfair, dahil umaandar ang oras. Kausapin si groupmate about sa nangyari (baka family emergency) at kausapin ang prof tungkol sa circumstance. Bayaan mo na lang na sa grade nya magreflect ang actions niya. Kung tamad ang groupmate mo, wag mong tanggapin ang katamaran bilang kontribusyon nya sa project niyo--dahil hindi yun matatapos.
     f. etc.

Maraming problema ang nararanasan sa group work. Mas malaki ang entropy, mas marami kayo eh. Pero ang piece of advice ko lang: Don't do unto others what you don't want others to do unto you.

And instead of having problems and coming up with a shitty project, a group work is an opportunity to do great things! Videos, plays, magazines, papers, presentations, come on, would you pass up the chance to do something awesome? More members mean more manpower, mas marami kayong kaya iaccomplish. Harness the power of a group! =)) Hindi naman siguro nagpagroupwork ang prof niyo kung gusto niya lang kayong pag-awayin; he wants to see an awesome output, that's why.

4. Procrastinating, Ranting Etiquette
-Okay, don't judge me yet! Alam ko na ang procrastination at ranting ay pareho nang likas sa buhay estudyante. Mangyayari at mangyayari yan, gustuhin mo man o hindi. I'm not gonna say that it's unacceptable to procrastinate or to rant. In fact, there are feats of procrastination worth mentioning. :)) Pero ito lang ang ayaw ko sa dalawang habits na ito:
     a. Procrastination: Hindi ko alam para sa ibang tao, pero ayokong nakakakita ng mga taong nagpprocrastinate, tapos pagnagtest/hw, bagsak sila, tapos sisisihin nila ay ibang bagay. Dude, kung kasalanan mo, edi tanggapin mo na lang. You didn't try hard enough, and admitting is the first step towards trying harder in the next exam. Wag mong sisihin ang teaching style ng prof mo kung ang study habits mo ang problema.
     b. Ranting: Ranting is okay. Hindi maiiwasan maging upset sa prof/groupmates/or on something. It helps when you voice out and have someone to listen to you. But for me there is inappropriate ranting. For example, magrarant ka about kung gaano kahirap ng project niyo for 5 hours eh kung ginamit mo na lang yung oras na yun para gawin yung project mo o naghanap ka na lang ng tulong o solution. Naiinis ako sa mga ganun. Kung gusto may paraan, kung ayaw laging may dahilan. Ranting and feeling upset is okay, just know your limits at kung sino ang nadadamay mo. Kung groupwork yan, at may naghihintay ng part mo, mahiya ka naman sa groupmate mo.


Okay so tapos na.
Magaan na ang pakiramdaman ko at medyo nagugutom na ko for merienda. Sa totoo lang, habang sinusulat ko ito, naguilty ako bigla sa ibang habits ko. Inuulit ko, hindi ako perfect student. But that's a start right there. Ang unang step ng scientific method is to identify the problem, right? Well I hope I will get better and for all of us as well.
Last words ko lang, gustung-gusto ko talaga matuto at mag-aral and i'm sure maraming ibang estudyanteng katulad ko. Please don't spoil that for me (ang demanding ko naman haha) rather for everyone. College is the place where we're supposed to learn all the necessary skills and knowledge before we become professionals, and I guess it's the best place where we should learn work manners. We should be more responsible of our actions and be more aware of the fact that our actions affect others as well.

In Denial of an Illusion

March 1, 2012

Did you ever get the feeling of knowing something was going to happen, something you didn't like and something you have no power over, but you always said to yourself that "It's not going to happen yet"? Like, it's somewhere off far into the future. 

And before you know it, it already happened. 

Let's make it more specific,

Did you ever get the feeling of knowing that you were to lose something and all that while, you said to yourself: "It's not going to happen YET",

and before you know it, you already lost it. 

And then, you begin to think that you've wasted so much time being in denial of the fact that it was slowly inching away. 

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I realized something recently: I was clinging on to the illusion of thinking that nothing would change YET, with how my barkada was. And before I knew it, things had already changed. 

Somehow, I guess, you could say I'm pretty immature. I really held on to the dream of having them with me all throughout college (and, perhaps, subconsciously, for life). 

Perhaps, inside, really, I didn't want change. I wanted things to stay the same, that we were going to be the same crazy bunch, without any intervention from whatever person/thing.