UP: A Joke Come True

Every Filipino students dream to enter the universities UP, Ateneo, La Salle, UST etc. they’re the Ivy League schools in the Philippines; the top schools every smart student must be able to enter. And since I am a pure-blooded Filipino myself, I had that dream too.

I remember the night I was standing in front of Robinson’s facing the UPM-OUR building. I was staring right at the name University of the Philippines and in its sparkling and unreachable state I jokingly said, “Dira gid ko maeskwela mag college.Bantayi lang.” (I will go in that school for college. Wait and see.)

And surely, I did pass the UPCAT and was qualified for my first choice even though a lot of bad things literally happened while I was on my way of fulfilling that dream.

During the filling out of our UPCAT forms, our teacher scolded me and my friend for making BS Nursing our first choice. She said that it’s hard to enter in there because it’s a quota course.
During the testing day, I arrived just minutes before the exam started. That was a Sunday afternoon and Bagyong Ondoy was having the time of its life.

UP hopefuls like me were busy taking the exam as strong winds whipped outside. Papers were flying everywhere because the window was left open. Then in the middle of the exam, a brownout occurred. But that didn’t stop us from continuing the test. Good thing I was near the window. Never mind the wind.

Hours before the UPCAT results were released, I was already hopeless.

I just found out that my name wasn’t posted on the list of passers in the State University just across our school. If I didn’t pass that school, it means I wouldn’t pass UP as well. I felt really terrible.

My teacher just consoled me saying I was meant for UP.

It turned out she was right for when we visited the site that afternoon after minutes of refreshing the webpage, my name was displayed in there-and further on the right BS Nursing Manila.


I made it! I made it! I was all smiles that afternoon.

This was one of the best days of my life.