College Tips for Freshmen and students alike.

First day namin bukas. May pasok na naman. Haha. Pero excited na din ako. Last year ko na din kasi ‘to as a college student kaya sasagarin ko na. Haha. (Gah. I feel so old. >_< Meehee.)

Magsh-share na din ako ng sa tingin ko pwedeng tips for incoming freshmen and students alike.

•  Masaya sa college, pramis! Syempre bagong environment, bagong mga tao, bagong experience, halos bago karamihan. Kaya wag ka matakot magpakatotoo sa sarili mo, everyone respects individuallity in college.Mas meenjoy mo ang college life mo pag ganun.

• TIME-MANAGEMENT Sa college, matututunan mong madami kayong free time pag 1st and 2nd year niyo. Nasa sayo yan kung san mo gagamitin ang free time mo. Pwedeng sa leisure o kaya sa pag-aaral. Pero mas mabuti na 1st year palang, e marunong ka na sa time management. Kasi pagdating ng 3rd at 4th year, jan na yung halos karamihan ng major subjects niyo, at kung hindi ka marunong ng time management, ikaw din yung kawawa. Mahirap ang mag-cramming. Wala ding magandang resulta pag nagc-cramming ka. Pwede ka namang magsaya, basta ba alam mo kung pano gamitin ang oras mo. :)


• Don’t be afraid to try something new. Wag kang matakot mag-try ng bago ngayong college. Wag masyado maging mahiyain. Sa college, pinili mo kung ano yung gusto mong course, kung ano yung sa tingin mo e mag e-excel ka, yung sa tingin mo may talent ka sa field na yun. Kaya dapat wag mo sayangin. Sayang naman kung hindi mo ie-explore and abilities, talents, and skills mo ngayong college diba? 


• Be friendly. :) Masaya kapag madami kang kaibigan. Kaso minsan nakakainis lang na tatawagin at ile-label ka pang FC e nakikipagkaibigan ka lang naman. Sakin, pabayaan mo nalang yung mga taong ganun, madami pa naman jang pwede mong maging kaibigan e. Sa college madami ang makikilala mo at kadalasan, sila yung mga magiging kaibigan mo for the longest time. :)  It pays to be friendly kung yung mga makikilala mo e yung mga totoong kaibigan. 


• ADJUSTMENT. Pagpasok mo ng college, for sure madaming bago jan. Bagong experience, bagong kaibigan, bagong school, bagong environment, at kung ano-ano pang bago,  kaya sa una, mahirap talaga ang mag-adjust. Di tulad sa high school, sa college iba ang schedule, minsan may 1-2 hours kayong vacant bago ang next subject, palipat-lipat ng classrooms, paiba-ibang kaklase sa bawat subject at paiba-iba ding buildings. Pero unti-unti, masasanay ka din. 


• College is a continuation of what you have learned in elementary and high school.
  Kung tutuusin, last stage ng pag-aaral sa buhay estudyante ang college (kung wala kang balak mag-masteral at doctoral degree). Lahat ng natutunan mo nung elementary at high school ka e magagamit mo din naman ngayong college, kasi back to basics din lang sa una. Tulad sa subjects, minor subjects ang Math, English, Filipino at PE. Pero unang-una sa lahat, wag mong kalilimutan ang subject na tinuro na satin ng ating mga magulang simula pa nung bata pa tayo, GMRC (Good Manners and Right Conduct). Matanda na tayo, alam na natin ang tama at mali. Sa college, bihira na tayo pagsasabihan ng mga profs natin kung ano ang dapat at hindi dapat gawin kaya dapat, we should be responsible enough for our every action. Sabi nga nila, respect begets respect. Di ba?


• INDEPENDENCE. Ngayong college ka na, mararamdaman mo na ang independent life. Hindi katulad nung elementary at high school na maaga pa ang curfew at madami-dami pa ang bawal, ngayong college eh mababawasan na siguro ang bawal at curfews mo. Pero tandaan lang na sa independence na binibigay satin ng parents natin, kasabay niyan ang pagiging responsible sa lahat ng gagawin natin. May tiwala ang parents natin sa atin kaya binigyan tayo ng independence, kaya dapat lang gamitin natin sa tama. Nasa sayo din naman yan e. 


