In a literal sense, college diploma is just a piece of sheet that could be rifted or become a blank slate again when you spill water on it. A sheet it is but definitely hard to gain and changes a person’s life and being.

Primarily, a college diploma we worked for several years is dedicated to the dear parents and siblings. I personally offer mine to my wonderful family who has been with me since I came out of the womb. However, there are other people whom I like to dedicate this piece of sheet to as well. These are people who are my depraved critics. People who have disparaged me and never believed in me.

I want to share a short story. There was a girl who took up her secondary schooling from one of the Philippine international schools in Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. It is a Muslim country, thus people are expected to be clothed in conservative clothes and be demure. (Ladies inside an institution are allowed to take off their abayas.) This girl loved to wear girly stuff and tight clothing, like body-fit t-shirt but never did they see her wearing plunging neckline dress nor shorts/miniskirts inside the campus. She was a loud person and barely embraced modesty, but never did they hear her cursing and arguing with someone. I was this noisy girl who wore tight shirt and jeans and invaded the kingdom. Being like this, I received various unfavourable comments from various stone-hearted haters, whether it be young or old one. Looks deceive people but it never gives them prerogative to criticize. Two of the hurting comments I heard were “Her parents might not raise her well” and “She will never finish her studies for she will get married and get pregnant soon”. It was hurting because they belittled my individuality but funny at the same time. How could they tell this crap? They had the nerve to criticize me when I was an honor student and didn’t even involve myself in drugs, premarital sex, and alcohol. These people dress up conservatively but think of their fellows nastily.

I would like to humbly share with these haters that I was a good student and just graduated without baby beside or inside me. I’m ready to clobber their faces with my diploma. HAHA! Kidding! :-P But seriously,  the diploma and all certificates I got from school and other activities could be an awesome slap in their faces.

College is known to be ruthless, from uncountable homework and deadly thesis to terror professors. Some collegians think of it that way, but not I. Yes, college may slam loads of work and headaches against us, but I tell you… I had so much frolic and fun within the 4 years I spent in my university.

I am proud to say that I was a hardworking student. Thus, I graduated with flying colors. But I don’t want to wash my hands and say I never became a silly one because I was once. So lemme ‘fess up some silly things I hit and some info that everybody would be shocked to know about. Brace your jaw ‘coz you might drop it when u read my confession. LOL!

1.) UNDER THE WHITE UNIFORM
CEU uniform for girls is a combination of white button-down shirt and white pencil skirt. Everything is white  and sheer which gives onlookers a blatant idea of what brassiere and undies color girls wear. I wasn’t comfortable with this. Thus, I had to be dressed in white sleeveless and black/blue cycling shorts under my uniform.

My close friends and classmates know I have this fast metabolism and the food I take melts down easily that I need to rush to the rest room. Lol! But this doesn’t happen everyday, okie dokie? Anyway, I do the deed in a restroom where water and soap are available. If the soap is not, I purchase from a store/supermarket. These are the places where I usually pass a motion; canteen’s own comfort room, Rhian’s house, and South Supermarket’s CR. CEU-Malolos students surely get where these places are. Haha! This may sound funny and icky, but it’s reality! :-P

There’s a saying “Teachers call it cheating, but students call it teamwork” and I’m in the TEAM. Lol! I wasn’t the type of student who hides notes during exams. Neither my eyes go sideways. Maybe did this rolling eyeballs once in a while. I was the type who directly yet imperceptibly asks a classmate about the exact answer to the question. I was a good Samaritan for I gave answers as well. :-P

In every institution, there is a “No ID, No entry” policy. To be able to successfully implement this, there are security guards assigned to check on every student and faculty member. When I was in my sophomore and junior years, I had been buying CEU ID laces whenever I forgot my ID at home. I made sure that guards would not notice its bottom part ‘coz there was no ID attached with it. Nonetheless, I changed when I stepped into my senior and last year. Haha!

I believe everyone ditches a class due to certain reason. One of the common reasons is he/she had a date. This is normal but kudos to me! I never did this. Haha! Maybe because my college sweetheart lives way too far from me. I ditched but not to date.

