A High School Student’s Last “Hurrah!” (Ang Huling Hirit Ng Isang Estudyante ng Hayskul)
In two days, I will be no longer a high school student. I will be in college, and I will be taking up Bachelor of Science in Chemical Engineering. Sounds big, huh? Don’t be deceived by its wordily appearance. I perceive it to be equal to what others will be taking up.
Among all of the many things that starting college makes me realize, one thing that has me smiling is the fact that: I survived four years of high school.
High school was a roller coaster ride for me. Freshman year was full of innocence. Sophomore year was full of nothing but fun (does the word padungol, ring a bell?). Junior year was a busy one and it was the year I learned that people could turn their backs from you, and Senior year was the year I fell in love and learned that you have to stand up for your self- this includes what I believe in, and what I think is right regardless of what others feel about it.
Five realistic tips I have for high school students are as follows:
1. Master the art of being a perfect teacher’s pet.
Being a teacher’s pet doesn’t necessarily mean that you have to be the smartest in class, it means that you have to be the smoothest in the class. You must give Ma’am/Sir subtle compliments even though you don’t mean it. Take note of the word subtle. Don’t be too cheesy, or else someone (another student who’s aiming to be the ‘pet’ also) might blow your cover.
2. You should know how to be ‘plastic’ (The good kind).
First of all, I had to think once, twice, thrice, well, n times before typing this. During my high school days, I was a firm believer of being myself and not giving a damn about what others thought. Well, my dear friends, I’m telling you, being 100% yourself has its pros and cons.
Pros:
-You don’t have to worry about what to say because everything comes out naturally.
-If your friends really like you, then you know it’s because of what you really are.
-When in an argument, you don’t have to bother making up reasons to cover yourself, instead, you will already know how to say the words to express yourself.
Cons:
-Many people will hate you for it.
-People will judge you.
-People might think you’re tactless.
I’m not saying that you have to be too artificial. Do not be. That is ugly and disgusting. You just have to learn how to manage the attitude of other people. You should know how to deal with them. Sometimes, you have to agree with them even if you’re really disgusted by their ideas. You have to get their trust. (I sound evil, forgive me) See the ‘smart-ass’ of the class? (A ‘smart-ass’ is a person who just has to make everything make sense) Go with her flow. Pasakayi lang siya. That way, you could use this to your advantage by already knowing where to copy homework if you haven’t done yours. Lol.
3. Study at home, not at school.
This might not work with everybody, but this tip worked with me. The trick here is to finish studying every chapter/page which will appear in tomorrow’s test at home in the evening even if it means staying up ‘til the wee hours of morning. Make sure you have mastered the subject. TRUST ME. IT WILL PAY OFF. When you arrive at school, do not open any notes you have regarding the subject because it will make you panic. Do not be intimidated by others who are studying at school. They are cramming, and based on my experiences, cramming is never a good thing.
4. Submit everything.
Do not miss out on any project, homework, seatwork, or quiz. If you are absent for a day or two, do not take those days for granted. Upon returning to school, ask your friends what activities and homework they had and ask your teacher (w/ matching excuse letter, of course) how you can make it up to him/her. Usually, he/she will be nice enough to give you make-up work, or better yet, give you a perfect score.
5. Know who your real friends are.
Just because you’re classmates with another person, it doesn’t mean that he/she is your real friend. I, personally, experienced this during my Junior and Senior Year. Hopefully, you guys should know who’s really there to stick with you through the good times and the bad, or those who are only there to stick with you for a good time plus some pakopya bi assignment moments. Real friends will help boost you up the academic ladder of excellence while fake friends push you down.
This is all I have to say. I am now bidding CPUHS farewell. I have left with a ton of experiences, moments, and lessons that I will surely use in my life’s continuing journey. I hope everyone has a great school year ahead of them.
Live. Laugh. Love.
Learn to trust with your eyes shut. Learn to love and not hold back.
Less of Me by Meg and Dia (2010, It’s Always Stormy in Tillamook)
My dreams remind me of an ocean. They feel so open, like you could float in them.
Dreams Like Oceans by Meg and Dia (2010, It’s Always Stormy in Tillamook)
Why is it always the ones we love we try and hide and give our laughter to perfect strangers?
My Ugly Mouth by Meg and Dia (2010, It’s Always Stormy In Tillamook)
Sen. Miriam D. Santiago’s speech during the Verdict Day of the Corona Trial. She voted acquittal of the Chief Justice.
Living A Bitter Life
I was active on Twitter about 15 minutes ago when I saw a conversation that involved my old classmate and a friend of mine who is a year ahead of me. What I read had nothing to do with me. To the close friends of mine who take the time to read my posts, please do not worry. I recalled that this girl was always remarked to be ‘bitter’ and she always seemed, in my own opinion, to enjoy being called one. This is what made me ponder about this posts’s subject- being bitter in life.
