Going to college

How many months more to go and I would be in college already. But until now, I am still confused of what course I would really take up. Of course, I would really miss my high school days and as we all know, high school is different from college. As a college freshman, again you must adjust to the school, to the environment and to your classmates too but that's okay since you would get used to that as days passed by. My cousins and friends often reminded me to decide on my course since it would take two months more and definitely, I would graduate from high schoool already. But still now, I am still undecided. I have several choices and my mother has another choice of what course I would take too.

But if I were to ask, I have several choices. First of all, I wanted to take up BS Biology as a preparatory course for medicine since I really wanted to become a doctor for this is really one of my ambititions since I was small but since money is a hindrance, it is possible that I cannot pursue with medicine which I really like and maybe plainy take-up BS biology. Second, taking up business management is another option for me. I wanted also to take up this course too just like my aunt and working in a company is quite nice too. But my mother wants me to take up nursing. I really don't like this course because of the pressure and stress but just like other people, we need to be practical also. Nursing, nowadays, is in demand abroad and of course, you would earn dollars if you would work abroad and if converted here in the Philippines into peso would mean a lot of money. But, of course, I really don't like nursing either. My father always reminds me that I should take-up a course that I want and not because I was forced to take up that course. As I was thinking, yes it is right that if you would took up that course, its because you like it and not because you are forced to take it. Just like him, he took up enginneering since my grandparents forced him to take it but the course that he likes to take-up really is accountancy. Until now, he still regreted of what he took up and he is not happy with his job. That's why he always reminds me to decide well on what course to take-up.

But of course, for now, I need to give priorities first on my studies and at the same time decide and think well on what course to take up. We must pray to God too so that we can graduate from high school and proceed to college this coming June. And of course, you must listen to the advices of your parents too and not only your own decisions since parents know what is best for their children.

My high school days

High school life is almost over. Two more months and who knows, I would already proceed to college. But of course, who wouldn't miss those laughter and tears that you and your classmates shared with each other during your high school days. Yes, its really hard to leave the portals of UP high school since you spend four years in this school and every moment in this school is really worth memorable. But of course some people can't ignore the excitement that they are already proceeding college.

Yes, two more months and I would already graduate from high school. Of course, it is one of my ambitions in life to graduate from UP high school and be able to proceed from college. During my first year high school days, I find it hard to adjust at UP high school especially when the teachers would gave you several assignments and sometimes there are a lot of quizzes and seatworks in just one day. I even wondered if I can still proceed to second year since I really thought that I might fail in one subject and that would mean leaving the school. Months have passed by and I was able to reach second year high school. Second year high school, for me, is really one of the best. I belonged to the section Benton and I had fun and memorable experiences with my classmates within this level. Months have passed by again and I am already in third year high school and I was really very much happy but of course the lessons are getting harder. Third year life was also unforgettable for me since I had some "first times". During third year, I experienced being suspended for the first time, I experience having a promenade last feb. 2006 which is of course my first time and I experience failing in a particular subject which is really one of the worst "first times" that I had during my third year days. Bit by bit too, I get to adjust to the standard of UP high school. At the same time, I am happy that all of us get to adjust to each others personalities and characteristics and this makes us get even more closer and get to know each other well. But now that I am in fourth year high school, I am making the most of it like spending time with your friends and classmates, say sorry to somebody that you have done wrong and of course, be focused on your studies since third grading period is done and it is already the beginning of fourth grading period.

Studying in UP high school is not that easy and I really hope and be very happy if I would graduate from this school. I really learned a lot of things from this school. Not only merely the lessons that the teachers taught us but I learned how to be patient in the sense that not all things can be achieve right away and if you want to achieve something, you must be patient enough and also being hardworking is one. Yes, things can't be achieved by patience alone but you need also to be hardworking and industrious. To proceeed to the next level of high school, you need to study well and do your assignments or what the teacher asks or assigns you to do like projects and others. Aside from this, I also learned to be on time or be conscious of the time since like in UP high school, if you are late a lot of times, then you would get suspended. And if you get suspended, then you would miss some of the lessons that your teacher has discussed on that day and some would even have a hard time catching up with the lessons too. To be a UP student, they say, you should not be shy and you have a mouth to defend yourself. But if you really want to accelerate in this school, you must always do your best, study well and never forget God who would always guide you in everything you do. Also, when we have graduated UP high school, we must not forget to thank the teachers of UP high school whom we really owe a lot and we should not forget our very own high school university, the University of the Philippines.

