RE8 DEFINITION: A Gyst of Development

As a student majoring in Family Life and Child Development, one of the important and essential concepts that I should be familiar with is development, particularly child development, since I am a future teacher in the UP Child Development Center where the ultimate aim is the child’s development.

RE8 DEFINITION: Cheese, Say "Cheese!"

Others might say that love is the universal language, but as a foodie, I must say that food is. You somehow understand a place or a country by having a meal of their cuisine. Aside from having a meal, you also take pictures of the food to document your experience and to not forget how it looks like, because by looking at it, you feel like you’re also tasting it. And recently, a popular trend has started circulating around the internet called the food photography.

Happy 82nd birthday, Daddy Kina!

82 years exactly today, October 26, a brilliant lawyer and the most loved grandfather was born — my Daddy Kina.

RE7 CAUSE AND EFFECT: How my Life Changed After the UPCAT

It has been roughly 9 months since I found out that I passed the UPCAT, and ever since, it was one huge roller coaster ride. At first, I started to believe in myself more. Before the release of the UPCAT results, I wasn’t expecting that I would pass anymore since I didn’t do well on the exam. But because I passed, I realized that I could conquer challenges to reach for my goals. But then, knowing that I passed the UPCAT with only a “Degree Program with Available Slot”, I had doubts with myself. I started to think that I wasn’t good enough for UP since I don’t have a degree to start with. I was considering on going to a different university where I passed my dream course but it didn’t stop there. After passing the UPCAT, I started to not give up easily, that I should consider taking risks to get to my goal, that UP is, indeed, worth the risk. I decided not to enrol to the other university I was thinking of and just wait whether or not I would soon have a degree program. Fortunately, I did and my dream of being a certified Iska came to life. Moreover, after passing the UPCAT, I became more inspired to reach for my dreams and achieve my goals. I realized that since I was in my dream university, soon enough, through pins and needles, I will achieve my dream profession — to become a doctor. I couldn’t help but think of my plans for myself and how to achieve my goals in life. But most importantly, after passing the UPCAT, I know that certainly, I made my parents and my family proud. This was my parents’ dream for me, especially my mom since she is an alumna of UP. But having an older sister who did not pass the UPCAT certainly put a lot of pressure on me. I still couldn’t forget how their faces were full of pride and joy the moment they knew about the results. My hard work and dedication in pursuing my ambitions will all be for my parents so that I could repay and give them back what they deserve in life after all that they’ve done for me and for my older sister.

RE6 COMPARE AND CONTRAST: High School vs College

I never thought that going from high school to college would be a massive transition for me. It wasn’t easy to let go of the things that I have accustomed to. I could say that I have been prepared on what to do during college. My parents, my high school teachers and even the teachers in the review center for UPCAT kept on reminding me that college is a whole lot different compared to high school. I even found this guide on candymag.com on how to survive college. But I have to admit that I wasn’t prepared enough for the reality of this. In my four months of studying in the university, I have realized that there are will never be manuals as to how I will be able to cope up in college. It is up to me to figure out the twists and turns of it and be a victor at the end.

RE6 COMPARE AND CONTRAST: Metro Manila vs My Hometown

Ever since I was a girl wearing pigtails in the morning and pajamas at night, I have lived in the north of Metro Manila — Bulacan. I am proud to be called a “prom-di” (from the province) girl because there’s a certain characteristic attached to that word that makes me unique. Since I have lived almost 16 years of my life in the province, thinking of what feels like living in Metro Manila when college would come always makes me excited and thrilled. Since I am a girl from the province, there’s always this magical thought attached to Metro Manila whenever I think about it. Now that I am a freshman in college and currently living in a townhouse somewhere in Quezon City, I have concluded that Metro Manila has deceived me.

RE5 ILLUSTRATION: Imagination-Filled Fictional Books

Living in the age of technology, children and the youth are inevitable from holding gadgets and not minding books. Parents should encourage their children to read fictional books because there are so many benefits which can be found in books but are not found in gadgets. Fictional books provide all sorts of imagination to a child. The Harry Potter series makes you believe that someday, you will receive a letter from Hogwarts inviting you to attend there and learn all sorts of magic. The Selection series, meanwhile, makes you pop-up pictures and settings of a palace filled with gigantic chandeliers, princesses wearing ball gowns, and most importantly, you picture the handsome Maxon Schreave in his prince clothing, staring and smiling back at you. Not only this, fictional books also enhance one's vocabulary skills. John Green's novels are beautifully written because of the words and the terms he used. The way he composes his novels, with those vocabularies, makes reading more alive. It's definitely time for children to stop using gadgets from time to time and have a dosage or more of these fictional books. Children just need a little encouragement to start reading fictional books.