Being a teenager is hard- I am not saying that because it sounds like a statement like what most ‘Teen Quotes’ on Twitter would tweet. I am saying that because as a girl who’s only 16, I also feel hardships. Of course, who doesn’t go through peer pressure, and identity crises? The strip pattern on every zebra is unique. In analogy, us humans face problems differently according to each one’s thought, judgement, and perception of the trial. Some choose to let it in, and some choose to let it out. Some choose to be bitter about it- posting asdfghjkl and $@468^$*@! while some choose to rather keep quiet.
A lot of negative things are puffing out nowadays. First, there’s the issue about our school’s Modules (I’ll explain this in a separate post) and second, school’s about to start again in a week. Third, there’s the annoying Temple Run Multiplayer requests on Facebook. I have vented out on my Twitter but I see to it that what I have tweeted was not too harsh. I have my opinions and I have the right to express them. Funny, Meg and Dia’s Fighting For Nothing comes into my mind especially the line that goes: “I’ve got my mouth. It’s a weapon. It’s a bombshell. It’s a cannon.” Sometimes, my life is like that. I have plenty of thoughts and opinion regarding stuff and issues but I choose to keep my cool nowadays.
Life throws lemons at each and everyone of us. It is up to us to find ways on how to produce something good out of life’s lemons. I seriously do not know where or how the ‘lemon’ quotation started. I hope everyone finds balance. Everyday is a learning process. There’s nothing wrong with being mad, angry, or pissed. It’s normal and it reminds us that we’re human. That’s a good thing. The bad thing is we do not know how to control our anger. I definitely do not want to be bitter in life despite it’s challenges. I’d rather keep things to myself and in the trusted company of my family and my boyfriend.
At the end of the day, it will still be your decision that counts- your decision on what to say, when to say it, or how you say your response regarding an issue.
As for me, I do not want to be bitter in life.
“It is better to live in peace than in bitterness and strife.” -Confucius
You gotta stand up straight and look ahead; put your insecurities to bed.
Less of Me by Meg and Dia (2010, It’s Always Stormy In Tillamook)
My dreams remind me of the seasons. They’re always changing. I must chase after them.
Dreams Like Oceans by Meg and Dia (2010, It’s Always Stormy in Tillamook)
Hard to let go of something once you get hold of it.
The One by Meg and Dia (2010, It’s Always Stormy in Tillamook)
Top 10 Pathetic School Rules and Situations
In a less than a week, I’m going back to the place where there will be a lot of familiar faces, new faces, professors, arm chairs, notebooks, books…. Well you get my point. I’m going back to school and this time, I will not be a High School Student anymore. I graduated last March, so it means I’ll be in college next week. I really can’t believe it. Four years ago, I can’t see myself as a kolehiyala.Half of my human body feels old while saying this. The other half feels as young as ever because I still manage to find happiness despite the fact that the thought of college sort of gives me the jitters sometimes.
Anyway, since High School’s over (finally, good riddance of all the hurt, scars, and pain caused by a few people and some teachers) allow me to share with you what the title says: The Top 10 Rules and Situations That I Find Pathetic. This will be in descending order, or in other words, from bad to worse.
10. Nail Polish is a Big No-No.
I remember Mama telling me that in her High School days during the 70s, a teacher of hers used to reprimand her classmate who used nail polish or cutics saying “Bag-o nyo anay pintahan kuko nyo, pintahan nyo anay utok nyo.” (Translation: Before you girls paint your fingers, why don’t you paint your brain first?)
Now, it’s the 21st century. Yes, there will always be those who are conservative (some too conservative) but I think it’s pathetic when they tell us girls not to wear nail polish because it’s not formal. A lot of older women find nail polish as an accessory that’s best applied when you’ve finished your education. I respect their opinion about it.
Nail polish is fun. However, if teacher finds it dull, then he/she shouldn’t just look at it. I had this experience where a teacher who wears nail polish herself bans her students from having them. How’s that supposed to be fair? My stand upon this is that teachers shouldn’t interfere with this because how does this affect our grades? No. Does using nail polish make one dumb? No. Does using nail polish affect one’s attitude? No.
09. Students are not allowed to dye their hair.
As I was entering the gates of my High School, I overheard a teacher reprimand a batch mate with reddish brown hair (it looked fine to be honest and nothing drastic) saying “Ta, ilugom mo na buhok mo itom liwat itom mo kung hindi mo gusto nga i disciplinary ka” (Translation: Dye your hair back to black if you do not want to have undergo disciplinary measures)
Another instance was when another girl who had her hair dyed light brown was about to enter the premises, the same teacher reprimanded her saying almost the exact same thing.
I wonder if teachers know that it’s definitely not a good and safe thing to immediately dye hair back to its natural color after we have dyed it already. It could lead to serious hair damage. And a bottle of dye costs approx. $15. That’s too much for us to purchase again. What’s worse, if a student had her hair done for $50, then why bother dyeing it back again? It’s our hair not yours. By the way, we have a lot of teachers who dye their hair themselves. Just like the nail polish question I asked in number 10, does this affect our grades? No. Does having our hair dyed make one dumb? No. Does using nail polish affect one’s attitude? No. I rest my case.