I hate waking up early. Getting a 7-a.m. class is so inevitable every semester. I had to wake up at 4:30 a.m. or 5-ish so I would not be late. There were times that I did not attend morning classes but I did to my afternoon classes.

I got involved in a fight. The issue was baloney and crap. Haha! It happened during SportsFest 2009. It was a pure misunderstanding between few MassCom and Pre-dentistry students. A very kind HRM student got involved too for he favored me. Pre-dent students even sent a complaint letter to the CHM (HRM is under this college) regarding this HRM student. He filed a counterclaim. We were supposed to talk about this matter with the deans and school counselor but did not happen. Instead, pre-dent students approached me and we eventually reconciled.

8.) PEN & PAPER

9.) VARSITY ABOMINATOR
In the early years of my schooling in CEU, I was hating our university basketball team for some not-so-meaningful reasons. I USED TO think they’re towering blowhards. When I bumped into them in the hallway, I had this impression that these players think they’re handsome and famous. There was one time during a P.E. class in the gym, we noticed some varsity players with no shirts straying around. I find it unethical. Another one was when I received a text from unregistered phone number. I responded asking who he was. His response was like this “This is Pa**, varsity player number 26”. I did not reply afterwards because firstly I wasn’t looking for a textmate and secondly… What a stupid introduction! He could say “I’m Pa** from this college… blah… blah… blah…” Their trainer and our adviser at the same time knows about this. Haha!



Frolic and fun college life, I just stepped out of it. I am no longer a collegian but memories will linger forever.

Pabasa is a Filipino Catholic tradition, but specifically is a reading-and-chanting ritual during lent season. People narrate the text on the passion, death, and resurrection of Christ. There are also food being served to those who visit the station. As everyone knows, I am a Muslim yet aware of some Catholic traditions.

Every year, I participate during and somehow embrace Pabasa because our family sponsors the food. The past years, Pabasa had no great shakes to me. It was just ordinary day. But I never expected that this year’s Pabasa would be this amazingly exceptional. The 3-day Pabasa turned out to be a collection of getting-closer moments with folks in our barangay. I personally had a chance to form close ties with the youth here. I even realized how time does a runner so fast. I was able to meet my childhood friends and did catch up.

I was wearing simplicity on my sleeves within those 3 days. I mean, no fab and glam. I visited 5 Pabasa stations in our town through feet and not by wheels. I wore slippers, and not glittering heels. I was at my simplest, but I felt everything was exceptional. The reason behind it was the people I was with. We played bingo, we went to Perya, we had chitchats, and a lot more. Those were sleepless nights but just plainly conversing and laughing with them made my soul feel awake.

The Pabasa was so quick. So, I’m missing it right now. I miss the beautiful Pabasa station, those wonderful and fun-to-be-with people, and the yummy food! Haha! The sad fact is I’ll be experiencing Pabasa again after 2 years.

As they say, people come and go. Someone that we love one day, can disappear from our lives the next. Perhaps because of distance, fights, and/or loss of communication. This is when we suppose life is very unfair.

Way back in high school, I was able to create a wonderful friendship with my classmates and some schoolmates. Hence, it was hard to let go of them when I had to pursue my studies in the Philippines. Now, I am soon to move out of my college life, and I feel like IT IS EVEN HARDER FOR ME TO LET GO. Probably because I experience this stage with a mature mind and my heart is entailed. This is where you encounter different things, if not, all things a person should see. So memories are fixed in my mind!

Sometimes I wonder… In every stage, you meet friends and become close to them. When this stage has to end,  there is a tendency you leave your friends behind. And when you enter a new one, you have to make friends with others and become close once more. Then, this stage has to end again. It is a cycle, but a painful one. The event occurs and repeats itself in the same sequence, but not with the same people anymore.

In exactly 11 days, our graduation ceremony will be held. This terribly gives me poignancy. I gained a lot of friends in my school, whether it be classmate or school employee (faculty members, janitors, security guards, people in the canteen, etc.). What makes it even bluer is the fact that these people are like family to me and we are about to be torn apart.

They come. They go. Can you just come and never go? May I just take everyone to my next crossroad? Pretty please?! I wish I could hold close each of them before I leave CEU.

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Allow me to share photos taken during and after our Baccalaureate Mass and Sampaguita Interlude: