New girl in town

MANILA, Philippines -Taking the Ateneo College Entrance Test was one of the most spontaneous and craziest things I think I’ve done in a while. Why? I took it with with sweat dripping and no preparation. I only had one review class. I found myself crying and shaking after that.

I endured the long hours of the test and by the end of it, decided that whatever happens is God’s will for me. So to God be the greatest glory because I got wait-listed and after handing in my appeal with wishful crossed fingers, I was accepted into the course AB Communications.

Now that I had that part of my worry list ticked off, next was actually attending college. The orientation days of Ateneo (famously known as OrSem) made me panic and got my heart palpitating because I was afraid of not finding people to talk to or sit next to. My worry list started to grow again: “What if no one talks to me?”, “What if people find it weird that an artista is attending class?” and so on, raced through my mind. I wasn’t in Australia anymore. Then, I played the real life Hannah Montana—a regular student in school, a bit of a celebrity back home, in Manila.

My awkwardness showed as I tried to involve myself in the bonding activities and ended up walking to the back in an attempt to decrease any attention given to me and my sticky icky self. Despite that, I was still able to show the quirky and eager side of me as I danced the mermaid dance and shouted “Aquaman!” Don’t get it? Don’t worry. I didn’t quite get it either, but we did it anyway.

At one point, I even twisted my ankle as I had a go at brisk-walking to my next class—which, humiliatingly, was not my class. I confirmed my identity as a lost freshman by sitting for a whole hour in a third year business class. I asked the person next to me why I would be placed in that class and he had no answer. I was also way too shy to ask if I was in the right room with the terrified possibility of laughter from the entire class.

The moment I realized that I was really meant to be in the room next to it was when my classmates told me. I just shamefully and silently laughed. I was very thankful to have classmates who were concerned about me already though. If I were still in Australia, I’m pretty sure the teacher would’ve kicked me out and told me to go to admissions and the laughing class scenario would’ve definitely happened. I do wonder if the prof had wondered what on earth I was doing there. He still emailed me the homework, though.

The first few months will definitely be a challenge, considering I will be working straight after classes every day. I’m afraid about not having enough time to prepare for work or finish my homework or just be able to live normally. I am so grateful to have an extraordinary job but with it will come sacrifices; I’ve already had to rethink a few projects and when to schedule them according to my class schedule—something I never had to do before because I had two entirely different worlds for work and studies. Now that it’s both combined, I am both a celebrity and student in and out of school; no more incognito student identity.

As I sit through a break during my second day, I ponder how this first year will turn out, and the following year, and the next, until I graduate—hopefully, with honors. For now, all I can do is pray for a great academic experience with new friendships formed and to never ever sit in the wrong class again.