I was browsing my Tumblr page again and as usual, most of the pictures I saw was that of UST's. I just realized how much I miss my school. The one and a half years we spent together were not enough. If only I had the choice two years ago, I would still be there.
You see, passing entrance exams and getting in a good university was a big deal for my family. My Ate, being the smart ass person that she is, was able to get into University of the Philippines - Diliman, the best university in the Philippines. She actually passed every exam she took - Ateneo de Manila, La Salle, UST, and yes, the hard core University of the Philippines (UP). Little did I know that my future was being written already during that time.
When it was my turn for entrance exams, I was totally afraid of what the outcme will be. I was never a good student. I slept in class, I made fun of the teachers, I just chilled out with my friends while the teacher is talking. Nevertheless, I still managed to get good marks - really good marks.
I remember choosing Miriam, UST and UP as my universities. No offense to students from Miriam, but a lot of people told me that passing the entrance exam was easy. So I took it for my course Special Education (SpEd). I guess you can call it my "safety net". When the results came out, my sister texted me and told me that I passed. My initial reaction was "I know. The exam was easy."
I chose Psychology and Development Communication for UP. Surprisingly, the entrance exam went well, too. I fell asleep while writing the exam but my time was just enough for me to finish everything. I even thought the exam was easy! When the results came out, I was one of the five people from my high school who passed the UPCAT (UP College Admission Test). That came as a surprise for me. I never considered myself smart, in fact I only open my books if there's a quiz the next day.
USTET (UST Entrance Test) was a different story. The moment I stepped inside the UST campus, I knew that it was where I belong. I felt it calling me! While writing the exam, I was so scared that I couldn't even manage to blink. Out of the three entrance exams I took, I considered USTET as the hardest one. Be it mindfuckery or not, I don't really care. The day the results were supposed to come out, I fought with my sister over who was to use the computer (that time we don't have laptops in our family yet). I stayed up until 3 in the morning to check my status. And hell yeah, it was worth the wait. I passed the two courses I picked for UST - Occupational Therapy and the other one, Education.
I started calling myself a Thomasian (University of Santo Tomas. Get it?) that day. Little did I know, it was like calling out a war against my family, my parents especially. Hell, I passed UP! That only means one thing: my family wanted me to study in UP! That was like a big accomplishment during that time. In the Philippines, passing the UPCAT makes you a real smart ass kid. They even call students from UP as "iskolar ng bayan" (the nation's scholars), which is basically true. Even myself consider my sister as the smartest person I have ever met.
I remember sending an e-mail to all my aunts and uncle asking them to help me convince my parents to let me study in UST. To make the long story short, my mama and papa gave up in the end and let me choose what I want. So I accepted UST's offer of admission, and the rest as they say, is history.
It is in UST where I met the craziest people in my life. UST taught me how to live on my own (I was staying in a rez). UST taught me that even though you consider some people as your friends, they may still be your worst enemies. It was UST who taught me that staying up all night and studying doesn't mean you'll pass your exam. UST taught me not just about academics, but life itself. Most of all, it taught me that education doesn't end inside the four walls of your school. It spreads out wayyyyy outside of the institution. Education is when you realize that the lessons you learned outside the classroom are more important than the ones you learned inside. Education is when you realize that failing is another way of learning. Education is when you realize that the time you spent studying doesn't count that much; what counts the most are the life lessons you learned and the people you met along the way. That's why I can say that University of Santo Tomas has given me the best education I can ever ask for.
I am in Canada now, enrolled in another college taking a course different from I had in UST. But deep down inside me, I am still a Thomasian, because once a Thomasian, always a Thomasian... imbued with unending grace.
