My dear students

This is for my former students (and future students) who are now in College. Remember I gave a copy of this through our yahoo groups? Anyways, some people weren't able to see this so I am sending this verbatim. Some things do not apply anymore....

*orginally dated 7/17/2005

My dear students,


I have not much time to type while connected to the net, especially since the access I do have is through the netsite, and during Saturdays at the DLSU-Lib. Anyway, that’s the reason why I am sending to you a pre-typed letter. This is not a reflection paper (ugh! There’s too many of them in my masteral program) so I guess I should not focus too much on my grammar.

It’s good to know you’re doing fine in your college lives. I certainly would like to be there for you always, laughing with you as in the old days, or cheering you up from the back row whenever you get perfect scores (even from crying the other night) and to tap your backs once more just to tell you to go on. One thing I have learned from all the things I have experienced: This too will pass. Repeat it. This too will pass. This is just a passing moment. (Passing not pissing) Whatever it is that bothers you is just for now. Life must go on and it will – even without you. So you must grab your place and follow your path. I do not say that you must follow the tracks of your teachers or classmates. Just follow your own. Look to the stars that you have claimed your own. They are yours and only yours. If it gets messy – and sometimes they will – you can give up a subject (pre-requisite or not), a course, a university, but you cannot (let me put it in italics) – cannot give up on life. You must go one because – This too will pass.

You are like my own children, and as how I treat Andrea, I treat you the same. I try to tell you right and wrong things, and how I wish I could keep you from getting to the wrong side of life as I did. But, you must have your taste of them – the good and the bad I mean. I don’t mean that you have to try doing them bad things. What I mean is, I cannot tell you to grow on this side of town, and avoid this thing or that. Because you have your lives to live.

So much for that. Here are some tips on how to survive your college life with ease:

Have a firm, written down goals about your life. This is what I will become. I will finish this course four years from now. Do not give yourself some fall back or anything. Of course, do not beat you head like crazy if you fail. But don’t say, Anyway, if I fail, I will transfer na lang.
Do not absent yourself for any reason at all.
Do not take your eyes and ears off the teacher when he /she is explaining.
Let someone write the notes for you. So that you can pay attention to the prof. If you can write while looking at the teacher, the blackboard, listen and at the same time glance at your crush once in a while, so much the better.
Do not forget to recite once a session. That’s once for every hour. So, in a three- hour session, you should recite three times.
If you can avoid other activities in school, except those required, like Math Club or JPIA and the like, or if you can resist not being in the same club with your crush, do it. Clubs divide your time, effort and concentration.
If you can avoid getting into a relationship, especially in those days leading to the Prelims, Midterm or Finals, then please do. If you can, just break him/her in those days. Valentine’s is no good. It is so near sa finals. If you must (kita niyo ang font? 16pts yan, italics na at bold pa! Me color pa!) be in a relationship, then do so with #1 in mind – your goals. Then, let him/her also do the same. To avoid heartaches, always communicate, and communicate with these joint goals in mind. Always talk about the future, and what you will be like after graduation. If the guy/girl won’t talk in those terms, then dump him/her before it’s too late. Anyway, good luck na lang kasi love is just a gift. And it is what you learn after that counts. Copyright yan to me ha. When you say those words, always say my name with it. Hehe
Always submit your works on time. Most teachers give the highest marks for the early birds.
Do your works conscientiously. Always think in post-graduation terms. After this, you will look back at your grades. The people from corporate Philippines, or corporate World (if you plan to go somewhere) do not know you nor what you can do. And no matter how you convince them otherwise, they will simply rely on your transcripts. And if they carry low marks, kawawa. Do your best kiddos.
After this, plan ahead. If you can attend post graduate schooling (masteral or even doctoral) then do it. Don’t say: Nakakasawa na mag-aral. You will make sisi sa huli. My teachers in DLSU, who are slightly older than me (5-10years siguro) are already earning 30-45K by simply teaching for 12 hours a week. Beat that! And this could go up to 100K pag me mga talks ka and by publishing research articles and all. Eh di lalo na sa abroad! You have to finish masteral. Yung mga me MBA sa DLSU, they are earning 5-figures. They are driving good cars and they are extremely young (mga 20-24). You can do it. But the price is high. You have to pay the price for success. You have to earn success. Candice, to para sa iyo: One Summa cum laude UP student who graduated with an MBA in DLSU is being paid 150,000 a month by a multinational company. She is 21.
Try to pass each course on time. Don’t go into the practice of dropping subjects – for take-up “later”. PE and ROTC should be finished by 2nd year. If you aren’t able, you must take them during 3rd and 4th year. At about the same time, you are already majoring. And the work load is so tough.
Try to do everything on your own. Be independent. Do not rely on anyone.
Try to give yourself some allowance for failure. But don’t convince yourself that it is OK to fail. In this, be a bad loser. A good loser loves losing.