A different sinulog experience

Sinulog festival is one of the most popular festivals here in the Philippines and many people from around the world would want to come to Cebu and celebrate this very colorful festival. Every sinulog experience for me is fun and exciting especially when you get to witness the sinulog mardi gras, the fluvial parade and others. But this year is entirely different from the rest. This year's sinulog experience was fun yet tiring and of course, I realized something and I learned a very important lesson.

Every sinulog, we would always go to church with my family at the santo niño church. This year, we went to church together with my two aunts and my younger brother. My aunt told me to woke up at 6 am because she wanted to attend mass early but since I woke up at exactly 8:30 am, my two aunts and my brother almost left me in our house. We all arrive at the sto. niño church at about 10:00 am. We were not able to have a seat since we arrived late and there were already too many people in the church. At that time, I realized that if I woke up early that morning, we would have taken a seat, the four of us. The church was really very crowded and my younger brother almost fainted because he cannot tolerate the warmth and of the many people in the church. He wanted to take a seat but the chairs were already taken. After the mass, we went to ayala since my cousin texted my aunt that she and my other cousins wanted to meet with us. Again, I was almost left since I was late when I arrive to our rendezvous. After that, we went into my cousin's pension house and we were not able to watch the sinulog festival since I was able to slept in their pension house. My cousins and I planned to watch the concert of Hale at SM since it's only free but this time, it was not pursue again since my other cousin was able to slept too. All our plans were really not pursue because both me and my other cousin were able to sleep. During nighttime, we went to fuente, just merely walking around. Again we planned to go to ayala to watch the fireworks display. This time, our plan was a success. I remembered that time that my father reminded me to go home early but then it was past 9 pm and the jeepneys were all full. My aunt told me that we would have to walk from ayala until near the sarrosa hotel. The taxis were also full and we just waited for a jeep or a taxi to arrive. We waited until past 10 pm and fortunately, there was a taxi who agreed to take us to Consolacion and my aunt was the one who payed for our fare. At that time, I was really worried because my brother has a class after that day and we were worried maybe we would go home very late and my father would maybe get angry to us but thank God we still arrive home not really that late than we expected and my father has slept so he didn't scold us.

This sinulog experience was one of not really the worst but an experience that is unforgettable and an experience with a learning. Of course, one thing that I learned from it is to be careful next time of the time or be time-conscious. We should be on time always and of course always remember that time is precious.

Me, myself and I

I am Hazel Marie Comendador, a fourth year student of the University of the Philipines High school in Cebu. I live with my parents, brothers and aunts in V&G Consolacion, Cebu. I have three younger brothers and I am the eldest and the only girl among the siblings. I was born here in Cebu City last March 17, 1990. I studied in Sogod Cenral School during pre-elem and I studied in S.B.C. Forum for Literacy during elementary. I am a person with several nicknames. In school, my classmates often call me Hazel but at home, I do have a lot of nicknames.

Listening to my favorite music and going out with my cousins are one of my favorite pastimes. I also enjoy merely watching TV, specifically myx, mtv, and abs-cbn. I am not that fond of reading books but I enjoy reading magazines and atlas books. I am not a home buddy and I prefer hanging out than staying at home. Studying is also one of the things I hate to do. I am really lazy when it comes to studying. I am a person who is a happy-go-lucky one but not really all the time. I am also the type of person who loves music and playing musical instruments is one of my favorite thing to do. According to some people, they think that I am a serious-type of person but when you get to know me better, you would really say that I am the opposite one. Being a pessimistic person is really what I am but I try my best not to be one since it is better to be optimistic than to be pessimistic. But my friends and cousins say that I am a person who is sometimes silent and sometimes talkative but it all just depends on my mood. Yes, I am a moody type of person. Sometimes, I am too talkative, sometimes i love to tease, sometimes I am so silent and sometimes I get lunatic too. They say I am also a person who easily gets nervous, numb and who loves making corny jokes. Acually, I am not a pet lover and I am not fond of taking care of animals either. Being a nature lover, I enjoy staying in my lolo's house in the province and spend time with my cousins taking a bath or gathering seashells in the sea or sometimes taking a bath in the spring and during vacations, we would go hiking in the mountains.

Talking about my ambition in life, I just want to finish my studies and be successful in the future. I want to have a good job since I really want to help my family. I still don't know what to take up this coming college, in other words I'm still undecided. I believe in the saying "live each day as if it is your last day". My greatest dream is to tour around the world and be a linguist someday. But for now, I give priorities to my studies first. I am happy with my life today and I owe it all to the Lord. Whatever I may be, that's God's plan for me and I am very much thankful to him.