I guess I'm enjoying AFF's blogging feature too much, that I am back for another (nonsense) post. 

I decided to post on my blog instead of updating my fics because 1) I am currently experiencing a writer's block for romantic fics, 2) I am typing this using a phone, and doing a chapter on mobile would be a pain, and 3) someone inspired me to do a rant.

The title says it all. This blog post is about being a college student. I know some AFF users are still in high school, andI want to give them this message so that at least they will have an idea on how college life goes.

First off, I want to congratulate everyone who are going to college. Srsly. Studying is a privilege, so please don't waste the chance you will get. This might sound clichè, but knowledge is the only thing nobody can steal from you. Being able to learn a lot of things is a powerful tool that you can use to make your lives better, or even others'. 

When you enter college, or university as some people call it, the first thing you need to do is to decide which course/program you will take. An advice on that matter: CHOOSE WHAT WILL MAKE YOU HAPPY. Yes. The golden rule of deciding. The same rule I broke years ago, good thing I was able to turn things around. You know what, studying something that never interests you is very stressful and boring. Unlike when you study something that you like, it makes you happy. Very happy, and contented, and fulfilled. It's like, your life has been given a direction. Let me narrate what happens when you choose the wrong path, based on first-hand experience:

I entered college without the slightest idea about which course I should take. I ended up asking other people about which way I should go. So there, I took up a business-related course, even though my interest in that field was only 0.000008%. But I passed the entrance exam anyway, so there I went. Months passed, and my grades were all okay. So I still continued with it. Until first year ended, and I realized that I was going nowhere in that path. My grades started declining, I lost interest in studying until I ended up doing things in routine. I attend classes, but I don't participate that much anymore. I submit papers and projects, but I only poured half the effort on those. I wake up every morning with no motivation. And I realized that it was already burn-out, so I decided to call it quits. I shifted to another course, where my interest truly stayed. And even though a lot of people told me to go back to my previous course, I still stayed there. I chose happiness.

Lesson of the story? Never let other people tell you what path you should choose. It's your life, not theirs. We all have our own businesses. We all have different paths to take in this travel called life. Never hitch on someone's ride.

My mom would always tell me that college is different from high school. And I must admit that she was right all along.Professors were different, subjects were different, even cafeteria food was different. I never knew how I survivedmy first year with my fingers still complete. Two words I learned: independence and responsibility. When I was in high school, me and my friends would do group studies for everything. But when I got into college, I didn't experience group studies anymore, since I never had much friends (I had a group of friends, but we live far from each other, which made group studies impossible). Standing on your own is very important. Especially if you need to talk to professors. If they give you a grade that you think you don't deserve, don't go running home to cry to your mother. Get a bag of'courage, face your professor, and ask him why he gave you such grade. Be mature enough to handle your own.

College is also synonymous to sleepless nights. Literally. Twenty-four hours might not be enough for classes, reviews, projects, and the like. So you'd probably end up spending the night without visiting dreamland. Don't fret. You're not alone. 12,000,890 other college students experience the same problem. All you need to do is smile, relax, and drink four mugs of coffee.

I once read a novel entitled Macarthur, written by Bob Ong. One of the characters said, "Dalawang dekada ka lang mag-aaral. Kung di mo pagtitiyagaan, anak, limang dekada ng kahirapan ang kapalit." ("You only study for two decades. If you don't work hard for it, son, you'll have five decades of suffering.") I know that studying might be boring. But hey, once you get done with it, and graduate and be able to find a stable job, you'll see that everything you have worked for as a student is worth it. :)