Tuesday, February 28, 2012

Ga-Graduate Ka Ba?

In the Philippine school systems, towards the end of the school year is an important month for graduating students. This is the time when a student gets a clue if he or she will walk to the stage to receive a piece of typewriting paper tied with cheap lace from Divisoria. Graduates-to-be are anxious to know if they're gonna move up, or gonna get stuck behind. Frankly its a tense time.

There's a lot of challenges actually. For the high school and the college students, grades are just the start of the things to get worried about. It is a stressful phase, but also an exciting one. Commencement is the end of something, and the start of another.

In public high schools, the pilot sections has nothing to worry about. Schools take care of their "representatives" but what about the lower, more unfortunate sections? In college, the Dean's listers, the teacher's pets and "children of employees" will sail smoothly through this. But what about us, the mere ordinary people who are struggling with a lot of things?

We wait in line to be assessed. We chase after the professors who might have forgotten to submit their grades. Some get harassed, some just don't get anywhere at all. Yet, for the most who get graduation clearance, nothing is more happier than the parents and the Dean's listers. Parents are happy because finally, thousands of pesos a year are gonna be saved from the family's budget (their children accomplishing something is just part of their happiness). Dean's listers are happy because they get what they worked hard for. What about the regular students?

Most would just shrug at the idea. Interview many, you'd get mixed ideas but it all boils down to one thing, freedom from books, thesis and academics. After at least 14 years of sitting in a classroom, many are glad to be out, although the allowance stops, many wouldn't really mind. After all, a piece of paper proving you've been diligent is all that matters nowadays and one can have a job. Hope is not lost to those who can't have a diploma though, since there are folks in Recto that can make one while-u-wait.

So you're graduating? Prepare to be crammed inside an auditorium, see many people cry, get blinded with camera flash and a sumptuous meal afterwards. Then you look for a job. New people to mingle, new experiences to deal with. Now comes the application of years of theory and education. Its not that hard really. Common sense and sensibility works best here, plus doing what you love to do.