college survival 101
this week can be summarized in so many words: hellishly toxic.
you would not believe the load put on our backs by the curriculum this time. exams last week postponed to this week, lecture and lab subjects climaxing at the same time, and a certain annoyance asking for unnecessary non-departmental exams a day before the heavier dep exam. luckily, imed has mastered several coping mechanisms, and a special few of my own, ready and waiting for such occasions.
first off, the single most important pre-exam event everyone anticipates: the study group. i can't imagine surviving without this indespensible tool, even if it was just during my 1st sem. they offer the perfect, or nearly perfect, learning conditions; an aggregate of knowledge, learned and eager minds exchanging info and trading secrets, and a sociable atmosphere which makes acads feel less intimidating than it really is. the only downsides are if you need a closed, silent environment to fully absorb knowledge, you won't find it here. it also requires a bit of prior knowledge to at least keep up with the pace of general discussion, and the lack of sleeping space, the bathroom rush during the next morning, and complementary house cleanup afterward bring a quick damper to the night. last week, there couldn't have been less than 4 independently-run study groups per day, just what the doctor ordered.
with joining study groups, or even on solo flights, burning the midnight oil becomes inevitable. people always say to study several days, even weeks, ahead, so that the pacing and sleeping patterns can be maintained throughout, but come on, that never happens. even if we start studying 3, 4 days in advance, cramming at crunch time always adds a little flair to the chore. and so with that comes mechanism number 2, sleeping on cue. a typical day of classes has at least 1 relatively long break, set for lunch time or whatever reason there is. on times like those, it helps to be able to fall unconscious upon hitting the bed, catching a few zzz's, then waking up a few minutes later, fresh and ready to hit the road again.
next, the very thing up manila is famous for, or rather, infamous for: detox. establishing an institution dedicated to human intellect smack dab in the center of sin city does have its perks. every hell week, or rather, every week, must culminate with a dose of guilty pleasure. nearly every conceivable vice and vanity is 15 minutes away at the farthest. malls, movies, restos, bars, baywalk, even biking and volleyball sessions add to the growing mix. and speaking of bars, last last friday, a small group of us went barhopping. to think, it took us 1 1/2 years of living in manila before we could taste the nightlife as an imed group. there was no drinking *yet*, but letting loose and just moving to the music was a high the likes of which i have never felt before. the night went great, albeit half my time was spent rounding up my female companions, steering away prying eyes and eager bodies from our group, an extremely exhausting task (considering the skin-to-skin distance between persons is nearly zero, and sex appeal just had to reach a peak that night). for more details, refer to alikoy's blog.
lastly, a little divine intervention never hurt. praying for typhoons, rallies, or random blackouts could just come in handy in a pinch. and in my case, the big guy up there may just have something special thrown in for free. it's something i like to call my "magical bio powers" and "magical chem powers". not to flaunt, but in terms of diligence in studying, i'm not exactly the model student. but when push comes to shove, and the dust starts to settle, i always turn out better for wear, with scores reaching the high 80's to 90's. in past experience, i'm infamous for being the first to sleep during study groups, one with the least toxic night, but with results which usually turn a couple of heads. even now, i always start off insecure and doubtful of my knowledge, specially with people who can blurt out terms and definitions i have never encountered before (or never retained), but things always have a way of working out in the end.
with all things considered, college life is never a cakewalk. but at least, we'd have several tricks of the trade up our sleeves, ready to be called upon when the need arises. and last week, that was definitely a situation.