08. Boys must have their hair cut or else they couldn’t take the Periodic Exams
This is self-explanatory. I wonder if they worry about the precious faces of the male species in our school. Maybe it’s just because they don’t want them to have a bad case of clogged pores due to oils along with the hair? Hypothetically, this is because they do not want to have students who look like hobos.
I’m looking at it this way… Can we blame dudes who do not want to have their hair cut? No! If some girls can’t go for a short bob because they think it would not suit them, then boys must feel the same way. Why go short when you know it doesn’t look good on you. The “neat” look isn’t for everyone you know.
07. Do not wear shorts or sleeveless tops.
For some reason, I agree with this 50%. The only thing I have to say about this is that shorts are very comfy and sleeveless tops are very breezy. Just because we wear them, it doesn’t mean that we’re naughty. It just depends on the way the wearer wears it. If you have the right body proportion to wear these, then make sure you don’t conduct yourself lewdly.
P.S. Beware of dark underarms.
06. Since you belong in this section, you must use a <insert specific color> notebook.
They keep on saying that this makes it easier for them to keep track of our notebooks but, seriously? What’s the point of buying a notebook when you can’t pick out the color you like? We have to deal with the agony of writing long notes inside. Does that mean we have to be tormented with the cover’s color? You’re lucky if the color picked is your favorite color. It’s their job to make sure they don’t lose our notebooks when they’re checking it. In the same way, if the notebook is with us, then it’s our duty to make sure it doesn’t get lost. How is the color going to affect our level of learning anyway? Does using green Cattleya fillers for your subject make us any smarter?
05. You’re not allowed out of the school premises even if it’s your vacant time. Did I mention you’re not allowed to hangout on the other places inside either?
They wouldn’t allow us students outside of the school because some students play computer games during class hours (good job gamers for bringing us along with your punishment). If you’ve been in HS for more than 2 years already, the building’s kinda boring which is why one usually opts to hangout in different places within the school. Voila! A security guard will reprimand you if you do so. Worse, he could take your ID and forward it to the Disciplinary Board for measures.
Where do you really want us? Inside jail, sorry, I mean school? Or outside school?
04. If you choose to be exclusively in a relationship, we’ll assume it’s our business too.
This is one statement I’ve seen a lot of times, and one I’ve personally encountered last Senior Year. They’re not saying that being in a relationship is prohibited. However, in my own opinion and based on how I was treated then, some teachers made me feel that being in one was wrong. They showed it with their actions. One teacher looked at my boyfriend and I, as if we had tattoos on our faces. That teacher constantly kept asking if me and Kirk would still be going to the same school for college. What’s up with that? Some of them keep asking us students for respect, but they don’t even give us a milligram of it.
Not all teachers are like this. I have a teacher who understands. She inspires me and she rocks. Why can’t other teachers be like her?
03. If you’re a student and I don’t like you, you won’t get any of my attention and I’ll be a devil… But if your parent or guardian comes, I’ll be like an angel to you.
My boyfriend asked a staff on what time they’ll start signing our clearances. Imagine the staff’s response: later. My bf kept asking what the exact time was and the secretary almost screamed at us. Later that evening, his Dad called the office. the next day, he accompanied his son to the Office and guess what? The secretary turned into a complete darling.
It’s disrespectful to us, you know. We are young, we know. That doesn’t give you the right to treat as if we’re puny beings. We pay tuition you know. Answering us in a nice way because we asked you nicely wouldn’t hurt.
02. Unreasonable punishments.
They forced students to go to a Church of a different religion as punishment. I had a group of friends who were devout Catholics who had to attend a Baptist Church service as punishment. I’m not Catholic, but I find this very disrespectful. They go to their own Churches. Having them learn their lesson by forcing them to go to Church just feels wrong. I believe going to Church should be one’s initiative. Church is a place of worship and it should not be a punishment, definitely.
My own experience took place when I had to replant. I was only told to plant but when I showed the teacher my work, she made me water them, sweep the floor, and a whole lot more. Excuse me, this isn’t on the contract.
01. If he/she holds a grudge against you, your grades will be below sea-level.
There are some cases for example, teacher doesn’t like the student. In class, the student’s attentive, he’s smart, he’s alright. In fact, he’s better than half of his class. However, what happens is that, he’ll get a low grade simply because he’s teacher doesn’t like him for who he is.
After writing this, I must admit that this made me reflect on the past years I’ve been through. I have figured out who are my real friends, and who were fake all along.
I would like to take this opportunity to thank the teachers who have inspired me and who were good to me and my friends. Ma’am Jalbuena, Ma’am Jabao, and Sir Ambos, you guys made me see that there are still great educators out there. I hope you guys never change. I truly thank you.