• SMILE! :) Be confident. Wag mong kakalimutang ngumiti. Ma-re-realize mo na madaming reason para ngumiti ka ngayong college. Madaming excitements at bagong experience pa ang maf-feel mo. Simula palang yan! :)

Sige, sana makatulong tong tips ko sainyo. :)

Goodluck sa mga freshmen students na magsisimula palang ng college life! Enjoy! :)

Goodluck din sa last year namin in college. :D 

Letters to Self: Journey to being a Good Nurse

___________________________________________________

  A/N: Hmm. This came as something I didn’t even anticipate writing. It just came to my mind.

I am still a student alright. I don’t mean anything harsh or negative by this. My point is that, we can help in making the world a little better than we found it if we start by making small changes within ourselves.

It just came as a realization to me. I just wanted to share. Actually, I feel like it’s actually a letter I did for myself. To act as a constant reminder to me: that every minute counts and that I shouldn’t be putting off things that are important. I don’t mean that I take studying for granted, I do study hard, but like any other normal student, there are times when things I have/ought to do would slip behind schedule, but not always.

Honestly, I also see myself as someone who constantly needs improvement. Yah we always think that way. Of course, the biggest room in the house is always for improvement, for the better, that is.

Fr: On Second thought…

To: Myself actually. (But can also be for those who can relate to this. )

Dear ________,

You’ve got to start reading. Not later. Not tomorrow. Not next week. Sure, studying can be put off for later, you can finish your college life by just merely meeting the standards of mediocrity. You can graduate with just an “ok” grade. But would you not regret things that could have been if you’ve tried a little harder? If you put on an extra effort, you know that you can do better.

You can’t say that you’ll help in changing the world if you don’t even make an effort to change yourself, right?

You promised you’ve been planning to review your subjects but when really was the last time that you’ve actually read and re-read your notes? Last week? Last month?

Don’t blame any external factors if weren’t able to answer your professor or your graded recitation; or if you weren’t able to pass your term paper on time. You say it’s because there’s little time for you to review or because of the fast and boring lecturer last week, or because you can’t keep yourself from logging on to your favorite social site (Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr, MySpace or whatever site that keeps you from doing that homework) or because of your favorite drama that kept you from doing what you ought to do.

You have the tendency to blame others but can you just stop for a little while and think again?

Haven’t you got any part and fault in that also?

You are the one responsible for your actions but why do you point out on others?

If only you’ve read your lessons that night. If only you’ve listened to your teacher explaining. If only you’ve ignored the gossip of your seatmate and concentrated more on the discussion. If only you’ve tried a little harder and made an extra effort. If only…

So many ifs. So many could-have-beens and would-have-beens.

Think of this scenario if you would keep on doing that..

Are you just going to wait until its only a month before the board exams before you start to actually study and indulge yourself to what you are reading?

You cannot cover so much to study on short notice. You can freak out, feel depressed or feel nothing at all then. But you can NEVER back out nor turn back lost time. You can’t waste your 4-year hardships just because you think that you are not prepared, nor you haven’t had enough time to prepare and study for it.

THAT is a very lame excuse.

…………………………………………………………………………………………………………..

The making of nurse does not start 3-4 months before the board exam. It starts from your realization that you want to enter the realm of nursing. It then continues the moment you set foot on your chosen university until the moment your professor starts with their first lesson. It continues your very last one year in college.

So why nag that a 3-month review is too short a preparation when in reality the review and preparation started way too long ago? You probably were just too preoccupied and claimed that you were too busy to notice that time flies quickly not realizing the importance of every second.

Professors keep on reminding students to read. Read. Read. Read. That’s all. Because they care for you. They want what’s best for you. They know and see that you’ve got the potentials inside you. They know you can do better. It’s just that, sometimes, you tend to do unnecessary things and take the more important things for granted.

You say there’s always tomorrow.

You say you can always do things later.

But what if suddenly there’s no tomorrow?

How can you be so confident on tomorrow if you don’t even know if there’s still tomorrow for you? You can only assume. But you can NEVER be so sure of it.

What you have to do is to exert our freakin’ best today. For what tomorrow will bring to us are only the products of what we do today. Nothing more. Nothing less.

So do what you can do today. Or you’ll regret later.

The making of a nurse is not an overnight process nor is it a piece of cake.

It is a tiring journey and you constantly have to motivate yourself to keep going forward.

It only takes a matter of balance and time management on what you are doing.

Being a nurse is never easy. But throughout the journey, even with the hardships (the sleepless nights, stressful duties and the like), you get the prize of fulfillment that if you study hard and become a successful nurse someday, you can surely make a difference in someone’s life..

Nurses may not be angels. But they are one of the next best thing in life.

Sincerely,

xoxo D

Soo, gotta go for now. Have to study for the exams tomorrow. I’ll just post after the exams. D