HOW TO COLLEGE: Simple advice from a very average student

I was never the smartest, but I was always observant, so here goes:

1. HIGH SCHOOL TEACHERS ARE RIGHT AND WRONG. They’re right to scare you that you’re on your
own in college classes, but they’re wrong if they make you think it's always the case. There are terror
profs, but there are also profs who genuinely want to help you learn.

2. DON’T BE COMPLACENT BECAUSE YOU WERE SMART IN HIGH SCHOOL. The game changes
completely in college in more ways than you’ll ever expect (in my case, it was the math! lol). Learn to
humble yourself and work harder than you ever have.

3. DON’T BELIEVE THEM WHEN THEY SAY “YOU CAN JUST SHIFT OUT.” Take it from me who learned
that the hard way. You have to deal with issues like prerequisites, credited & non-credited subjects,
contracts & departments who will give you a hard time. Do your best to get into the program you
really want, and if it happens you change your mind, be ready to have to work for it.

4. FRESHMAN YEAR IS A CRUCIAL YEAR. Don’t fall into the mentality, “I’ll chill out first, then take my
majors seriously when the time comes.” Getting good grades early will save your future self from a
low GWA. Don’t waste the ez unos, no matter how tempting. It matters all the more if you want to
shift out.

5. DON’T CLOSE YOUR DOORS TO ANYONE IN COLLEGE. Especially if you come from a private
Catholic school like I did, chances are culture shock will hit you hard. You’ll meet extremely liberal
people, people who dress differently, people who openly criticize God and, basically every kind of
person you’re not used to being around. Hold back on judgments and give everyone a chance.

6. GET TO KNOW YOUR CLASSMATES. Your high school friends will be your first friends but don’t stay
in your social circle forever. You’d be so surprised at how interesting and inspiring new people can
be. It’s true that you meet people from all walks of like - exchange students, working students,
students who have to go home to the province everyday, students with big dreams. Don't waste
those chances cos it's unlikely you'll cross paths with them again.

7. CHOOSE YOUR GROUPMATES WELL. If you can. I cannot stress this enough. If you were annoyed
by freeloaders and dumb excuses from people in high school, it gets worse in college. WHY? Because
as much as people say UP houses the creme de la creme, there are still MANY incompetent people,
and many people struggling with personal issues (my next point).
8. DON'T EVER TAKE ADVANTAGE OF PEOPLE. The truth of the matter is, fine, to an extent "grades
don't matter" but it does show diligence. To really deserve your place in the university, you're
expected to work hard and not be "that useless groupmate." (if you will be, your unos or laude won't
count as much). Although people do struggle with personal issues (we all have these), there are
always steps you can take.

9. CRAMMING CERTAINLY DOES NOT WORK. It's best for you to get a head head start on getting over
this bad habit. Work piles up much faster than you think so develop a good study habit early on. Do
it the second you remember you need to. A day’s worth of class is almost always a lot, so attend
class and listen closely so you don't miss the essence of the lesson (hehe me).

10. GETTING AN UNO IS NOT IMPOSSIBLE. I had a teacher who encouraged me to aim for summa,
and thought it was ridiculous back then because I thought it was just one person, and not a grade
range (don't be like me). Understand your syllabus well enough and it’ll lead you straight to the path
to getting an uno (the highest grade in UP is 1). Duh, work hard.

11. THE SECRET TO COLLEGE IS GENUINELY LISTENING IN CLASS. Shocker. If it means having to type a
transcript of what your prof is saying just so you can keep up with the explanations, do it. Do
everything you can to make sure you capture 100% of the lesson to avoid being left behind.

12. RESOURCES ARE EVERYWHERE. If even after listening, you’re still struggling, there are other
places you can look. Don’t have the lazy mindset that “my prof sucks so this class sucks and I accept
I’ll fail it." Many people can help you if you know where to look, i.e. scheduling consultations with
professors, asking upperclassmen for samplexes/sample requirements, Youtube videos and what
not.

13. FIND A SOURCE OF INCOME. In college, you’ll learn to spend money (hello freshie year!), save
money (hehe second year) & eventually make money! You’ll realize you’re mature enough to deal
with that kind of stuff so don’t hesitate to support yourself in ways you can.

