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Scholar’s Blog: Life of an Ateneo Scholar
Under Pressure
By: Antoinette Altomonte (III BS Psychology)
Pressure—it’s something most of us have to deal with at one point or another in our lives, some more than others. For every Atenean, there is that plethora of work to get done for classes, as well as the seemingly never-ending number of meetings for orgs (or in my case, training hours for the softball varsity). Though I do not belittle the pressure each student faces, I have to admit that I feel extra pressure as a scholar, and I’m certain most other scholars do as well.
Through the scholarship, the Ateneo opens up a world of opportunities that would otherwise have been out-of-reach, and it is only natural that a scholar would want to make the most of these chances—to squeeze every last drop of experience from what time we are given. The personal pressure you put on yourself to do well in class, be active in orgs, finish the required number of service hours, and give back to the school is quite a load to carry.
Knowing that your scholarship is an immense financial help to your family sheds a whole new light on what you do in school, as well. Though it may not be explicitly expressed, you know that it isn’t just you who gains from your scholarship, and so there is the pressure that comes from your family pushing you to keep up the work you do.
Then of course you have the pressure that comes with you responsibilities—both as a student and as a scholar. Classmates expect you to do your part as a member of a group for a project (or as group leader, if such is the case), orgmates expect you to pull through with request forms or project proposals that might have been assigned to you, varsity teammates and coaches expect you to keep in tip-top physical shape and perform well during games, and instead of taking breaks you make the long trip to Bellarmine for your work hours at AASA.
It’s a lot to deal with and it isn’t easy.
Knowing that this will all help me become a better person, though, makes the work and pressure bearable—knowing that after it all, I haven’t wasted my time. At the end of the day, I know that I’ve helped my family, contributed to an establishment that is opening up a world of opportunities for me, and (through my work at AASA) may have helped another person reach similar opportunities. And throughout all of this, I’ve helped myself.
Looking at things again, it seems that I actually have the better end of the deal.
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Scholar’s Blog: Life of an Ateneo Scholar
Buhay Kolehiyo
Ni: Alison Bayle (III AB Communication)
Kapag nasa kolehiyo ka, may mga panahong hindi mo na halos nakikilala ang salitang “bakasyon”. Sa dinami-dami ng mga units ng bawat asignatura, sa mga pangangailangan ng mga org, at sa pagnanais na maka-ipon ng kahit kaunting maigagasta para sa sarili, ang mag-aaral ng kolehiyo ay pumupunta pa rin sa unibersidad, sinasagupa ang init habang naglalakad sa ilalim ng matinding sikat ng araw. Mula dito, masasabing ang buhay-kolehiyo sa kasalukuyang panahon ay walang bakasiyong kinikilala.
Ngunit isipin natin, diba’t may magandang naidudulot rin ang pangyayaring ito? Ang pagpasok ng isang mag-aaral sa kolehiyo sa gitna ng bakasyon ay hindi isang parusang ipinapataw niya sa kanyang sarili. Hindi isang pagpapakasakit ang kanyang pag-iintindi sa mga gawain ng kanyang org. Ang bawat minutong lumilipas na nasa paaralan ang taga-kolehiyo ay pabor sa kanya: ang bawat leksyon, proyekto at oras na inilalaan sa pagtatrabaho ay nakadaragdag sa kaalaman at abilidad ng taga-kolehiyo. Ang kaalamang ito ay gagamitin niya sa kanyang pagtapak sa labas ng unibersidad, sa panahong siya’y tuluyan nang bababa mula sa matayog na bundok.
Ang buhay kolehiyo ay isa sa pinakamasayang yugto sa buhay ng isang tao, kung kaya’t nilulubos ng marami ang bawat sandali nito. Huwag ituring na pabigat ang mga summer classes, o ang mga core meeting ng orgs na ginaganap sa bakasyon. Lahat ng ito ay makatutulong sa hinaharap. Ang lahat ng karaanasang ito ay bahagi ng masaya, makulay at di malilimutang buhay-kolehiyo. Lubusin ang bawat araw—minsan lang mangyari ito. |
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Scholar’s Blog: Life of an Ateneo Scholar
Confessions of a Commuter
By: Franz Baliao (IV BS Legal Management)
Take away the heat, pollution, and the risk of encountering pickpockets, I honestly enjoy taking the jeepney to school and back. In some ways, I think it can be therapeutic. The jeepney ride is that time where you just sit there, silent, along with other people minding there own business. For me, it is the time where I reflect, on the place I left, and to the place I am going to, along with every passing disturbance in the ride there is. This thought I take both literally and figuratively.
In the ride I took going to the Ateneo this morning, in the jeep were a number of interesting people: One was a big and buff guy who had tattoos all over his arms. One was an old lady who was trying her best to carry her bayong of what seems to be her tinda for the day. One is a student like me carrying a book on the Civil Code, among many others.
All these people from all walks of life seemed to have very different personalities and intentions, but for some reason rode that same jeep at that same time of the day. In that moment during the ride I thought to myself how everyone in that jeep prepared for the day ahead: how the buff guy thought of what to wear that day; how the old lady probably got up earlier to fix the things she was going to sell; how the student studied for her class that morning. They all prepared for what is in store for them in the coming day, to be ready to face and live the day ahead, and so was I.
I showered and brushed my teeth this morning. I ate a hearty breakfast my wonderful mother cooked for me. I kept an extra shirt with me to change when I get to school. I am ready to go to the Ateneo, and seize the day I have in the school I was blessed with. When I get to school, I am not as different as my schoolmate who went there using their private car and family driver, nor the one who just walked from her dorm nearby. We all prepared to live our day in a place where people treat each other equally. The place you came from and the path you are going to take may all be different, but in the end, we are all part of one destination. I need that jeepney ride to remind me of the reasons why I do certain things, to make me realize why I keep going. |
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Scholar’s Blog: Life of an Ateneo Scholar
Fulfillment
By: Edrian Dy (III BS Management)
Finding one’s motivation for work may be a walk in the park for others yet for some, confusion and doubt lingers as they take on their daily job. As the days pass and work gets monotonous to the point of sheer boredom and disappointment, one tends to ask whether he or she made the right choice in taking the job. An endless abyss of discontentment sucks the individual in, creating a soulless being who operates without a goal. Though money is earned through the ordeal, one cannot replace the precious time wasted in working for something that does not bring fulfillment and joy to the person.
Having a summer job where there is little dynamism, it’s easy to lose track of one’s motivations and goals. Everyday seems to be the same, where the cycle of researching, mailing, calling and such is repeated. There would be times where my eyes would hurt from the prolonged exposure to the computer screen and frustration arises when I’m only a step away from finding a person, only to find out that he has insufficient contact details. Save for the fact that the office provides a sanctuary from the sweltering heat outside, it would be hard for me to sit on a chair all day doing the same thing over and over again. But again, this scenario of monotony would only happen if I hadn’t taken a step to make my work fun and engaging. Creating little milestones of achievements helped me cope with stress and the favorable responses one gets from the alumni scholars makes each day a little different from the others. Also, being a person who loves to count money, the sight of a piggy bank given by an alumni scholar never fails to give that spark in my days work. These may seem insignificant, but it is in these things that I find joy in coming to work everyday. Still, nothing beats the feeling of satisfaction when one finally secures a donation, for it is sure to help more scholars experience the joy of having an Ateneo education. There are instances where one has to look at the big picture to appreciate the nature of the object, but in this case, the little aspects are important to keep the object moving.
If the fun does not exist, create the fun yourself. If it is static, be dynamic. Work will only be boring if you let it be.
The author counting the contents of a piggy bank
The author with the piggy bank
The finished product |
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