In 18 Days

18 years of education. From pre-school, to elementary, to high school, and finally college.

• In 18 days, all those years of studying will officially end, and my profession as a student will cease to exist. 
• In 18 days, I will march along with my fellow batchmates, receive my diploma and graduate with a degree of BS Computer Science with a Specialization in Interactive Multimedia.
• In 18 days, I bid goodbye to the second home I've had for the past 4 years.

My college life has not been the smoothest of roads; rather, it's been strewn with a series of bumps, potholes and forks that force me to slow down, swerve and make decisions that either way made me arrive at my destination. There may be some things to regret, but certainly not enough to outweigh the many good memories I've taken away from my journey.

At the beginning of my senior year in high school, I decided to apply for two colleges: the University of the Philippines, and Ateneo de Manila University. For these two schools, my first choice was BS Computer Science; a quota course for both universities. Come August 2007, I took the UPCAT and by September that same year, the ACET. January 2008 revealed the results of these entrance exams, and I found out that I passed for said course in UP Los Banos (my second choice campus after Diliman), and was accepted for said course in Ateneo. Why did I choose Ateneo? For the simple reason that it was closer to home. And so it was settled. I would be attending Ateneo, and would be the only one among my family to have ever attended there for college. The rest of my family went to UP Diliman.

During my 4 year stay, I was exposed to the highs and lows (which I already discussed in this post) of my life as a student. The highest of highs and the lowest of lows. But through it all, I survived and I can come out and say the following with the utmost pride:

• I am bisexual and am in a 3-year-and-counting relationship with my girlfriend Kai
• I halted my application for AIESEC to instead find an OJT locally, landing my eventual job as a QA Analyst at Anino Games
• I went through 3 semesters under a supposed terror-professor in the Philosophy department, Father David, and came out with surprisingly excellent marks (A, B, B+ for PH101, 102 and 104 respectively)
• I may have gotten several D's over the years, but they ARE still testimonies of a passing mark, even if at a minimum. (MA18B, HI165, PH103, TH141)
• I got a B+ in my Philippine History class, considering I suck at history.
• I shared my thesis work during several workshops over the past 3 months both in and out of campus, scoring a publication in the Philippine Computing Journal special issue in 2011.

Overall, it was an unforgettable experience, and sharing that with the people I've met within this campus is something I will never soon forget. So some little memos to these group of people:

• To my English Block, R16: After spending a whole year together as classmates, a second block with a bond generated that might just stand the test of time. The wackiness notwithstanding and the memories of RENT surely still fresh in our minds, I take away from our time together the silliness and spontaneity that resonates everyone's individuality that helped shape what we all became. Congratulations to us all!
• To my fellow CS coursemates: We shared the same pain, and fought a lot of the same battles. We struggled together and found sanctuary in each other's presence. We relied on each other, respected one another and got to learn more about one another. I thank you for the openness, and the unlimited power of acceptance from the shared experience we have as a batch. Thank you and congratulations, BS CS 2012!
• To my teachers and educators: It is to you all that deserves most of my gratitude. Just as much as I am aware that my effort is what makes my mark, it is your guidance and teaching that has given me the skills set and knowledge needed to pass. What I take away by the end of our contract as a student-teacher cohesion is the small friendships; the acknowledgement of each other's existence that surpass beyond the four walls that designate our place of learning. What I take away is the little conversations or even the swift greetings we exchange in those encounters. You all have given me much more than the curriculum had to offer, and that is to be a better person and for this, I thank you.
• To my ALLS family (yes, even the adopted kids): Senior year could not have been better spent anywhere else. ALLS ensured my survival these past months all throughout thesis work amidst everything else; it became a place of work and play at the same time. Inside the familiar rooms of F224 and eventually F206 housed individuals that I marked to be friends for life. Not just fellow classmates, but teachers as well. It was in my senior year where I experienced perhaps the most exhilaration with a select group of people that I always look forward to spending time with them, jumping in on random conversations and snatching food and drinks whenever available. ALLS has been the niche that nourished the perfect environment for bringing our thesis to fruition. Admittedly, it was because of this homey atmosphere that made me see thesis as more of a past-time than an actual requirement; that deadlines were to be treated as mere dates than things to be worried over excessively. ALLS has also given me plenty of opportunities to build my confidence for which I am most grateful.
• Finally, to my Block N: The laughs, cries, photos, games, parties, memories and experiences we had together from freshman 'til senior year may not have been consistent, but they were there through thick and thin and we were there for each other every step of the way, and I think this is exactly why we have these blocks; to support each other and give each other the extra boost when it's most needed. Those who were shy at the first encounter, as we've seen, have become so integrated to the group that we nearly forget they were evasive at all. So for all the cards dealt, the jokes and videos shared, the games played and the time spent, I thank you sincerely. 

I have never once regretted choosing Ateneo as my college. I have met the most amazing people and garnered experience points that I will surely take with me once I receive my diploma. I have made friends I will keep for life, and learned much more about my passions and myself along the way. I will miss walking around the campus; I will miss the people I've grown used to seeing everyday, but I turn my back and take a step forward, knowing that they will all remain in my heart as living reminders that just as I need to move on, they will all continue moving on with me. Besides, there's always those surprise visits now and again!

I only hope that the impressions I have left on each and every one of them, however fleeting, have been as sincere, massive and memorable as they have on me as we eventually bid goodbye and begin the next chapter of our lives.

みんな、本当にありがとうございました！(Everyone, thank you very much!)