14. INVEST IN A REALLY GOOD WATER BOTTLE. College life is hard, and believe it or not, sometimes
you’ll even forget to eat or drink water. Having a double-walled water bottle means your drink will
stay hot or cold for most of the day, and it’s such a mood-lifter. Don’t spend that extra 20-40 pesos a
day for water and pollute the environment in the process. In fact, take every opportunity not to add
to the overflowing waste already in our planet hehe 😞 (P L S S S S S S)

15. YOUR ALARM TONE IS EVERYTHING. The best decision I made in college was making my phone
ringtone & alarm the same because phone-obsessed me wouldn’t know if it was a call or an alarm,
so I’d wake up anyway. Having that default irritating alarm might work for some, but it just ended up
putting me in a bad mood. Choose it well!
16. ACTIVELY LOOK FOR SELF-DEVELOPMENT OPPORTUNITIES. Join Facebook groups, pay attention
to what your friends are sharing, etc. There are many internships, workshops, forums, and more, so
start your hunt early! Have a good record of these things for when you make your CV. You can't lose
with these!

17. DON’T MISS OUT ON AN INTERNATIONAL OPPORTUNITY. It truly cannot compare to anything
you’re going to experience locally. I would say the global atmosphere of the experience changes
your perspective in a way that changes your life too. Competitions, MUNs, Foreign Exchange through
OVCAA (?), Volunteer through aiesec.org! hehe

18. ORGS. I don't need to emphasize how important having an org is. Not only is it exciting to have
friends and things to attend, but (hopefully) it teaches you things you'll use after college. 70% of the
business-related concepts I know, I learned and understood from org experience haha (ty for that)

19. DIVERSIFY. Think about your first interview in/after college and when you get asked the question,
“what is your skill?" You should've gathered enough experiences to at least pinpoint two or three
skills you can be trusted with completely (if it's just orgs, don't just stay in one committee hehe).

20. CHOOSE UP BECAUSE YOU WERE PRIVILEGED ENOUGH WITH THE OPTION. Don’t be intimidated
by things like “people are too smart” or “i don’t think i’ll like the competitive/grade conscious
culture” or “i don’t think i can handle it.” Truth is, you don't know much about it, and it’s a leap of
faith. Just believe me when I say it will be one of your proudest decisions.

21. CHERISH YOUR FRIENDS. Seeing the response to this post made me want to emphasize this haha
ily all ❤ You should never be too busy for people who matter to you, and friendship is a two-way
street. These people are your biggest support system and those you'll keep til you grow old.
Appreciate every single person in your life, and show you care even in the smallest of ways.

p.s. no need to ask me if you can share it btw! Haha just go ahead, it would be a disservice
otherwise. I wrote this to benefit my cousins and brother in the future, so I hope it helps yours too
😊

Lastly, my main takeaway:

THE WORLD IS SO MUCH BIGGER THAN YOU. That’s the best thing you’ll get from a UP education,
but hopefully whichever school you go to will teach you that. I’ll forever be grateful to UP for
teaching me to have a purpose, to take a stand, and to live everyday with honor & excellence. Learn,
and learn, and learn some more.

NATAPOS DIN!!! Thank you to God for never leaving my side, my parents and all my relatives for
making this all possible, my dogs Herbie and Chuckie for making my weekends so special, and to
everyone I've met along the way.

Thank you, UP, for bending and breaking me just enough for me to come out stronger and wiser.
(And for all the good times in between hehe)

I'd like to thank my sponsors:

Uber (cries)

Grab (sige pero ayos buhay huhu)

Keynote & Canva (for all those me vs creative tasks)

Sitio Lucia (AHAHAHAH some can relate)

Berocca (bessssss)

Econ Library (the best library ever)

Mayor Herbert (di mo po alam ilang beses mo akong naisalba HAHA)

CHZZZZZZZ

Therese Adelaide Luna Serrano

Bachelor of Science in Business Economics

University of the Philippines Diliman

Graduated On Time Against All Odds Award