A walk on the wild side

I used to be bitter. I used to want to be in that other Ateneo school with a better reputation and no hyphen to its name, because in my biased but informed opinion, it’s the last word in quality education and more importantly, opportunities. That was four years ago.

Now, four years later, I realize that I needn’t be. College education is what you make of it. College is not about waiting to be spoon-fed information; it’s about constantly learning through whatever avenue is open to you. While I learned theories in the classroom, I learned skills outside of it.

It was when I got involved in campus activities—like this amazing organization called TheCrusader Publication; have you heard of it?—that I learned things they don’t teach you in classrooms: dealing with people both older and younger than you are; organizing events and activities you used to only participate in; communicating ideas and opinions—and fighting for them whenever necessary; coping with stress and tensions; and so much more. But most of all, I learned how to make things possible, to not wait for opportunities but create my own.

That’s the kind of knowledge that won’t come out in exams, but would definitely be in the coverage of the test called “the real world”.

So what’s the story of my life for, you ask? That was the intro. This is the conclusion: It pays to be involved—in orgs, councils, the CSG, formation programs, what-have-yous.

So this is a shout-out to you, if you’re one of the students who could not be bothered: Next year, take a walk on the wild side and be involved. You won’t ever regret it.C