Grad school blues

Today was the first day of school.  I woke up really early so that I could be in school early with time to spare for my first class.  I decided to go early because at the time all my classes were assigned to room TBA.  For the uninformed that stands for "to be announced".

It amused me, actually how many people there did not know what TBA meant and I had to tell them what it meant. I guess most people just haven't encountered the term before.

I won't lie.  I was shocked at the chaos I encountered.  Perhaps because I attended universities in the past where the 1st day of school (no matter what semester it is) meant that professors and rooms were already assigned to subjects, even if enrollment is still ongoing.  Instead I discovered that registration forms were only being given out Nov. 7 (as in that day!) and that professors would not accept us into class without them.  This meant that I would have no choice but to miss my first class, which had no room or prof. assignment at the time that I enrolled.

How is that possible?  The explanation I am given ... "what can you expect from a government run university?"

I'm sorry, but that is unacceptable!

When the computer lab (where the forms were being given out) finally opened and I was able to go in I discovered that all the other grad school majors' forms were printed EXCEPT MC.  What the?!?

Anyway, to cut a long story short, I spent all day going from the registrar to the comp lab and around the building searching for rooms like the "accreditation room" which, apparently no one knows what floor it is on but everyone knows that it exists.

Thankfully my professor for my last subject of the day was our course adviser and one of the other MC students happened to have his cell number so we were told to go down to the registrar for attendance and from him I learned where to go next week.

I refuse to accept the explanation "kasi government, eh".  That, for me, is lame and inexcusable.  Government or no, after all these years, enrollment procedures should have already been fine tuned.  Students should not be running around like headless chickens --- aimless and confused.

Hopefully classes will be normal by next week.  I don't want to lose my enthusiasm for learning because of the school's inefficiency.

Talking to myself

Society dictates a certain moral code that limits what we can say or do if we want peace and "no drama" I often find myself riddled with many Ally McBeal moments.  So, this blog is really more like a narrative of a conversation (or series of conversations) I've had with myself, some of which I may have already shared with a few friends.

When I see you in a social setting and I give you a hug and/or kiss you on the cheek, does that mean I am into you?

Ugh!  It means that I like you enough as a friend that you are allowed that much "intimacy" with me.  And don't go looking for more or you will freak me out and I will avoid you like the plague!  Trust me, when I am into someone, I don't rely on body language.  I tell the guy or gal I'm into him/her.

In relation to this setting it is actually a good thing if you are a girl 'cause I am more affectionate with girls than I am with guys.  But I suppose that's the way it is with most girls, eh?

Why don't I call you or pick up your calls or return your calls?

It could be one of any of the following reasons:

1. I am not uber attached to my phone so when I am home it is usually somewhere in the house.  It could be in my room or on one of the tables downstairs.
2. When I am in class my phone is on silent mode, if it is not off.  When I am in school, my students have dibs on my time.  The only calls I ever accept in school are from my daughter and from my boss (our department chair).
3. I don't want to talk to you.
4. I don't feel like talking to you.
5. I feel that nothing you say right now could possibly be of interest to me right now.  If it is so darned important and you can't get me to pick up the call then text it to me.  I will get to it eventually and will text you back when I can.  
6. Whenever I receive missed calls that are not followed by a text message I assume that the call or message was not that important so there is no need for me to return the call at all.

If I hang out with you a lot does that mean that I like you?

Er, no.  It just means that I enjoy your company most of the time.  Don't read anything into it that isn't there.

If you say something and I just get quiet what does that mean?

It means I was brought up properly.  My mom and dad taught me that if I didn't have anything good to say, it is better to just say nothing.  This also applies with humor.  If you said something that you thought was funny but I didn't agree with or, perhaps, I didn't grasp the humor of, I'll just keep quiet, and, if I can manage it, I will smile.  It is the polite thing to do, right?

This conversation is cut short for now.  Will blog again at another time with more conversations.

Back to school

Later today I will have my entrance exam in a state university for my grad school application.  It may sound silly but I'm actually really excited about it.  I've been thinking about going to grad school for so long and just never got around to it.  First there was raising my daughter to do, then I just didn't have the time to do it, then later I didn't have the funds to enroll.

A couple of years ago, some of my TK students from BJMP told me that grad school need not be so expensive.  You just need to know where to enroll.  U.P., Ateneo, La Salle, UST --- entering these four creme de la creme schools is important (gives you an edge when applying for jobs) when getting your bachelor's degree but is not as important when it comes to grad school.  What is important, is that you still get quality education, wherever you end up enrolling after.

I finally made the decision to enroll this second semester when I discovered that a friend of mine enrolled in the grad school course I was interested in at the school I was considering and he assured me that he wasn't being short changed by attending this state u.  The only real problem I would encounter is wading through flood waters (hello galoshes!) when we have heavy rains, which, incidentally, happens quite often.

Going over the requirements for application was also a revelation for me.  On the list of requirements it said that I had to give a copy of my transcript of records and that my GPA had to be 2.0 (which at the school I went to was equivalent to 88% to 92% - Good) or better.  I was consistently on the Dean's List in college but I really had no idea what my GPA was.  I had hoped that I made the cut, at least.  And so I whipped out my transcript, did the math and was surprised that my GPA was 1.5 (96% to 97% - Excellent).  Woah!  I kicked ass in college! 

I guess I really did have good study habits back then, which (I suppose) translates to good work ethics now.  When i was in high school I don't recall being that good a student, especially not in the 3rd quarter of every year.  But then I realize this is most likely because I hated high school and could not wait to get out of it.  If I was given the chance to go back to high school, I'd turn it down.  I think I got the breathing room I needed in college.  I got the freedom to truly be myself in college.  If there were any mean girls in my class, I only had to suffer them for a subject or two, not the whole day.

When I went to the state u to submit my requirements for application and to get my entrance exam schedule I was able to get a peek at the answer sheets we would be filling up (since the guy processing our papers was compiling them in front of us) and I am confident of passing.  The categories listed where synonyms, antonyms, sentence completion, etc.

The state u's website states that to be admitted to the master's program I must:

1. have an appropriate bachelor's degree from a university or college of recognized standing, but if I took an unrelated course for my bachelor's degree I would need to take 18 undergrad units first
2. have a GPA of 2.0, B, or 85% in the baccalaureate course
3. pass an interview with the Academic Program Chair/Dean
4. demonstrate English proficiency
5. possess computer literacy
6. submit all documents required by the grad school

I don't see any problem with any of the requirements.  Looking forward, I wonder if I can use my laptop to take notes in class?  I wonder if the campus has wifi?

I do hope I do well in grad school.  Even though it is still many, many years away, I've actually already picked out my Doctorate degree.  I want a Doctorate in Anthropology focusing on mythology and folklore.  That's been one of my dreams for a long time.  I hope I will be able to fulfill it.

I'm like a little girl at Christmas time waiting to open a huge gift under the tree.  I can't wait for school to start!