From the existential vacuumAside from the reviews, critiques, and postlabs I still have to write during the last days of the Christmas break, this is probably my last attempt of blog post this year. I haven’t written in a while for obvious reasons, and I terribly regret not jotting down my thoughts especially during the last few sort-of-eventful months of 2007. Since I have been freakingly OCOC this year, this post will also be outlined into different subheadings, haha. ^_^
Acads – awakening the GM in meUnlike the preceding year, 2007 was not that of a good year academically. Physical chemistry and accounting were barely tolerable but I learned a lot from Anatomy and Physiology, despite the disappointing grade, hehe. Biochemistry was also not as interesting as I expected.
I earned a scholarship this year, which is the cause for my sudden transformation into what is now popularly known as GM or grade maniac (because GC is so last season ^_^). Hindi naman sobra but I was more conscious than ever to raise my grades despite the increasing difficulty of the subjects. I had to maintain a GWA <2.0 and I would practically die if it falls below the said grade.
Although I haven’t taken these subjects this year, I became interested in both Public Health and Psychology. The reason for the first is because of a new org Sir Salenga is trying to establish, which I will elaborate later ^_^. On the other hand, my sudden curiosity in Psych was roused by a book I am currently reading for Humanities, something by Frankl.
I also had an on and off impulse to consider med school this year. I would have taken the NMAT if only I had money at the time I had to pay the application fee. ^_^ My reasons? I actually don’t know. I don’t even understand why I want to go there given that I have poor memorization skills, especially in Anatomy. ^_^
Org life – puro na lang org
Given that this year is all about school life, it wasn’t all acads for me. Org life is probably the only social life I have here in UP. Sad, I know. Pero dito sa UPCP, ang org talaga ang nagsisilbing pangalawang family ng mga students, kaya nga nagimbal kaming lahat nung pina-evacuate kami ng tambayan dahil sa reroofing yata nung area whatever. Buti na lang false alarm.
I have already mentioned in previous blog posts that I ran for Vice-Presidency in our College Council. I lost. ^_^ Anyway, I was offered instead a Vice Chairperson position in PROPharm. I head the Integration Committee, the committee whose job many propharmers, including I dati, do not understand. We were anyway awarded best committee during the anniversary party of the organization but I believe we have yet to prove ourselves. Of all my organizations, it is in Propharm where I learned to be a real person, drama aside. If I hadn’t joined this org, I bet I would die the second I set foot into the real world after graduating. And since I owe propharm a lot, I promise to be a better leader and follower next year. ^_^
It was also this year that I served as EIC of The Pharmakon. To tell you the truth, I am not that happy with the paper anymore. It only serves the alumni, not the students. Despite it all though, I am still proud of the issue released during my term. It may not be the best, nor the most interesting, but it was certainly the longest! Haha. ^_^ yun yun e. I also realized that writing is just not for me, that’s why I’m not so enthusiastic about journalism anymore. Pero kahit ayaw ko na, mahal ko pa rin ang pharmakon pagkat ito ang pinakauna kong org. ^_^
It’s hard to talk about an org which doesn’t even have a name yet but I’ll try anyway. ^_^ I proposed that it should be named SPARK – Samahan ng mga parmasyutiko para sa Kalusugan – but it was rejected. Hehe. Anyway, the org gears towards the greater involvement of pharmacists and student pharmacists in public health. Konti pa lang ang members nito so we only selected among ourselves the officers. I was chosen as Head of the Research Committee since I seem to be the dorkiest of them all, haha. Anyway, my job is to start research projects about health in communities and even institutions like UP. Pwedeng istudy yung risk factors for different diseases etc. And since interested din ako sa Psych, I want to look deeper into the Psychological Health of CP students, whether it is now in danger because of the strong academic pressure our teachers are giving us. Wahaha.
Remembrance of the volleyball past
One big part of my 2007 was volleyball. When I first walked around the UP manila campus, I knew then that my volleyball days are over. It wasn’t until my 3rd year in college that UP competed in the FJCPPhA sportsfest (which we fondly called “jfed”), the sort-of-UAAP of pharmacy schools in the Philippines. (2006 pa to but I’ll make kwento anyway). Syempre, hindi UAAP ang level of play dun. ^_^ All schools were on equal ground except UST, whose college/faculty of pharmacy has an already established team. Hindi naming sila ka-level. Ang galing nila. Haha.
After “Jfed”, Bakbakan came next. There was less pressure during bakbakan games at mas mababa ang net. ^_^ We lost to Med in the finals, therefore we placed 2nd. The women’s team, on the other hand, bagged the championship.
The 2007 jfed was a more exciting episode. I was captain of this year’s team since Ganch decided not to show up. Wahehe. I felt like I played like crap during the first two games. We won against adamson but lost against NU. Buti na lang na-recruit naming si Centi na sobrang tangkad. Hehe. NU is probably one of the worst teams there but we lost. I do not know why exactly pero it’s because na-pressure kami masyado to win against them in order to advance to the finals. Hindi pa ganun ka-mature yung team. We played better in the battle for 3rd against MCU though. We won by an upset. ^_^ This time, we kept in mind that we should just enjoy the game and not mind at all if we win or lose.
UST still played superbly. Ang galing nina Cheng, Amparna etc. I hate NU.
We faced the College of Medicine as a more mature team in the next bakbakan. We nearly beat them, maniwala kayo. ^_^ Konting practice na lang. This time, nalaglag kami sa semis dahil sa kanila. Pero OK lang. That match was the best game we ever played as a team.
Na-meet ko nga pala uli si Eldin Lao, teammate ko sa MakSci dati. He played libero for the UP Baguio team before transferring to UPM. Ang galing na nya ngayon. Also, Micheal Arda, former teammate din, now plays for the UP Spiking Maroons. O di ba? Ang astig. He currently ranks 17th in terms of score. Go Arda!
Conclusion, for lack of a better term
2007 may not have bought me good grades, much to my chagrin, but I know that I have gained so much more. I made new friends, instilled fresh values, and reaped rewards which may not be put in paper or classcards but are nonetheless things I can be proud of. ^_^ Have a happy 2008.
